Allyn Jaffrey Shulman is a trailblazer in the world of poker, proving that skill and determination transcend gender in a traditionally male-dominated field. A former criminal defense attorney, Shulman turned her passion for poker into a successful career, earning a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and securing over $1.7 million in live earnings. Her journey from the courtroom to the felt is an inspiring story of perseverance and achievement.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman’s Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman is a veteran female poker player with a WSOP bracelet. Before embarking on her poker journey, she worked as a criminal defense attorney, practicing law for decades before shifting her focus to poker.
Shulman had a deep love for the game. At one point, her ex-husband had to watch the kids for a week while she dedicated her time to playing poker. Her passion for the game intensified after meeting Barry Shulman, the owner of Card Player Magazine, who would later become her husband.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman’s Poker Career Highlights
Shulman’s first recorded live cash came in 2001 when she finished 10th in a tournament, earning $631. Just a year later, she secured her maiden poker title by winning the 2002 Four Queens Poker Classic $500 Limit Hold’em event, taking home $22,310.
Her impressive performances continued, with a notable deep run in the 2005 WSOP, where she finished 6th in the $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event, earning $41,285. However, it took another seven years before she would claim her first WSOP gold bracelet.
In 2012, at the age of 58, Shulman triumphed in the 43rd WSOP $1,000 NLH Seniors Championship, outlasting a massive field of 4,128 players to win a career-defining six-figure payday of $603,713. Her victory was particularly significant, as it came shortly after the infamous Black Friday scandal in online poker.
Shulman continued making deep runs in live tournaments. In 2013, she finished 8th in the WSOP $3,000 PLO event for $28,821. Later that year, she won the DeepStack Extravaganza III $5,000 NLH Main Event, pocketing another six-figure score of $293,966.
Although she hasn’t secured another major title, Shulman remains an active participant in mid-stakes tournaments, including the WSOP events. One of her recent cashes includes a 3rd-place finish in the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Recurring Tournaments $150 NLH Big Stack for $2,055.
As of now, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman has accumulated over $1,704,831 in live tournament earnings from 171 cashes, cementing her status as one of the most successful female poker veterans.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman’s Personal Life
In addition to her legal career, Shulman has worked as a writer and consultant. She is also an active advocate for women in poker and the game. In 2006, Schulman joined the Poker Players Alliance (PPA)’s Board of Directors, fighting for poker players’ rights.
After her historic bracelet victory in the 2012 WSOP, she stated: “I’m happy for myself, but I’m happy for all women that I won this. It shows that any woman can win a poker tournament, and I’d like to see more of them out there playing—feeling comfortable with going at it with the boys and winning.”
She further emphasized the progress women have made in male-dominated fields, saying:
“As years go by, women become more and more comfortable in all fields. For example, when I was a beginning lawyer, there were quite a lot of male lawyers and not a lot of female lawyers. Slowly, in different fields, women are breaking into those fields, and pretty soon, it will be all even.”
Shulman continues to play poker whenever she gets the chance, proving that her passion for the game remains as strong as ever.
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