Victoria Coren Mitchell is a well-known figure on British television and an icon in the poker community. While many celebrities haven’t achieved much in poker, Coren made history. She is celebrated as the “Queen of the European Poker Tour,” a title she earned by becoming both the first female EPT winner and the first player to win multiple EPT Main Event titles. This report delves into Coren’s early life, her poker career, and the reasons she ultimately stepped back from the poker world.
Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Victoria Coren Mitchell was born on August 18, 1972, in Hammersmith, West London, to a family with a history in journalism. Her father, Alan Coren, was a popular journalist and humorist. Both her uncle and brother are also journalists. Like her family, Coren showed an early interest in writing and journalism. At 14, she published a short story in the popular teen magazine Just Seventeen, and she later attended St Paul’s Girls’ School before studying English at St John’s College, Oxford.
Coren’s introduction to poker is rather humorous. Initially, she started playing to meet boys but quickly lost interest in them and became captivated by the game itself. “My brother started playing when we were teenagers, so I decided it would be a good way to meet boys. I lost interest in the boys quite quickly, but the game gripped me,” Coren said.
Reflecting on her early days in poker, she admits to being clumsy at first, losing a lot of money in cash games, and it was because of the fear of losing money. “One of the first pieces of advice I give to people who want to play poker is: Don’t play for more money than you can easily afford,” she told Maclean’s.
Poker Career Highlights and Winnings
Coren’s live poker tournament journey began with a 9th-place finish in the 2001 European Poker Championship £200 PLO, earning $940. Her first major victory came in 2004 when she won the televised poker show Celebrity Poker Showdown Season 2, taking home $45,745.
The following year, Coren made history by becoming the first woman to win an EPT Main Event. She emerged victorious at the EPT London £3,550 NLH Main Event, pocketing an impressive $941,513 along with her first EPT title.
This victory catapulted her into the poker spotlight, and she appeared on several televised poker shows, including PartyPoker Premier League Poker, Poker Million, and Late Night Poker. In 2007, she won two live titles and notched up podium finishes across several tournaments in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, she reached the final table of the GUKPT London Main Event, finishing 9th for $13,924. The year 2012 saw her win her second EPT title at European Poker Tour with a victory for € 58,900 in a No Limit Hold’em – Heads-Up event in Monte Carlo.
In 2014, Coren became the first player, male or female, to win multiple EPT Main Event titles. She achieved this milestone by winning the EPT Sanremo €4,900 NLH Main Event, earning a six-figure prize of $660,947.
After this historic win, Coren took a step back from poker. She made a brief return in 2022 to compete in the EPT Monte Carlo Mystery Bounty, finishing 54th and collecting $3,841—her last live poker cash.
Victoria Coren Mitchell’s Net Worth in 2024
As of 2024, Victoria Coren Mitchell’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million, derived from her work in broadcasting, writing, and poker. With over 64 live poker cashes, she has amassed $2,504,769 in earnings, which is only a fraction of her income from television and journalism.
She was part of the PokerStars ambassador roster from 2008 to 2014. However, she chose to leave when PokerStars introduced online casino games, which Coren was unwilling to endorse.
Other Ventures and Personal Life
Outside of poker, Coren is a successful TV host, writer, and journalist. She previously wrote for The Observer and is currently a columnist at The Telegraph, contributing entertainment-based articles. Additionally, she hosts the BBC quiz show Only Connect. Coren married British actor and comedian David Mitchell in 2012, adding “Mitchell” to her name. The couple has two children and resides in London.
Why did Victoria Coren Mitchell Leave Poker?
In 2015, Coren made the life-altering decision to leave poker, though she still occasionally competed in EPT events. The primary reason for this decision was becoming a mother in 2015, which forced her to change her priorities. “It’s nice to think that people remember me playing poker, but I worry about that responsibility,” Coren told PokerNews.
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