Poker has historically been a male-dominated arena, but there’s a noticeable shift with more women showcasing their skills at the tables, often outperforming their male counterparts. The recent years have been amazing for female poker players. Although a female champion at the World Series of Poker Main Event still remains to be seen, many enthusiasts believe this might change soon.
In this article, we are going to share the Top 10 Female Poker players who have been able to make a name for themselves in this male-dominated game.
1 – Kristen Bicknell Foxen
Kristen Bicknell, you might have known her as Kristen Foxen. The Canadian poker player actively engaged in poker since her college days. She used to grind daily in online poker rooms. She then switched to live tournaments and never looked back. Her proficiency in online poker not only boosted her bankroll but also honed her skills to compete against the best in live poker tournaments.
Bicknell has won 4 WSOP bracelets and has amassed more than $7 Million in live earnings. Due to her amazing performance in tournaments, she has received four Female Poker of the Year awards at the Global Poker Awards.
image credit: VIP Grinders
2 – Vanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst’s impressive records includes over a dozen high-profile tournament victories, including three WSOP Bracelets, and live earnings exceeding $11.8 million. She holds the unique record for being the only woman to have ever held the number one position in the Global Poker Index. Selbst retired from poker in 2018, but takes part in some key poker tournaments.
3 – Kathy Liebert
Kathy Liebert, a female poker player with an impressive track record in high-stakes tournaments. She has close to $i Million in live poker tournament earnings. She won her first WSOP Bracelet from the 2004 Limit Hold’em Shootout event and boasts six final tables in the World Poker Tour, and nearly $2 millions in winnings. Her most significant win to date was the $1,000,000 first prize at the PartyPoker Million Cruise in 2002. Her most significant cash of 2024 was $ 13,700, which she earned for her 44th place finish in the LHPO Championship (Event #34) at 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, Hollywood.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.org
4 – Maria Ho
Ho is one of the female poker players who has made a name for herself outside of poker. She made her mark in the poker scene at the 2007 WSOP where she finished in 38th place as the last woman standing, winning $237,865. Since then, she has made multiple cashes at the WSOP, including eight-in-the-money performances at the 2014 World Series.
Image Credit: CardPlayer
Aside from her achievements at the Poker table, Ho has made significant contributions as a commentator. She notably became the first female ‘strategic commentator’ for season 9 of the Heartland Poker Tour and worked with NBC Sports, as well as hosting several Esports tournaments. She was later inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
ALSO READ: MARIA HO: FROM SCRUBBING FLOORS TO POKER STARDOM – A TALE OF TALENT AND DETERMINATION
5 – Annie Duke
Annie Duke, popularly known as the ‘Dutchess of Poker’ is one of the popular female high stakes poker players. She is an author, and business founder renowned for her cash games.Duke has an impressive tournament record, including a WSOP bracelet, victories in the 2004 WSOP Tournaments of Champions, and the 2010 National Heads-up Poker Championship. She was the leading female money winner at the WSOP but was later surpassed by Vanessa Selbst.
Image Credit: TradeLife.co.uk
Duke has retired from poker since 2012, many people believe it may be due to the fact of her being the sister of the controversial Full Tilt Poker Founder, Howard Lederer.
6 – Annette Obrestadt
Annette Obrestad, popularly known by her online name ‘Annette_15.’ She reportedly began her online poker career at the age of 15, where she built a professional bankroll through freerolls without making any deposits. At 18, she made her mark by winning the Main Event of the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe and becoming the youngest bracelet winner ever.
Image Credit: PokerNews
Obrestad is distinguished for her remarkable online poker accomplishments, such as winning a 180-player Sit N Go without looking at her hole cards unless facing an all-in bet. She has found success in creating popular makeup and beauty content on YouTube and Instagram. As for her winnings in poker, she has close to $4 million in poker earnings, according to various reports.
7 – Liv Boeree
Liv Boeree, nicknamed the ‘Iron Maiden,’ has an impressive tournament record. She is the only female to win major events on both the World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour. She also holds a WSOP bracelet, which she won in the 2017 10k Tag-Team event with Igor Kurganov.
Image Credit: CardPlayer
Boeree received initial guidance in poker from former WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth during a reality show, igniting her passion for the game. She has close to $4 million in live earnings.
While Boeree has shifted her focus to content creation and public speaking, her legacy as a skilled poker player remains undeniable.
8 – Vanessa Rousso
Vanessa Rousso, a French-American professional poker player. Rousso excels in both cash games and tournaments, accumulating more than $3.5 million in live earnings. Her online poker achievements include a 2nd place finish in the WSOP Main Event in 2007, earning over $700,000.
Image Credit: Duke Magazine
She has a diverse career in DJing, and music production, and she has appeared in TV shows like Poker After Dark and also competed in Big Brother. She also serves as an ambassador for internet hosting company GoDaddy.
9 – Joanne ‘JJ’ Liu
Joanne ‘JJ’ Liu, a Taiwanese-California professional poker player, discovered Poker while working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. Since the early 2000s, she has been accruing tournament victories, including wins on the World Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
Image Credit: PokerListings.com
Her accomplishments led to her inauguration into the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, and she has amassed more than $1.7 million in live poker tournament cashes.
10 – Victoria Coren Mitchell
Victoria Coren Mitchell, a British poker pro, is well known for her achievements as a writer and broadcaster, with a range of successful television and radio appearances, as well as columns in magazines and newspapers.
Image Credit: PokerStars
At the poker table, she made history by becoming the first woman to win a European Poker Tour Main Event at EPT London in 2006. This marked the beginning of her many high-profile tournament successes. Her largest tournament win came in the 2014 EPT San Remo, where she claimed 1st place and nearly half a million Euros in prize money.
Her significant contributions to the game led to her induction into the Female Poker Hall of Fame in 2016.
Keep following PokerProNews for the latest news and updates on top female poker pros!
