While poker is still considered to be a man’s game, this does not mean that women have not been able to make their own impact on the game. While the men might dominate the game, it is not unknown for a woman at the table to really shake things up. Here are some of the best female poker stars to ever sit at the table.
Vanessa Selbst
Selbst is the only woman to have ever reached the No.1 ranking on the Global Poker Index. She has since retired from the major poker circuit in favour of a job as a hedge fund manager at Jane Street Capital, but that does not mean that she did not make an impact on the game when she played there.
A graduate of Yale University and a Fulbright scholar, Selbst can also add three WSOP bracelets to her impressive list of accomplishments. She is also the highest-earning female player in poker history, having collected tournament winnings of around $12 million. In her career, she has also won back-to-back titles in the NAPT, and has made several appearances in different games since her retirement.
Maria Ho
Ho is undoubtedly one of the most well-known names in the world of poker. She has appeared at countless games, and also works as a host and commentator for different tournaments too.
She has constantly displayed her aggressiveness and skills as a player, and this has helped to cement her position as one of the most well-known faces and voices in the poker world. She has collected a few WPT titles in her time, and she will continue to be a force to be reckoned with at many poker tournaments in the future.
Kristen Bicknell
Canadian Bicknell topped the Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings for three consecutive years, from 2017 to 2019. Throughout her career, she has accumulated winnings of over $5.1 million. This has not just come from playing in live tournaments but also from online games.
These types of games can be a great choice for those players searching for a platform where they can test out new strategies and more. Make sure to check out NewCasinos, the best portal with new casino sites, if you want to find the best online games to play at, as players like Bicknell did.
Bicknell has also managed to pick up not one but two WSOP bracelets and some incredibly impressive jackpots. In 2019, she walked away from a $25,000 Poker Masters NLHE event with a jaw-dropping $408,000.
Barbara Enright
Enright began to really make a name for herself when there were not a lot of women in the game. She started playing in 1976, but became a consistent and dedicated player in 1986. She has collected over $1.7 million in live tournament winnings and was also the first woman to collect a WSOP bracelet in an open event.
In 1995, she made history again as the first woman to make it to the final table of the Main Event. She finished fifth overall. Enright has also collected a WSOP circuit ring, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007.
Jennifer Harman
Harman is a Nevada native and began to play small-stakes games here. She has since played in some of the biggest games out there. She was the first woman to pick up two WSOP bracelets, with one coming in 2000 and another in 2002. These games gave her prizes of $146,250 and $212,440 respectively.
She was the only woman who regularly played in what was known as “The Big Game” at the Bellagio. She is a common face at the launch of many new poker circuits, having played in the inaugural Professional Poker Tour and World Series of Poker Europe games. Her total live tournament wins are thought to exceed $2.7 million.
Just Five of Many
These are just five of the women who are proving that female players can offer something to the game. There have been so many women who have made an incredible contribution to the game and they deserve to be as celebrated as the male players.
The women of poker are able to hold their own against their male competitors, and often make some impressive and interesting plays. Whether you decide to tune in for a game featuring one of the women above or you want to look at one of the many others that have something to offer, there is no denying that women deserve their seat at the poker table.
WRITTEN BY
Siarra K