Poker is a game known for its larger-than-life personalities. Some players are etched in memory for their coveted bracelets, others for a single, unforgettable hand broadcast on television. The top female poker players possess all these qualities and more. They boast impressive titles, deep tournament runs, respect in high-stakes cash games, substantial tournament scores, and careers that have significantly reshaped the perception of women in poker.
While financial success is a factor, poker is ultimately a game of demonstrable results. Some women became poker celebrities through television appearances, others built their reputations online, and a select few earned notoriety in high-stakes games that were rarely officially documented. Collectively, their careers illustrate the diverse eras, playing styles, and winning strategies that define women’s contributions to poker history.
1. Kristen Foxen
For a considerable period, Vanessa Selbst was widely regarded as the premier female poker player. However, Kristen Foxen has consistently demonstrated her prowess, frequently appearing in challenging events and accumulating remarkable results against formidable professional fields. She has now surpassed Selbst on the all-time live tournament earnings list for women.
What makes Foxen’s achievements so remarkable is that she is setting these records in today’s significantly more competitive poker landscape, where players are better prepared, study more diligently, and make fewer errors. Even mid-level tournament fields are now tougher than they were in previous eras. This evolution is also evident outside of live tournaments, with an increasing number of players honing their skills through strategic content and online play.
Despite the increased competition, Foxen has managed to build one of the most distinguished records in women’s poker history. Her deep run in the 2024 WSOP Main Event provided a significant and highly visible boost to her already impressive record. Foxen finished an impressive 13th, earning $600,000, just shy of the final table, having been a focal point of attention during the later stages of the tournament. Her elimination occurred in a hand against Joe Serock, where despite a strong play with her hand, Serock’s superior hand prevailed.
This hand exemplified Foxen’s willingness to execute a complex and aggressive strategy in a high-stakes situation, even when the final move didn’t result in a win.
2. Vanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst experienced a peak in her poker career that is still frequently discussed. At her best, she played fearlessly, consistently putting opponents in uncomfortable positions. She actively pursued pots, applied relentless pressure, and forced players to make difficult decisions, compelling them to reveal the strength of their hands.
This aggressive style established her as one of the most captivating players of her era and one of the most challenging opponents at the table.
Selbst secured three WSOP bracelets and compiled a tournament record that held the top spot on the women’s all-time list for many years. Her most significant payday came at the 2010 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event, where she won over $1.8 million. She also achieved the distinction of being the first woman to reach the number one ranking on the Global Poker Index.
Selbst wasn’t merely ranked as the best female player; she was recognized as the best tournament player in the world at that time.
Her game was not characterized by passive play. She was proactive, challenging opponents and playing with the conviction that she could outthink and outmaneuver the entire table. While this approach occasionally led to chaotic gameplay, it also resulted in a substantial number of victories.
3. Kathy Liebert
Kathy Liebert stands as a testament to longevity and resilience in the poker world, qualities that hold significant weight in the industry. Many players experience a single standout year or a major tournament win before fading from prominence. Liebert, however, has maintained relevance across various iterations of the game, a far more challenging feat.
She was a winning player even before poker gained widespread television exposure. She continued to succeed during the poker boom and remained a consistent presence in cashes after the game evolved into a more technical pursuit. Her career is built on sustained performance rather than a single fortunate run.
Liebert boasts over $7 million in live tournament earnings, a WSOP bracelet, six World Poker Tour final table appearances, and hundreds of recorded cashes, indicative of a truly substantial career built on years of discipline.
Her victory at the 2002 Party Poker Million was particularly noteworthy, at the time elevating her among the highest-earning female players in the game.
Liebert never felt the need to be the most prominent personality in poker. Her strength lay in her consistent determination and discipline. Poker tends to penalize those who fail to adapt, and Liebert’s ability to evolve with the changing game has secured her a significant place in poker history.
She also played a crucial role in paving the way for future generations. At a time when women were still striving for serious recognition in major open events, Liebert was already constructing a record that was impossible to dismiss. She didn’t require the label of a pioneer; her results spoke for themselves.
4. Liv Boeree
Liv Boeree emerged as one of poker’s most recognizable figures, with her results consistently validating her status. She was more than just a familiar face from interviews and broadcasts; she triumphed in major events, competed against strong fields, and firmly established her place at the highest level of the game.
Her major breakthrough occurred in 2010 when she won the EPT San Remo Main Event. This was a significant achievement, as EPT titles carry considerable prestige, and San Remo was one of the tour’s most prominent stops at the time. Winning this event propelled Boeree to overnight fame.
She later added a WSOP bracelet to her collection and built a career that positioned her among the top female tournament earners of all time. In 2024, she achieved another remarkable deep run at WSOP Paradise, securing fourth place in the Super Main Event for $2.8 million, which became one of the largest payouts ever recorded by a female player.
Boeree’s appeal offered a unique dimension. She brought intelligence, confidence, and a natural talent for explaining the game. Her background in astrophysics also informed her perspective on poker, allowing her to approach the game through the lens of probability, risk, and decision-making, lending more weight to her analysis than typical table talk.
In poker, players rarely possess complete information; their game relies on inference, adaptation, and making the best possible move with the available knowledge. Boeree understood this fundamental aspect of poker exceptionally well.
She also contributed to making poker feel more contemporary. Boeree was not an old-school grinder who shied away from the spotlight. She was comfortable in front of cameras, engaging in interviews, and serving as one of the game’s prominent public faces.
5. Maria Ho
Maria Ho is recognized as one of poker’s most respected and versatile figures. She is a formidable tournament player, an accomplished commentator, and one of the most well-known women in the game.
Her tournament record is equally impressive. She has amassed millions in live earnings, numerous WSOP cashes, and several high finishes in major events. A career highlight for her has been being the last woman standing in the WSOP Main Event on multiple occasions.
She finished 38th in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, earning $237,865, and followed this with another “last woman standing” finish in the 2014 Main Event, placing 77th. Her closest bid for a bracelet came in 2011 when she secured second place in a $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the WSOP, winning $540,020. Her extensive WSOP record includes over 100 cashes and nine final tables, in addition to World Poker Tour results, including a WPT title and a third-place finish in the 2017-18 WPT LAPC Rockstar Energy High Roller for $188,875.
Her credibility as a broadcaster is enhanced by her direct experience. When she discusses pressure, it’s not theoretical; she has navigated those situations and understands the weight of making decisions with significant money on the line.
Maria Ho’s impact on poker extends beyond mere trophy counts. She has been instrumental in maintaining the visibility of women as experts and competitors in high-level poker tournaments.
6. Jennifer Harman
Jennifer Harman’s exceptional talent cannot be solely quantified by tournament earnings, as a significant portion of her reputation stems from her success in cash games, particularly in the renowned high-stakes mixed games in Las Vegas. These cash games were largely private, meaning their results were not officially tracked like tournament outcomes. Harman’s esteemed position in poker history is a direct result of her invitation to participate in the biggest games and the respect she commanded from the elite players involved.
In this context, Harman is undoubtedly a legend.
While she won two WSOP bracelets in open events, her true legacy in poker history lies in her participation in some of the world’s largest cash games. For instance, the Bellagio “Big Game” was a crucible of elite players, substantial egos, and immense pressure, and Harman was an integral part of this environment at a time when very few women were present.
This level of respect is exceptionally difficult to fabricate in poker. While image can carry a player for a period at lower stakes, at the highest cash game levels, weaker players are inevitably exposed. The stakes are too high, and the players are too astute, yet Harman consistently earned and maintained her seat at these tables.
Harman’s career serves as a powerful reminder that poker history is not exclusively written in tournament payouts. Some of the most demanding poker action takes place away from the spotlight of final tables, and she strategically chose to build her legacy in that arena.
7. Annie Duke
Annie Duke is one of the more complex figures in poker history. At her peak, Duke was among the most successful and recognizable women in poker. She captured a WSOP bracelet in 2004 and also won the WSOP Tournament of Champions in the same year, earning a $2 million prize.
Duke also possessed a keen understanding of poker’s public-facing aspects. She authored books, appeared on television, gave interviews, and became a notable figure during the poker boom.
Her reputation is also intertwined with an online poker site that became infamous after insiders exploited “superuser” access to view opponents’ hole cards. Duke was a public representative of the site, and although she was not officially proven to have participated in the cheating, the association negatively impacted how many poker fans perceive her career.
In poker, trust is paramount. When scandals involving online poker emerge, people tend to remember who was associated with what. This aspect of her public narrative continues to resonate.
8. Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad’s ascent in the poker world was nothing short of iconic. Before becoming a prominent live tournament winner, she had already gained considerable fame online under the moniker “Annette_15.” This online persona became legendary because she was consistently defeating high-level games as a teenager. While many players were still grappling with basic strategy, Obrestad was already establishing herself as a serious online competitor.
In 2007, she won the WSOP Europe Main Event, becoming the youngest WSOP bracelet winner at the age of 18. This victory occurred at a pivotal moment in poker history, as online players began to exert increasing influence over live events. They had accumulated vast playing experience, learned rapidly, and approached poker with a more aggressive, mathematically driven mindset. Obrestad stood out as a prime example of this emerging generation.
Even though she later transitioned away from professional poker, her name remains synonymous with poker fairytales – the story of a teenage online prodigy who enters a major live event and ultimately wins it all.
9. Maria Lampropulos
Maria Lampropulos exemplifies a player who has earned her esteemed position through significant victories rather than constant media exposure. She did not first become a poker celebrity; instead, her wins established her impressive record.
Her two most significant titles are both remarkable achievements. She triumphed in partypoker MILLIONS and subsequently won the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event in 2018. The PCA victory was particularly notable as it made her the first woman to win this prestigious event, earning her over $1 million for the triumph.
Her playing style is characterized by patience and toughness, rather than flashiness. This approach can sometimes be underestimated because it doesn’t frequently generate viral moments. However, major tournaments are won through consistent, strong decision-making over extended periods, not through entertainment value.
10. Joanne “J.J.” Liu
Joanne “J.J.” Liu is recognized as one of the most respected long-term players in women’s poker. Her career has been built steadily over time. One of her most notable achievements was her second-place finish at the 2007 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Main Event.
Liu also possesses one of the most memorable table presences in poker, characterized by her distinctive style, confidence, and a relaxed demeanor. However, beneath this composed exterior lies a formidable player. She possesses a deep understanding of live poker, including game flow, player dynamics, and the psychological pressures involved.
Liu represents the kind of enduring poker career that commands respect. She didn’t rely on a single major media push; instead, she meticulously built her record through sheer dedication and skill.
