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PTTop 10 Female Poker Players for 2023
Long gone are the days when men were the only participants in professional poker games.
Numerous women have made a name for themselves in this male-dominated game, and they’ve got impressive track records to prove it.
Throughout the years, we were able to witness many women surpassing their male competitors, all the while showing incredible poise and skills.
While the male-female ratio in poker games is still far from equal, the number of women making their way in this world is on the rise despite alot who are still not too keen to play .
Ladies In Poker Not To Underestimate in 2026
In the meantime, here’s our list of top 10 female poker players for 2026. Since the year is far from over, fluctuations on the list may happen, but we can all agree that the poker community has recognized the talent and effort these women have made.
#10 Jennifer Harman
Live tournament winnings: > $ 2.7 million
This American poker player has won two World Series of Poker bracelets at open events, which makes her one of the four women to do so, making this quite an accomplishment.
She won her first bracelet back in 2000 at the No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball Event, having never played the game before the said event.
She managed to win her second bracelet only two years later at the $5K Limit Texas Hold ’em Event. Although she’s had plenty of success in tournament poker, most of her earnings come from high-stakes cash games. What’s more, she was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame several years ago.
#9 J.J. Liu
Live tournament winnings: > $3 million
Best known for her unique sense of style, Joanne Liu, also known as J.J., has moved from Taiwan to Illinois to get a degree in computer science.
After graduation, she landed an engineering job in Silicon Valley where she fell in love with poker.
She’s been playing the game since the 90s, showcasing immense potential from the very beginning.
Her achievements have been steady ever since she started playing professionally. Liu’s most notable successes were in 2005 at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic where she finished fourth, and in 2007 as a runner-up at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars. Liu is still very active in the poker world.
#8 Liv Boeree
Live tournament winnings: > $3.5 million
Born in Kent, England, Olivia “Liv” Boeree first started playing as a reality show participant. The Ultimate Poker Showdown was aired in 2005.
Liv was one of the contestants coached by the legendary Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth.
Her breakthrough was in 2010 when she managed to win the European Poker Tour in San Remo.
What’s more, Boeree is the only female player to win both a WSOP bracelet and an ETP event. The biggest score of her career was the $1.7 million she won during the EPT. However, she continued to do well worldwide, which included winnings at the World Series of Poker Main Events in Las Vegas and Cannes.
#7 Vanessa Rousso
Live tournament winnings: > $3.5 million
Nicknamed “Pokerness“, Vanessa Rousso has been earning money playing professional poker since 2005. Putting her bachelor’s degree in economics to good use, Rousso managed to best some of the greatest names in poker.
Her most notable success happened in 2009 during the EPT Grand Final in Monaco where she managed to place first and walk home with over $700,000.
2010 was also a notable year for Rousso, during which she managed to secure 5th place at the 2010 World Series of Poker, having been eliminated during the quarterfinals. Up to this day, Rousso is known as one of the most consistent female poker players.
#6 Maria Lampropulous
Live tournament winnings: > $3,577,624
Originally from Buenos Aires, Maria Constanza Lampropulous is a business administration graduate who emerged on the poker scene in 2014 after participating in the Brazilian Series of Poker. Since then, Maria has been touring the world, competing in major and minor poker competitions.
Maria made the headlines worldwide after outlasting 1,203 entrants and clinching first place at Millions Main Event in Nottingham in 2017. The same year, Lampropulous scored another major victory at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event in the Bahamas when she became the first woman to secure a prize of almost $1.1 million.
#5 Annette Obrestad
Live tournament winnings: > $3.9 million
Anette took up poker as a teenager, at the age of 15, and is known as the youngest person to win a World Series of Poker bracelet.
She was just 18 at the time and had managed to outlast and beat players with much more experience, consequently taking $2 million home.
Her advancement did not stop there; she continued to reap success on the European Poker Tour and Aussie Millions. At the moment, Anette has a YouTube channel, but her content is focused on makeup and fitness.
#4 Annie Duke
Live tournament winnings: > $4,270,548
A notable author in behavioural decision science and decision education, Annie Duke has used her expertise to excel in poker as well.
Despite being retired for many years, she’s still considered to be one of the top poker players in the world thanks to her numerous achievements.
Nicknamed the “Duchess of Poker“, Annie Duke is the only woman to have won the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
She is also known for her success at WSOP tournaments where she received a WSOP gold bracelet in 2004. That same year, she managed to beat nine former world champion winners and win an astounding $2 million.
#3 Maria Ho
Live tournament winnings: > $4,563,549
This Taiwanese-American beauty has been part of the professional poker scene since 2005, but her breakthrough happened in 2007 at the WSOP when she finished 38th and won $237,865 as the last woman standing. Soon after, Ho became a tournament regular, achieving outstanding results. She reached the final WSOP table several times and had numerous wins at smaller events worldwide, but her most significant achievement was scoring 2nd place at the 2011 WSOP in Las Vegas, which earned her $540,020.
Aside from that, Ho has become the first female strategic commentator of poker broadcasting events, worked for NBC Sport, and participated in reality TV shows. She was even inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2008.
#2 Kathy Liebert
Live tournament winnings: > $6,175,000
Considered to be a pioneer for all women in poker, Kathy Liebert started her career as a prop player. Since then, she’s spent two decades making headway and creating a reputable name for herself.
She was the first woman to win a $1 million prize by winning the first PartyPoker Million.
In her career, she made six World Poker Tour final tables and won third place at the Borgata Poker Open in 2005. At the 2004 Limit Hold’em Shootout event she managed to obtain a gold bracelet. Her more recent achievements include being among the top 50 at the 2017 World Series of Poker Event.
#1 Vanessa Selbst
Live tournament winnings: > $11,850,000
Born in 1984, Vanessa Selbst is the only woman to have reached the number one ranking on the Global Poker Index.
This Yale alumni first discovered poker while studying political sciences. This never interfered with her studies because she went on to receive degrees in both political sciences and law.
As for her success in the world of poker, she attended her first World Series back in 2006. Her most notable achievements, however, were in 2010 and 2011 when she gained her current reputation by winning the North American Poker Tour and getting two consecutive wins at NAPT Main Events.
Her biggest win yet has got to be for her first-place finish during the Partouche Poker Tour where she won a staggering $1.82 million. .
Other Notable Mentions
# Sandra Naujoks
Live tournament winnings: > $ 1.7 million
This former teacher/model from Berlin is our 10th and final most successful female poker player. Sandra Naujoks is climbing the success ladder slowly but surely. Her opponents are often left dumbfounded by her techniques. Her first big success occurred in 2008 at the Casino Austria Poker Tour where she finished in 5th place.
She took part in numerous major tournaments over the years, but her most notable one was in Germany, where she won a European Poker Tour Title and cashed in more than $1 million.
# Victoria Coren-Mitchell
Live tournament winnings: > $ 2.5 million
An accomplished journalist and writer from London, Victoria Coren Mitchell was the first woman to win an EPT tournament, as well as the televised professional and celebrity tournament. She still spends time playing Texas Hold ‘em at the Victoria Casino, where she initially won her first major title.
She also appeared in a couple of episodes of Late Night Poker and has recently made an appearance as a contestant in the Taskmaster.
Wow, I wasn’t too aware of the number of female poker players out there.. Some impressive winning total, Keep up the good work ladies!
At last someone wrote something very important about such hot topic and it is very relevant nowadays.
“Wow, what a fantastic list of talented female poker players! It’s inspiring to see these remarkable women dominating the poker world and breaking gender stereotypes. Each player brings a unique skill set and strategic approach to the game, making for an exhilarating experience. This list is a true celebration of their remarkable achievements and serves as a reminder that poker is a game in which gender is irrelevant. Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for highlighting these incredible players! 👏🃏