Who Are The Best Women In Poker?

Best Female Poker Players image credit: Joe Giron, Wikimedia Commons

Is there anything quite as inspiring as reading about truly talented people? This is true in basically any field. Show us a champion shot putter and we’re wowed. But when it comes to something that you’re already really interested in, it takes on a special meaning. Anyone who’s played poker at any level knows that it’s not an easy game. Sure, it’s pretty simple to learn the basics. But to become really good it takes a mix of dedication, honed skill and natural talent. Let’s take a look at some of the best female poker players, who have all of these qualities in spades (pun intended).

Maria Ho

Maria Ho has got to be one of the most recognisable Taiwanese-Americans on the planet, especially when you happen to be a fan of the felt. She is one of the best female poker players there is. Not only that, she’s made a name for herself off the felt too. As well as being a world class player, she’s is a frequent tv commentator and host.

It was during her college years that she discovered poker for the first time. She spent a couple years honing her craft and by graduation, she knew a career in poker was on the cards for her. This brave decision was confirmed as the right one when she took home her first major World Series of Poker score when she was just 24. She won $237.865 at the Championship Event. And she hasn’t stopped there. To date, her live tournament winnings stack up to an impressive $4 million. Included in that figure is over 60 WSOP cashes and a baker’s dozen of World Poker Tour cashes too.

Kristen Bicknell

Like so many of the best female poker players, Kristen Bicknell began her poker journey online. She started playing over 15 years ago and is known for her sheer dedication to the online sphere. She plays millions of hands annually, perfecting her skills as she goes.

But she doesn’t stop at the screen. Her skills translate beautifully to the live tournament circuit and she was even the highest ranking live tournament player on the Global Poker Index in 2017. This Canadian’s balanced skillset between online and offline poker became especially prominent during 2020, when lots of major live tournaments switched online. In that year, she took home her third WSOP bracelet and cashed nine times during the Super High Roller Bowl series.

Vanessa Selbst

We don’t like to play favorites, but it would be a relatively uncontroversial statement to say that Vanessa Selbst is the world’s best female poker player. She has topped the Global Poker Index and is the highest earning women in poker of all time, with $11 million in winnings to her name.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Selbst is famous for her aggressive style. She’s the proud owner of three WSOP bracelets, she’s been the North American Poker Tour Main Event champ for two years running and managed to bag $1.4 million in one tournament during the PCA high roller.

A few years ago, she announced her retirement and took a step back from her public life in poker. However recently, she’s been spotted taking part in a handful of tournaments and has assumed a role as a WPT ambassador. It doesn’t look like the Vanessa Selbst story ends here…

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