The time has come for guys to make some room at the poker table for ladies! And let us tell you — they are here to stay.
Even today, there are few women playing poker. While they may be weak in numbers, women’s performance is just as good as any of the male players’. Despite being largely outnumbered by their male counterparts, these female poker players’ amazing results have earned them a lot of respect in the world of poker!
The first female player ever to join the Poker Hall of Fame was Barbara Enright, in 2007. She has had quite an impressive career and she was the first woman to win three WSOP bracelets. In the meantime, the Women in Poker Hall of Fame has been introduced. It currently has 19 members, and it will only continue to grow through the inclusion of new fantastic female poker players.
The tides are changing as more women enter poker rooms all over the world, including the major poker events. Furthermore, since poker has become available online, more and more women have taken up playing this popular game.
Nowadays, you can find female players who are equal rivals to their male opponents. In fact, for the first time ever, two women have managed to break into the WSOP Main Event top twenty — Gaelle Baumann and Elisabeth Hille. They ended up in the 10th and 11th place, respectively.
We shouldn’t forget to give credit to other famous female players like Shannon Elizabeth, Mimi Rogers, and Jennifer Tilly — poker enthusiasts who are quite good at the game.
Let’s see who the top women in poker are, based on their impressive winnings.
Honourable Mentions
Before we get to the top 10, here’s a well-deserved shout-out to women who hold places 11 through 20:
| Place | Player | Country | Win (USD) |
| 20. | Esther Taylor | USA | $1,68million |
| 19. | Barbara Enright | USA | $1,72million |
| 18. | Sandra Naujoks | Germany | $1,79million |
| 17. | Ana Marquez | Spain | $1,88million |
| 16. | Xuan Liu | Canada | $1,97million |
| 15. | Hui Chen Kuo | Taiwan | $2,30million |
| 14. | Victoria Coren Mitchell | England | $2,50million |
| 13. | Kathy Lehne | USA | $2,74million |
| 12. | Jennifer Harman | USA | $2,65million |
| 11. | Loni Harwood | USA | $3,17million |
Time to introduce the top 10 female poker players
We present you with the list of the top 10, all-time best female poker players, according to Hendon Mob. These women are extremely skilful poker players who have pocketed many, many millions. Drumroll, please!
1. Joanne Liu (Taiwan) — $3,29 million
Born in Taiwan, Joanne Liu moved to the USA in 1985. After quitting her job in 2004, she dedicated all her time to poker. Among her accomplishments are ten WSOP cashes as well as five WPT ones.
2. Maria Constanza Lampropulos (Argentina)— $3,78 million
This Greek-Argentinian poker player has been a part of the world of poker for quite some time, and she deserves the 9th spot on our list. She has yet to win a bracelet, but her track record is impressive — with 26 cashes in WSOP, she might be one of the candidates for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in the future.
3. Vanessa Rousso (USA) — $3,56 million
Her poker career includes seventeen WSOP money finishes and two final tables in WPT, among others. Vanessa, aka “Lady Maverick” and “Pokerness”, as she has been nicknamed, is also considered one of the hottest poker players in the whole world.
4. Liv Boeree (England) — $3,85 million
This female poker player stands out as the only one that holds the bracelets from both the WSOP and the EPT Championship. She has also been voted the EPA Female Player of the Year three years in a row (in 2014, 2015, and 2016).
5. Annette Obrestad (Norway) — $3,94 million
Known as the Scandinavian Poker Prodigy, she began her career at the young age of 15. She won the WSOPE Main Event and a whopping £1 million. That event launched her career and she has been unstoppable since.
6. Maria Ho (USA) — $4,07 million
Even though she doesn’t have any bracelets, that hasn’t stopped her from reaching the number 5 spot on the all-time top female poker player list. In WSOP, she has 53 money finishes and 4 final tables. As far as the WPT is concerned, she has 1 win, 3 final tables and 12 money finishes. In 2018, she was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
7. Annie Duke (USA) — $4,27 million
She has been the leading lady in the world of female poker for quite some time, and she has had an amazing career. Nicknamed the “Duchess of Poker”, Annie has won one WSOP bracelet, the WSOP Tournament of Champions. Additionally, in 2010 she won the National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
8. Kristen Bicknell (Canada) — $5,09 million
At just 33, she has won 2 bracelets and has taken part in 33 money finishes. At the WPT she has 5 money finishes and one final table. She is a prominent name in the poker world that has quickly risen to fame.
9. Kathy Liebert (USA) — $6,31 million
With a WSOP bracelet she won in 2004, and the extraordinary forty-seven money finishes in the WSOP, PokerKat holds a strong second place. Her resume includes an amazing 6 WPT tables. She still actively plays and takes part in popular tournaments.
10.Vanessa Selbst (USA) — $11,91 million
The only woman to win 3 bracelets in WSOP open events, Selbst is justifiably proclaimed the best female poker player in the world. Selbst holds first place on our female poker players’ winnings list, and on the all-time list, she is ranked at 41. Her career includes twenty money finishes, 8 final tables, and two final tables at WPT.
Truly, these women show that there are no limits to what a woman can do. We can say with confidence, poker can no longer be considered just the “boy’s game”.