Female poker players represent an exciting milestone for the game of poker. Their successes shatter stereotypes and barriers while signaling wider social shifts towards gender equality.
From aggressive play to philanthropy, these female pros serve as role models to future generations of female tennis players who wish to pursue their passion for the game.
Maria Ho
Maria Ho got hooked on poker at UCSD and started casually playing with friends. Although Maria planned to major in psychology as her major, she soon became one of the top female poker players in the world winning more than $4M in cash and was inducted into Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
She has successfully knocked doors and inspired many women to pursue their dream. Now she’s a sought-after poker industry pundit, and she even played on CBS’s The Amazing Race with a poker team!
Having seen firsthand how much it is possible to win in poker with intelligence, Vanessa Selbst – the world’s highest-earning female poker player with three World Series of Poker bracelets and more than $11 Million in tournament money – and Liv Boeree of England are now an example that poker might just be as much about knowing how to play well as it is about being strong. Their success is changing the way people think about this prehistoric game, and it will create a path for women to play in the future.
Liv Boeree
The women players were also stereotyped as too fucked up or risk averse to be good poker players at the table, so they were often overlooked when it came time to bluff and read. It’s only with women like Liv Boeree who make it to the final table of major tournaments while breaking gender barriers that that seems to be changing.
Modern female poker players aren’t just proving themselves as good players: they are creating an inclusive online space for female poker players to get one another – an important service as it can be tough for women to enter male-dominated professions without assistance.
Female poker players could be recruited too, by promoting poker as a fun night on the town rather than a hardcore sport. This enables individuals to see casinos are not just for men who want to play poker, but that they are also social activities for families that are perhaps cheaper than other social activities.
Kristen Bicknell
Because poker is becoming a spectator sport with big events and live streams, women are playing more and getting more visibility and exposure – proving that there is no reason why we shouldn’t be good at this game.
That’s good news, but more important than winning is that this is a movement against stereotypes and stigmas that stop women from playing poker as much as they should.
The future of poker is being built on a different foundation than by innovators such as Maria Ho, Liv Boeree and Kristen Bicknell. They’re talent and perseverance to look up to if they’re seeking motivation; they challenge stereotypes and advocate for gender equity in the game, and push young women poker players towards their dreams without feeling stopped by preconceptions or prejudice against female players. These pioneering women collectively make millions in live money together These pioneering women are exactly what poker is supposed to be about: the battle of ideas between strong-armed opponents!
Annie Duke
This rise of women in poker speaks both to their ability and to a positive social change that counters gender prejudice. The community will have to offer a platform that is open and inclusive for all players; pushing each player to become the best in their own pursuit of poker’s prestigious rewards.
Female poker players have been the poster girls for young women everywhere from telecom engineers to professional poker players. By showing up and dismantling inhibitions, female poker players have been role models to anyone trying to take up the baton and get through to the top in male-dominated professions such as poker.
Displaying women’s success will only be part of promoting it as an entertaining pastime and reducing negative stigmas associated with it. TV and streaming have made poker very visible, with big tournaments in which male and female players have appeared.
