The Rise of Female Poker Players – Breaking Stereotypes in the Game

As poker gained momentum and become more accessible to female players, their successes challenged-stereotypes and helped to foster an inclusive environment.

Annette Obrestad, better known by her online moniker Annette 15, made headlines when she won the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event at only 18 years old. Annette demonstrated that age should never stand in the way of following your passions and following your heart.

Kristen Bicknell

Kristen Bicknell has had an amazing rise to stardom as a female poker player. Starting out online cash game player under various aliases before transitioning into live action poker tournaments and now dominating several high-stakes tournaments worldwide as the world’s top female online player according to Global Poker Index.

Bicknell has earned more than $3 Million live and two World Series of Poker bracelets since starting her poker career, and feels under-estimated at the tables, which works to her advantage as opponents relax their guard.

Vanessa Selbst, Liv Boeree and Kristen Bicknell’s accomplishments in poker have helped break-stereotypes associated with male-dominated sport. Their brilliant strategies have revolutionized the game while showing that gender should never be an limiting factor these trailblazers are leading the way for future generations of female poker players.

Liv Boeree

Liv Boeree has become one of the best female poker players. Starting playing as a child, she quickly ascended the ranks to become one of the premier female players. Over time she won several tournaments and donated much of her winnings towards charitable initiatives. Furthermore, Liv maintains an active YouTube channel where she regularly discusses science and game theory topics.

Liv’s strategic mind led her from a background in astrophysics into poker, where she has since flourished winning an EPT San Remo Main Event title and earning herself a WSOP bracelet to demonstrate this success.

Liv’s rise as a poker star has broken stereotypes and inspired women everywhere to pursue their passion for the game. She has proven that gender doesn’t factor into playing poker and stands as an inspiration to others. Liv has been at the forefront of advocating for greater gender equality within her industry, helping bring closer together a global poker community through her efforts.

Vanessa Rousso

Vanessa Rousso was widely acclaimed as one of the greatest female poker players of her era, winning $3.5 million through tournaments and television appearances to shatter gender barriers and inspire women around the world to give poker a try.

Rousso started playing online poker as a teenager while still too young to enter real casinos, and later entered live events during her summer breaks from law school. Due to her intellect, beauty, and appearances in magazines like Maxim and Rounder magazines, Rousso became poker’s first-ever pinup star.

She went on to win several tournaments and reach final tables, with her crowning moment coming at 2006’s EPT London tournament when she earned herself the nickname of “The Queen of Poker”. Since retiring from poker she’s created popular makeup and beauty content on YouTube while actively advocating for equity within poker.

Jennifer Shahade

Jennifer Shahade is a two-time US women’s champion and FIDE woman grandmaster, in addition to being an award-winning writer, commentator, and poker player with career earnings of $480,254. In addition, Shahade advocates for inclusion through US Chess Women – providing chess programming to girls and gender minorities throughout the US – and as MindSports ambassador with Poker Power.

Shahade notes that in a high-stakes game like poker, women need to feel confident being aggressive. She notes that women may often feel pressured into accommodating other’s wants and needs at their expense; this won’t work at the poker table.

Shahade’s research also looks into the harmful effects of stereotype threat, and whether or not manipulating access to social identities with performance implications can mitigate its harmful effect on female players. She found that females perform better when they can replace negative stereotypes with positive ones.