Female gamblers are often considered taboo. The reasons behind this vary from society’s stigma against gambling or women who play poker to the perception they lack sportsmanship. In reality, female gamblers are not only as fun-loving as their male counterparts, but they also have their share of winning strategies.

Women have been known to gamble since ancient times. During the Roman Empire, matrons would bet on dog races, cock fights, and other sporting events. Today, some women even take part in high-stakes games such as blackjack, roulette, and craps.

If you consider yourself a woman who loves to play poker and win at whatever game you choose, then don’t worry – you’re definitely not alone. Let our list of the most successful female gamblers of all time inspire you to start playing today!

Most Successful Female Gamblers of All Time

1. Annie Potts

Annie Potts was one of the first professional poker players ever to reach the World Series of Poker (WSOP). She started out early and won several big tournaments during her career including the 1982 $5,000 WSOP Ladies Championship. She is still considered one of the best female players and has even appeared on ESPN for an episode of Pardon the Interruption.

2. Jennifer Harman

Jennifer became famous for her love of Texas Hold ‘em when she placed second on ABC’s Celebrity Heads-Up Challenge. Since that time, she has played in numerous celebrity challenges, made appearances on shows like Deal or No Deal and Shark Tank, and authored a book about her experience called How to Win Money Playing Card Games.

3. Sarah Koppel

Sarah Koppel grew up as an avid gambler and eventually went pro. Her most notable accomplishments include being runner-up in two UIGEA Million Dollar Poker Open tournaments and qualifying for the 2008 Main Event. At the age of 38, this multi-talented woman had managed to become the youngest player ever to make it to the final table of the WSOP Main Event.

4. Sandra Smith

When it comes to cards, many people believe they can compete with men because of the way they deal. But Sandra proved them wrong by winning three consecutive WSOP bracelets before going on to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014. Although she has retired from poker now, she continues to teach newbies how to get the edge over others.

5. Lillian Hunt

Lillian Hunt has proven herself among the elite poker players in history. She made her debut in the 1970s and continued to compete through the 1980s until the onset of AIDS changed everything. This led to the creation of the Lillian Hunt Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

6. Maria Sten

Maria is a Brazilian-born card shark whose story actually reads almost like a novel. After beginning as a teenager, she became addicted to gambling and began stealing to fund her habit. This got so bad that she left home and ended up working as a prostitute just so she could continue gambling. Eventually, though, a friend decided to help her stop; he gave her the money needed to pay off her debts. The rest, as they say, is history. Maria Sten went on to become the main villainess of the 1994 film Casino Royale where she plans to steal the world’s casino chips for her own benefit.

7. Suzy Hansen

Suzy Hansen is also known as a pioneer when it comes to female poker players, having participated in her first tournament back in 1991. This lady soon went on to place 3rd in 1992 and win a bracelet later that year. In fact, it wasn’t until 1996 that another female player won a prestigious title. However, none of the titles came as much luck as Suzy’s. It seems there are always opportunities to take advantage of when you invest in Suzy Hansen products.

8. Tana Leach

Tana is most known for finishing 9th at the 2001 World Series of Poker Main Event. Prior to this, she had already achieved success at other events such as the 2003 Monte Carlo Millions Low Limit Shootout. Today, though, this mother of two works hard to inspire women everywhere to pursue their dreams because she knows what it’s like to succeed outside of the gaming world.

9. Jennifer Shieh

Jennifer Shieh has been playing poker since 1998 but didn’t begin competing professionally until 2005 when she earned an invitation to play at the 2006 World Cup of Poker. She would go on to secure 2nd place that same year and eventually earn her first gold bracelet thanks to a victory at the 2007 Aussie Millions. Since then, Shieh was able to add two more bracelets to her collection, one at the 2010 Aussie Millions and the second at the 2011 WCOOP $10K Super High Roller.

10. Jennifer Harman

Another woman who experienced massive success during the early days of online poker was Jen Harman. She was even invited to appear on Penn & Teller: Bullshit! and has done several other TV appearances since then. While these may seem like minor achievements compared to some great male poker names out there, they were huge steps forward for those days.

Conclusion

The list above features 10 prominent female poker players who have made big waves in their respective industries. Some started their careers quite recently while others have been actively competing for many years. Regardless of how long they’ve been in business, every single performer featured here has demonstrated great skill throughout their career and continues to do so today. 

Most have enjoyed notable victories, however, not everyone will be lucky enough to walk away with a few diamond rings after winning a high-stakes game. So if you happen to walk across a table with one of these ladies, hopefully, you’ll find yourself holding all the right cards so you can leave the table with nothing less than the pot and the glory.