Jennifer Shahade is an American professional poker player, Woman Grandmaster chess champion, and award-winning author. A key ambassador for PokerStars, she is celebrated for bridging the gap between chess and poker, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in mind sports.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

With total live tournament earnings of $814,981 (according to The Hendon Mob), Shahade has built a prolific resume across various formats. Her career-best live score of $291,800 came from a third-place finish at the 2025 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event. Another landmark achievement was her victory in the 2014 TonyBet Open Face Chinese (OFC) World Championship High Roller for $122,827 (€100,000). Her consistent presence at major festivals like the WSOP, where she finished 204th in the 2016 Main Event for $42,285, has solidified her standing and poker net worth.

Jennifer Shahade poker player — Jennifer Shahade – photo Tomas Stacha

Biography & Poker Background

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Shahade was born into a family of chess masters and became a two-time U.S. Women’s Chess Champion. She transitioned into the global poker stage during the 2000s, quickly establishing herself as a Mindsports Ambassador for PokerStars in 2014. Beyond the felt, she is a prolific writer of books like Chess Queens and Thinking Sideways, and she hosts the award-winning The Poker Grid podcast, which explores strategic decision-making through all 169 starting hands.

Play Style & Strategy

Known for a highly analytical and calculated play style, Shahade excels in No Limit Hold’em and Open Face Chinese poker. Her strategy is deeply informed by her chess background, focusing on heuristics, mathematical models, and the “scientific” approach of modern solvers. As a former coach for Run It Once, she emphasizes the intersection of storytelling and math, making her a formidable opponent capable of applying intense pressure at final tables while maintaining a deep understanding of variance and game theory.

Social Media & Online Presence

Want to follow Jennifer Shahade on social media? You can do so here:

Event	Entries	Buy-In	Prize	Place	SPI
WSOP 2026 Las Vegas $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Ladies Championship 2026.06.25	1475 ITM: 222	$1,000	$2,356	98	371.77
WSOP 2025 Las Vegas LADIES No-Limit Hold’em Championship (4-day event) (Event Entry is $10K; Ladies Discounted Price is $1K) 2025.06.26	1368 ITM: 206	$1,000	$2,101	190	257.13

Full Jennifer Shahade Poker History: Earnings, Cashes & Rankings