Poker is not exclusively for men, even though most of the players dominating the professional scene are male. Women are not only welcome to this game, but some of them have even dominated different tournaments across the globe. In the game’s history, they have become instrumental and iconic poker stars who female players look up to. This all-time female money list comprises the top-performing female players based on the amount they’ve won in live poker tournaments. Find out who emerges at the top of this list below.
10. Vanessa Rousso – $3,554,328
An attorney, DJ, television personality, and professional poker player all rolled into one, Vanessa Rousso definitely deserves a spot on the All-Time Female Money List. She’s been playing the casino game as a pro since 2005. She was even a member of Team PokerStars between 2006 and 2015. Rousso’s total live earnings amount to $3,554,328 thus far, while her best live cash is $700,160.
9. Maria Lampropulos – $3,718,092
At the penultimate spot is Maria Lampropulos, the Argentinian beauty who has earned the partypoker MILLIONS and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure titles. She has also won big in different tournaments across Chile, Australia, Uruguay, and Spain. It’s worth noting that in 2016, Lampropulos made it to the final of the Eureka Poker Tour Rozvadov Main Event, but she got beaten by her own boyfriend, Ivan Luca. Maria’s total live earnings are at $3,718,092, while her best live cash is $1,255,004.
8. Loni Harwood Hui – $3,766,800
Another American player who made it to this list is Loni Harwood Hui, the two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner. Impressively, Loni has also won five WSOP Circuit rings. She won her first bracelet in 2013 at Event #60 $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. Her second wrist accessory came two years later when she won the 2015 WSOP National Championships. Harwood has recorded total live earnings worth $3,766,800, and her best live cash record is $609,017.
7. Liv Boeree – $3,861,838
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Olivia “Liv” Boeree has made a mark in the professional poker scene by winning the Global Poker Index European Female Player of the Year three times. She has a WSOP bracelet and has also won the European Poker Tour (EPT), making her the only female player to win both events. Unfortunately, she retired from the industry in late 2019. However, her spot on this list was secured by her impressive total live earnings amounting to $3,861,838 and best live cash of $1,698,300.
6. Annette Obrestad – $3,942,233
At 35 years old, Annette Obrestad has already established a name for herself as a professional poker player and Scrabble champ. In fact, she’s the youngest person ever to win a WSOP bracelet, which she accomplished in 2007. Outside of the poker and Scrabble pro scenes, the Norwegian player runs a makeup tutorial YouTube channel. Obrestad made it to this list because her total live earnings are impressive at $3,942,233, while her best live cash is at $2,013,733.
5. Annie Duke – $4,270,548
Annie Duke’s career in the professional poker scene is quite impressive. She has won a WSOP gold bracelet. Unfortunately, her career in the pro poker scene is short-lived. After winning her first bracelet in 2004, she went on to join more tournaments. However, she formally retired from the game in 2012. Despite her noticeable absence from the pro scene, she made so much to secure her spot among the top 5 of this list. Duke’s total live earnings are said to be $4,270,548, while her best live cash was at $2,000,000.
4. Maria Ho – $5,423,504
Another top-ranking female poker player to come out of the United States is Maria Ho. The Taiwan-born pro is already an inductee of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. She used to be the No. 2 ranked female player in the world. Ho has recorded $5,423,504 in total live earnings and $540,020 in best live cash. She has one World Poker Tour (WPT) title. Meanwhile, though she made it to the final round at WSOP at least 8 times, she has never won a bracelet.
3. Kathy Liebert – $6,940,215
With a record of $6,940,215 in total live earnings and best live cash worth $1,00,000, it’s just right for Kathy Liebert to make it to the top 3 on this list. She won her million at the first Party Poker Million event in 2002. She has a WSOP bracelet, but she has not won at WPT. In 2010, she was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
2. Kristen Foxen – $7,672,108
Canadian poker pro Kristen Foxen started playing the casino game when she was a freshman at college in 2006. In the years that followed, she joined several tournaments, and she also made it big when she played poker online. She considers herself the “Ultimate Grinder” due to the volume of hands she plays online. She even hit Supernova Elite on PokerStars from 2011 to 2013. Foxen has won 4 WSOP bracelets. However, in August 2021, she decided to boycott the event due to her anti-vaccine stance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, she secured the second spot on this list with her $7,672,108 total live earnings and $408,000 best cash live record.
1. Vanessa Selbst – $11,906,246
Reigning supreme on the All-Time Female Money List is none other than US player Vanessa Selbst, who has a staggering record of $11,906,246 in total live earnings. Her best live cash is $1,823,430. Without a doubt, she deserves the top spot since she’s the only woman to ever reach the number one ranking on the Global Poker Index. She’s also the only poker player to win the same North American Poker Tour Main Event back-to-back. A former member of Team Pokerstars Pro, Selbst has collected 3 WSOP bracelets through the years. Unfortunately, she retired from the game in 2018 after playing and staying on top of the rankings for 12 years. Interestingly, no one has come close to beating her recorded earnings yet. That’s why she’s still on top even though she now works as a hedge fund manager.
