🎯 Kristen Foxen – Dominance in Every Aspect
Kristen Foxen (née Bicknell) is without question the most successful active female poker player today. With over $9 million in live tournament winnings and five WSOP bracelets, she boasts achievements envied by many professionals. She is renowned for her disciplined style and excellent situational reading. Kristen has been named GPI Women’s Player of the Year several years in a row.
In 2025, she even made history as the first woman to lead the overall ranking of the prestigious PokerGO Tour, where the buy-ins attract poker aces from all over the world. Kristen is not only an exceptional player— she also actively promotes women’s poker, inspiring the next generation of girls not to be afraid to chase chips and cards.
🧠 Maria Ho – Intelligence, Charisma, and Consistency
Maria Ho is the embodiment of professional perseverance and simultaneously one of the most respected women in poker. Throughout her career, she has won over $5 million and scored over 80 ITM finishes at WSOP tournaments, making her one of the most consistent players ever.
She is also well-known from television shows such as Poker After Dark, where she stands out with her natural charisma and expert commentary. She is a sought-after commentator at major tournaments, which amplifies her influence far beyond the green table. Maria is also a vocal advocate for diversity and ethics in poker— not afraid to speak about gender equality or cultural barriers in the gaming community.
🔥 Vivian Saliba – Brazilian Champion and PLO Ambassador
Vivian Saliba has made her mark in the world of poker as a Pot-Limit Omaha specialist, a format many players consider more technically demanding than classic No-Limit Hold’em. In 2024, she won her first WSOP bracelet at WSOP Europe, where she triumphed in the €2,000 PLO event.
She is also the official ambassador of 888poker, where, with her naturalness, knowledge, and positive image, she helps popularize poker especially in Latin America. Vivian combines beauty, intelligence, and technical prowess— proof that poker leaves no room for prejudice, only for skill.
📚 Maria Konnikova – From Psychology to Poker Titles
Maria Konnikova is a special case. She grew up as an academic, holds a PhD in psychology from Columbia University, and originally wanted to learn poker purely for research purposes. The result? In just a few years, she became a full-fledged professional with winnings approaching $1 million, including victory at the PCA National Championship. In 2024, she won her first WSOP bracelet and joined the ranks of female poker’s elite.
Her book The Biggest Bluff became a bestseller and inspired thousands of people to start seeing poker not as gambling, but as a game of strategic thinking and psychology. Today, Maria is a respected personality in the poker community, representing the intellectual side of the game. She proves that winners don’t necessarily have the loudest voice— they often simply have the sharpest mind.
🥇 Loni Harwood – The Quiet Killer of the Tournament Scene
Loni Harwood may not be the most publicized name, but her results speak for themselves. She has two WSOP bracelets, five WSOP Circuit rings, and $4 million in career winnings. Her most prominent moment came in 2013 when she became the first woman to win an open-event at the WSOP with over 2,000 players.
Since then, she has become a model of consistency— regularly cashing and striking fear into tournament structures. Loni is known for her calmness at the table, which often confuses even the most experienced opponents. Many label her the “quiet killer” of the poker world— inconspicuous, but deadly.
Poker as a Playground of Equality
These women are not only exceptional players— they are also symbols of courage, precision, and influence. Each of them has her own story, style, and path, but they all have one thing in common: they belong to the absolute poker elite. Of course, choosing these five players is subjective— other fans might mention names such as Maria Lampropulos, Cherish Andrews, or Nadya Magnus. Still, the fact remains that the poker world today is increasingly shaped by women— and they do it with remarkable quality.
Source: Wikipedia, The Hendon Mob, CardsChat, PokerNews, PokerDiscover