The Best Women Poker Players of All Time at WSOP

Still, from those early years, a number of women stepped into the spotlight, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations. Their achievements have become a key part of WSOP history and the broader evolution of the game.

Who are the Best Women Poker Players of all time?

In the early decades of the World Series of Poker, women ventured into territory traditionally dominated by men. These trailblazers made history by competing, and winning, at a time when female representation was minimal. Their accomplishments helped redefine the game and opened doors for future generations of women in poker.

The following players stand out as some of the most impactful and accomplished women in WSOP history:

• Annette Obrestad
• Vanessa Selbst
• Kristen Foxen
• Barbara Enright
• Vera Richmond
• Jackie McDaniel

Annette Obrestad

Annette Obrestad rose to prominence in the online poker world as a teenager, quickly gaining a reputation for her aggressive play and sharp instincts. She famously claimed to have won an online tournament without looking at her hole cards, using a piece of paper to cover them for most of the event and only peeking during all-in situations.

Her breakout live moment came in 2007 when she made WSOP history by winning the WSOP Europe Main Event. She defeated a tough field to earn £1 million in prize money, achieving this feat one day before her 19th birthday. To this day, she remains the youngest player ever to win a WSOP Main Event.

Vanessa Selbst 

Vanessa Selbst made an immediate impact on the live poker scene with her aggressive style and sharp strategic mind. She quickly established herself as one of the most accomplished female players in World Series of Poker history.

Selbst earned her first WSOP bracelet in 2008 in a $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event. She followed that with a second in 2012, taking down the $2,500 10-Game Mix. In 2014, she captured her third by winning the $25K No Limit Hold’em Mixed Max, one of the toughest high-roller events on the schedule.

She was the first woman to win three bracelets in all open events, an achievement which highlights her consistency and ability to compete at the highest level.

Kristen Foxen

Kristen Foxen (formerly Bicknell) has built one of the most impressive résumés in WSOP history and has surged into record-setting territory over the past few years.

She won her first WSOP bracelet in 2013 by taking down the $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship. She followed with two wins in open events, earning her second bracelet in the 2016 $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Bounty and a third in the 2020 WSOP Online $2,500 6-Handed NLHE event.

Her hot streak continued in 2023, when she became the first woman to win a fourth WSOP bracelet, claiming the $888 Crazy 8’s Online event. In 2024, she added a fifth bracelet by winning the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em 6-Max Online event, setting a new record for most WSOP bracelets by a female player.

Now sitting in third place on the WSOP’s all-time women’s earnings list and coming off a deep run in the 2024 Main Event, Foxen is widely regarded as one of the strongest tournament players in the game today.

Barbara Enright

Barbara Enright is one of the most respected pioneers in poker history, known for achieving a long list of WSOP “firsts.” She was the first woman to win two WSOP titles – claiming the Ladies’ Seven-Card Stud events in both 1986 and 1994. In 1996, she earned her third bracelet by winning a $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em open event, becoming the first woman to win three WSOP bracelets.

Her most iconic moment came in 1995 when she became the first woman to reach the final table of the WSOP Main Event. She finished fifth, earning $114,180 in a year that saw Dan Harrington win the title.

In 2007, Enright was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, the first woman to receive that honor. She remained its lone female member until Linda Johnson joined in 2011, followed by Jennifer Harman in 2015.

Vera Richmond

Vera Richmond made history in 1982 by becoming the first woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an open event. She triumphed in the $1,000 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw tournament, outlasting a field of 77 players. Eight players made the money, and Richmond took home $38,500 for the win.

At a time when few women entered open WSOP events, Richmond’s victory was groundbreaking. Her performance paved the way for future generations and proved that women could succeed in any field at the Series, not just in ladies-only events.

Jackie McDaniel

Jackie McDaniel – sometimes listed as Jackie McDaniels – made her mark on poker history as the first-ever winner of a women-only event at the WSOP. In 1977, she topped a field of 93 players to win the $100 buy-in Seven-Card Stud Ladies’ Event, earning $5,580 for the victory.

The tournament was originally created by WSOP organizers as a special event for wives, girlfriends, and female fans of the game. But it quickly became a staple of the Series, growing in both prestige and prize money over the years.

In subsequent years, the buy-in gradually increased – from $200 in 1978 to $1,000 by 1992 – and the game format evolved as well. What began as a Seven-Card Stud event became a Limit Hold’em/Stud mix in 2000, shifted to Limit Hold’em only in 2004, and finally settled into its current No Limit Hold’em format in 2005. Today, the $1,000 WSOP Ladies Championship remains a highly anticipated annual tournament.

WSOP Bracelets and Cashes

The World Series of Poker tracks female bracelet winners, and only a select few have captured multiple titles. As of 2025, just eight women have won more than one WSOP bracelet:

• (5) Kristen Foxen – 2013 Ladies, 2016 NLHE Bounty, 2020 NLHE Online, 2023 Crazy 8’s Online, 2024 NLHE 6-Max Online
• (3) Barbara Enright – 1986 Ladies, 1994 Ladies, 1996 Pot Limit Hold’em
• (3) Vanessa Selbst – 2008 PLO, 2012 Ten-Game Mix, 2014 NLHE Mixed Max
• (3) Nani Dollison – 2000 Ladies, 2001 LHE, 2001 Ladies
• (2) Susie Isaacs – 1996 Ladies, 1997 Ladies
• (2) Jennifer Harman – 2000 LHE, 2002 LHE
• (2) Loni Hui (formerly Harwood) – 2013 NLHE, 2015 National Championship
• (2) Starla Brodie – 1979 Mixed Doubles Stud, 1995 Ladies

When it comes to consistency and longevity, cashes tell another story. These are the top 10 female players in WSOP history by number of cashes:

1. Kathy Liebert – 129
2. Maria Ho – 104
3. J.J. Liu – 95
4. Jamie Kerstetter – 83
5. Kristen Foxen – 82
6. Loni Hui – 76
7. Lexy Gavin-Mather – 65
8. Jessica Teusl – 63
9. Melanie Weisner – 61
10. Katie Lindsay – 59

All-Time Female WSOP Earnings

The WSOP’s growing prize pools and expanded online schedule have propelled several women into the seven-figure club. As of 2025, Liv Boeree leads all female players in WSOP earnings, thanks in large part to her historic 2024 WSOP Super Main Event final table finish in The Bahamas.

Here are the top 10 women by total WSOP earnings:

1. Liv Boeree – $3,223,192
2. Wenling Gao – $2,786,614
3. Kristen Foxen – $2,762,803
4. Maria Ho – $2,399,795
5. Vanessa Selbst – $2,201,354
6. Annette Obrestad – $2,180,458
7. Loni Hui – $1,852,933
8. Sosia Jiang – $1,773,839
9. Kathy Liebert – $1,527,412
10. Esther Taylor-Brady – $1,397,397

With multiple bracelet wins and consistent deep runs, these players have proven their staying power on poker’s biggest stage.

Conclusion

The best women in WSOP history have not only earned bracelets and prize money, they’ve broken barriers and rewritten expectations. From pioneers like Barbara Enright and Vera Richmond to modern stars like Annette Obrestad and Kristen Foxen, each has contributed to the evolving story of women in poker.

Their accomplishments span generations, game formats, and continents, but they share one common trait: excellence at the highest level. As the game continues to grow, so does the impact of these trailblazers, setting records, inspiring future players, and proving that poker’s biggest stage has room for everyone.