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Like many areas of life, here was once no room at the poker table for women – gender stereotypes kept women away from the game of poker because poker was a "man's game." The very thought of poker, for many, conjured images of men smoking cigars and sitting around a green felt table, gambling their "stake" with looks of steely eyed determination.
However, a few pioneering women have shouldered the men aside to claim a rightful place at the poker table. Some of these women have faced ridicule and scorn from their fellow players, and these feelings generally last right up until the point these female players clean the chips off the table after winning a big pot. Some women players have carved their names amongst the best players in the world, setting an example for other women to follow. These women come from all types of lifestyles, each playing with their own style and favorite variation of poker.
However, what they share is a record of success that makes other players envious and attracts now female players to the game. The increasing popularity of televised poker tournaments, at which many of these women have enjoyed success, have also helped to increase the profile of poker and popularized it among women all over the world. One of the players that have earned a reputation for her skill is Jennifer Harman who does not look like a poker player at all. Standing just five foot two and weighing around 100 pounds, Harman has been playing and winning at high stakes poker for more than ten years. Considered one of the top poker players (male or female) in the world, she has claimed a number of World Series of Poker first place gold bracelets.
Another female player that is turning heads amongst poker aficionados is Annie Duke, a mother of four who competed in the World Series of Poker in 2000 while pregnant with her third child. Duke has shown women all over that being a wife and mother is not an impediment to a career as a professional poker player, earning an impressive number of tournament wins as well as supporting herself financially with her winnings.
Kathy Liebert has also racked up an impressive record since she started playing poker for a living in 1991. She began her career as a prop player, earning a modest wage for filling a chair at poker tables while at the same time practicing her skills. Since entering her first tournament in 1994, Liebert has won a number of big prizes, including the first Poker Party Million tournament in 2002. What sets Liebert apart from other players is the fact that she has a degree in business and finance, which has allowed her to bank her winnings to build a comfortable retirement for when she decides to quit playing poker.
These leading female players have opened the door for many women to take up poker professionally. Once the target of snickers and innuendo, female players now sit proudly at poker tables throughout the world, winning and losing as often as their male counterparts. With more and more women taking up poker, it seems inevitable that a woman will one day soon be ranked as the top professional player in the world.
