Women Poker Players: The Top Names & Scene in 2026

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Poker has a reputation as a smoky boys' club, and for decades it pretty much was. That picture has changed — slowly in the 2000s, faster in the last five years — and right now some of the most consistent winners in tournament poker are women. Not "women in poker" as a novelty subcategory. Players who would crush any final table they sit at.

This guide runs through the women poker players worth knowing in 2026, the tours and events building the scene, and a quick look at where UK readers can actually play online without faffing about with offshore sites. If you want to skip straight to a UK-licensed room with a working poker client, Betfred Poker is the one we keep coming back to.

The top women poker players in 2026

There's no single definitive ranking because tournament results, cash-game wins, and online play all measure different things. What follows is the consensus shortlist — players who turn up in every serious "best female poker players" discussion and have the live earnings, bracelets, or longevity to back it up.

Vanessa Selbst

Still the benchmark. Three WSOP bracelets, the all-time live earnings leader among women by a comfortable margin, and the only woman to ever top the Global Poker Index world rankings. She's mostly stepped back from full-time grinding, but when she shows up at a big buy-in event the table tightens up immediately.

Kristen Foxen (Bicknell)

Probably the most active elite-level female pro right now. Multiple WSOP bracelets, Player of the Year honours on the women's circuit, and a reputation for being absolutely fearless in deep-stack tournaments. If you're trying to learn what modern tournament poker looks like, her hand histories are essentially a free coaching course.

Jennifer Harman

The cash-game legend. Two WSOP bracelets in open events — including a deuce-to-seven lowball title against a stacked field — and decades on Bobby's Room at the Bellagio playing the biggest mixed games in the world. Old-school grinder, still revered.

Liv Boeree

Retired from full-time play but worth a mention because she did more to drag poker into the mainstream in the UK and Europe than almost anyone. EPT San Remo winner, applied a genuinely sharp poker brain to expected-value thinking, and now spends her time on rationalist podcasts and effective altruism. The on-ramp for a generation of UK players.

Maria Ho

Maybe the most televised female player of the last decade. Multiple deep WSOP Main Event runs, runs the women's TV commentary chair when she's not playing, and consistently cashes in the biggest tournament series on the calendar.

Other names to know

Vanessa Kade, Ebony Kenney, Lara Eisenberg, Loni Harwood, Xuan Liu, and Heidi May all belong in the conversation. The talent pool keeps deepening, and the gap between "best women's player" and "best player full stop" keeps shrinking.

Quick comparison: who plays what

Player	Game focus	Why they matter
Vanessa Selbst	NLHE tournaments, PLO	All-time earnings leader
Kristen Foxen	NLHE tournaments	Most active elite pro
Jennifer Harman	High-stakes mixed cash	Bobby's Room veteran
Liv Boeree	NLHE (retired)	UK poker ambassador
Maria Ho	NLHE tournaments	Player + commentator
Where to play in the UK	Online cash + MTTs	Betfred Poker

Tours, events and where women dominate

The Women in Poker Hall of Fame, the WSOP Ladies Event ($1,000 buy-in, traditionally held during the summer series in Vegas), and the Women's Poker Association have all expanded their presence over the last few years. The Poker Hall of Fame itself inducted Jennifer Harman in 2015 — at the time of writing she remains one of only a handful of women in there, but that list is going to grow.

On the tournament circuit, look at the EPT, the WPT, and the US Poker Open. Foxen and Selbst have both made deep runs in mixed-field $25k+ events, which is where the real money is. The Women's Poker Calendar (run by the Women's Poker Association) tracks ladies-only events worldwide if you want to play in one yourself — there are surprisingly many in Europe and the US, and the buy-ins are usually friendly.

For UK players specifically, the GUKPT, GPS and the 888poker LIVE Festival in London all run regular schedules with growing female fields. If you want to warm up online before you spend on a live buy-in, a UK-licensed room like Betfred Poker has daily MTTs that run from a quid up to several hundred.

Why representation actually changes the game

This isn't a feel-good point. Poker fields used to skew so heavily male that the social dynamics at the table — the chat, the needling, the assumed reads — were uncomfortable enough to put a lot of casual female players off ever showing up twice. As the percentage of women in mid-stakes fields has crept up, that tone has shifted. Tournaments report bigger fields, online rooms report higher cash-game seat occupancy in the evenings, and the WSOP Ladies Event has been hitting record entries year after year.

None of that is charity. It's just more players in the pool, which is good for the game, good for prize pools, and good for the rooms. The smart UK operators have noticed — same way the smart casino brands noticed that diversifying their slots portfolios pulled in a wider audience. If you want a sense of how the UK casino market has matured on that front, our Amazon Slots review and our guide to 400% casino bonuses are decent reading.

Getting started in 2026: a practical route

Whether you're new to poker or coming back after a break, here's the rough order we'd suggest:

1. Pick a UK-licensed room. Don't faff with offshore sites — UKGC protection is worth having. Betfred, Sky Poker, and PokerStars UK are the main three.
2. Start with low-stakes MTTs. £1–£5 buy-ins. Cheap tuition. You'll see thousands of hands a month.
3. Watch one player and steal their decisions. Kristen Foxen's hand histories are free on YouTube. So are Liv Boeree's old WSOP and EPT final tables.
4. Track your results. Even just a spreadsheet. You can't improve what you don't measure.
5. Find a live game. Card rooms in Manchester, London, and Edinburgh all run nightly tournaments. The social side is half of why you play.

If you'd rather hedge and mix in some casino play, the principles of bankroll management are basically identical — see our tactics for roulette piece for how to think about variance, or the BitStarz review if crypto-friendly casinos are more your thing (not UK-licensed, mind).

Online poker for UK players in 2026

The UK online poker scene isn't what it was in 2010, when Boeree and Selbst were headlining every televised final table. Liquidity is thinner, the games are tougher on average, and the operators that survived did so by being good at the basics: fast cashouts, working software, and customer support that actually replies.

Betfred isn't the flashiest brand in the world but it nails those basics. UKGC licence, cashier processes withdrawals in a day or two, and the poker client is functional rather than fancy. For most players that's exactly the right trade-off. You can take a look at the current new-customer offer here — always read the T&Cs before you deposit.

FAQ

Who is the most successful female poker player ever?

By live tournament earnings and overall impact, Vanessa Selbst. Three WSOP bracelets and more than $11 million in live cashes, plus a stretch as the world's top-ranked player on the GPI.

Are there women-only poker tournaments?

Yes — the WSOP Ladies Event is the biggest, but there are dozens worldwide. The Women's Poker Association maintains a calendar with buy-ins typically ranging from $100 to $1,000.

What percentage of poker players are women?

Estimates vary, but most large live tournament fields run 5–10% female entries. Online cash games tend to skew slightly higher. Both numbers are climbing year on year.

Can I play online poker legally in the UK?

Yes, at any UKGC-licensed site. Betfred Poker is one of the better-known UK-facing rooms. Always check the licence is current before depositing.

How do I get better at poker fast?

Volume + study. Play low-stakes MTTs daily, review your big hands afterwards, and watch one elite player's content consistently rather than jumping between coaches. Kristen Foxen and Doug Polk both put out genuinely useful free material.

Related reading

• Best tactics for roulette — variance and bankroll thinking that crosses over to poker.
• Amazon Slots review — UK casino with a solid live and slots offering.
• 400% casino bonus guide — how the maths actually works on big welcome offers.

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