8 Incredible Women in Poker

Though it’s true that the world of professional poker is occupied mostly by men, there are many incredible women making their mark on the poker scene, both online and off. Join us as we run through eight fantastic female felt fans with impressive chip stats to inspire your own poker gameplay!

There’s never been a better time to start exploring the awesome game of poker, whether that’s in Atlantic City, further afield, or in the comfort of your own home via the best New Jersey online casinos. What better way to find a bit of feminine inspiration than by checking out the top three poker-playing women on the pro circuit today, along with five of New Jersey’s finest?

Vanessa Selbst

There can be no talk of incredible women in poker without mentioning Vanessa Selbst! Top of the Women’s All Time Money List, Vanessa was born and bred in Brooklyn, New York and is the only woman in the world to have ranked number one on the Global Poker Index. She sits 35th on the US All Time Money List and 70th on the global All Time Money List, with total live tournament earnings of almost $12 million!

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Selbst has also won three WSOP bracelets and is the first and only woman to have done so in open field events. Though she’s recently stepped away from the poker scene, Selbst has certainly left an indelible mark on the industry that will remain for many years to come.

Kathy Liebert

Number two on the Women’s All Time Money List of poker players is Nashville, Tennessee born Kathy Liebert. Occupying the number one spot for her state’s All Time Money List, Kathy has amassed some $6.4 million through her live poker gameplay and is still an active player both offline and online to this day.

PokerKat, as she’s also called, has finished in the money 47 times at WSOP events, holds one WSOP bracelet, and has reached the final table 6 times in WPT events. She currently resides in Las Vegas, where she’s recently been playing in deepstack and classic No Limit Hold’em games, though she’s also partial to online WSOP tournaments.

Kristen Bicknell

Close behind Liebert in terms of live winnings, having pocketed almost $5.2 million, is Kristen Bicknell, who currently places third on the Women’s All Time Money List. Born in Ontario, Canada, Bicknell has won three WSOP bracelets, reached the final table once in the World Poker Tour, and twice in the European Poker Tour.

Kristen started playing poker online when she was just 20 years old and calls herself the “Ultimate Grinder” due to the relatively low stakes and sheer volume of hands she plays online. With a definite preference for online games, Kristen continues to rake in the chips, finishing 4th place in her last online WPT tournament in March 2021.

Amanda Musumeci

If you’re looking for a little homegrown inspiration, check out the stats of New Jersey born Amanda Musumeci. Her live poker gameplay has resulted in winnings of just over $1.1 million and she currently sits in 42nd place on her resident state of Pennsylvania’s All Time Money List.

Amanda was introduced to the game of poker at 22 when she was a student at Kutztown University, PA. Drawn to games of strategy, she tried online poker after a recommendation from a friend, and soon after she had turned a $150 deposit into a $5,000 bankroll! Realizing that her poker gameplay was bringing in more money than her job as a waitress, she quit to focus on her newly-found poker skills.

Anna Antimony

With total live earnings of over $680,000, Anna Antimony is another New Jerseyite who found fortune in the game of poker. Resident in River Vale, Anna is currently the first woman after a long line of men on the state’s All Time Money List, sitting in 77th place.

Anna’s most recent games include a No Limit Hold’em Ultimate Stack event in Las Vegas in which she placed 44th for a $2,446 finish in June 2021, and a series of eight WSOP online games in July 2020 that netted her just over $14,000 in winnings.

Lisa Pickell

Another New Jersey based female poker player who’s making a killing on the poker circuit is Lisa Pickell. Though she calls Bricktown home, she’s spent much of the past few years in Las Vegas, where she’s already finished first twice this year alone.

Lisa has earned just over $301,000 from her live poker gameplay, which puts her in 203rd place on the New Jersey All Time Money List.

Judith Bielan

Just a shade behind Lisa on live earnings with a total of $299,000 is Bayonne resident Judith Bielan, whose efforts have landed her the well-deserved place of 176th on the Garden State’s All Time Money List.

Judith’s love of the game has seen her at live events in Holywood, Las Vegas and Atlantic City in recent years, with one of her latest efforts netting her over $6,000 from a first place win in a Wynn Summer Classic tournament in Las Vegas in June 2021.

Renata Colache

Last but not least is Clayton resident Renata Colache, who has stacked up $258,250 in live poker earnings to date, placing her as 204th on the New Jersey All Time Money List. Renata plays at both online and offline events, with her most recent WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, Hollywood finish of 18th earning her $2,415 in April 2021.

Split between playing online and at various events in Atlantic City, Renata’s earlier activity saw her taking 2nd place in such tournaments as the Borgata Spring Poker Open and clinching 1st in the PartyPoker NJ Sunday $35k Guaranteed.

You go, girl!

These impressive women prove that the fairer sex can indeed hold their own at both offline and online poker. Inspired to give the game a go yourself? Get warmed up with a few games of Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, or Live Casino Hold’em at Golden Nugget, Virgin Casino, or any of the other top NJ online casinos.