As summer begins the slow cross-fade into fall, the time seems right to reflect on some memorable poker moments from the past few months. We’ve seen the biggest pots ever seen on screen, seemingly impossible feats achieved at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), records broken, and heroes both old and new celebrating victory on the felt.
But one constant thread running through the past summer of poker has been the success of women at the tables. Women’s minority status in poker is not a new topic, nor is the fact that women face many challenges in the poker world that most of their male counterparts simply don’t. Sexism and misogyny can be daily obstacles in many aspects of life, and poker is no different.
Some may debate whether celebrating specifically female accomplishments in poker is itself an act of condescension; that everyone at the table is equally deserving of celebration no matter their identity, and singling out any group on that basis is an act of othering.
But the fact remains that the past summer has seen some notable achievements by women in poker that deserve recognition and attention. And great players should be honored.
A historic year at the WSOP
The summer’s WSOP in Las Vegas provided a platform for some of the finest female players in the game to shine. Nowhere was that more visible than in the Main Event, the premier poker tournament of the calendar.
In reaching the final table, Leo Margets rose through an enormous field of 9,735 players to take a seat at the very center of the poker world, as all eyes were drawn to one of the most entertaining WSOP Main Events in recent memory.
She was also making history, as only the second woman to reach the final table in 30 years, since Barbara Enright in 1995. Her payout of $1.5M for 7th place was the largest score for a woman in the 50+ year history of the event.
Margets was not the only woman to seize the spotlight at the 2025 WSOP. Shiina Okamoto of Japan achieved the all-but-unheard-of feat of successfully defending a WSOP title, winning the $1K Ladies Event for the second year in a row and adding $184K to career earnings that now top $1 million. And if going back-to-back in the same event wasn’t impressive enough, in the year before her first victory she was runner-up.
Okamoto’s WSOP success has propelled her into the position of one of Japan’s most popular poker players, and anecdotal evidence suggests her increased visibility is leading to greater participation among women at poker events in the region.
Another woman who made major waves at the WSOP is Esther ‘Etay’ Taylor, who notched up 9 cashes during the series with the biggest coming in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world: the Poker Players Championship.
This mixed-game event has a price tag of $50,000 and is widely recognized as one of the most difficult, demanding and talent-heavy tournaments in the world. Etay rose through a field of over 100 high rollers to finish in 3rd place for almost $600K, the only woman to cash the event.
Tallinn and London see more champions crowned
It was not only the WSOP that provided a poker stage upon which women players could star this summer. Jenny Westerlund won over €200K and a championship ring with her victory in the WSOP-C Tallinn Main Event in July.
Westerlund is a player who juggles poker with being a single mother to two boys, telling PokerOrg, "I've always been passionate about poker and it's very satisfying to have my hard work over the years rewarded. Poker can test your resolve, but if you keep showing up and playing well, this proves that special things can happen."
Elsewhere in Europe, Jen Shahade proved a worthy winner in the main event of the PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival in London just a few weeks ago.
What’s more, a new documentary titled Cracking Aces: A Woman's Place at the Table recently made its bow on streaming services, showcasing more women poker pioneers including Maria Ho, Tiffany Michelle and Jan Fisher.
Meanwhile, in the online arena, Giedre Valgemae took down the GGPoker Masters for $142K, after winning her seat for just $15. Like Westerlund, Valgemae is a working mother with a love of the game, but also a pragmatic side.
"I am not a regular grinder and I have a 9-5 job, two small kids, but also a passion for the game," she told us. "I was looking at the tournament more as a chance to provide more for my family and kids rather than winning the title." Valgemae then went on to lift the trophy in the Queens of Tallinn Main Event for $6K and two titles in two weeks.
WSOP Ladies online Championship adds $30K Paradise package
Women who, like Valgemae, have skills in both the live and online arenas should bookmark the WSOP Online series, running at the moment, which will award the champion of the $500 Ladies NLH Championship with an extra prize in the form of a $30K package for WSOP Paradise, taking place in The Bahamas this December.
The WSOP Online Ladies Championship takes place this Saturday, August 30 at GGPoker, who will be adding the extra WSOP Paradise package. The Fantastic Ladies in Poker (FLIP) — a female-only poker community — has details of how free seats can be won for this event; check out their Facebook, X or Instagram for more information.
"I hope that the numerous fantastic results from ladies this year encourage new women into the game," said Daiva Byrne of FLIP. "FLIP is passionate about celebrating the success of all female poker players, and I feel that the impact ladies have on the game globally will continue to grow.
"The upcoming GGPoker WSOP Online Ladies Championship will allow another woman to write her place in history and to battle with the best in The Bahamas with the added $30K package up for grabs."
Last year’s WSOP Paradise Super Main Event was the scene for the biggest cash ever recorded by a female poker player, as Liv Boeree scored a huge $2.8 million for her 4th place finish in the largest $25K tournament ever held.
Will the 2025 edition of the tournament see an even deeper run by one of poker’s high-flying female players? With a trip to Paradise added to the winner’s prize, the road to poker immortality could begin this weekend. Given the way the summer’s been going, it would be an apt way to close out the season.
Additional images courtesy of WSOP/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.
