Leah Hauer didn’t fall in love with poker at first – now it’s her life.
A League of Legends streamer with a competitive edge, Hauer walked away from a well-paid corporate job at Visa to chase the game full-time while building a growing YouTube audience under the name leahhatespoker.
Hauer’s poker journey began on the outside looking in.
“A bunch of my guy friends played poker,” says Hauer. “But the girls were never invited, which says a lot. Poker’s roots are very male-dominated.”
Eventually they relented.
“One day they finally invited us," Hauer adds. "I remember having the hand rankings on my phone and also a range of good cards to open and fold the rest. It was fun. I played twice, then didn’t think much about the game until I moved to London."
Chase your dreams
That’s when the love-hate hook was born – something Hauer recognized from her years as an avid gamer.
“When I was transitioning over to poker from playing League of Legends, I thought there were a lot of parallels between the two.
“Poker can be very rage-inducing... very tilting. So, I thought it was quite a fun play on the fact that sometimes I hate the game, but of course it’s really a love-hate relationship.”
By this point, Leah had settled into the 9-to-5 grind, but it wasn’t long before she started looking for something more.
“I worked for Visa," she says. "I joined as a consulting graduate working on implementation projects within the banking world. It wasn't the most exciting career, but I'm quite an ambitious person – I'd define myself as a high achiever.”
Hauer spent three and a half years there, earning two promotions, yet something was missing. It was a conversation with her boss that ultimately changed everything.
“I decided I wanted to be a master of my own destiny," Hauer says. "My boss told me at one point, ‘You're never going to really make it if you're working for someone else. You need to give yourself the freedom to chase your dreams.’ That’s when I decided to quit my job and play poker full-time.”
Next stop: WSOP Prague
That decision has already taken her to the biggest stages in poker – and now she’s heading back with unfinished business.
“Last year I came to Vegas the week of the WSOP Ladies event, but unfortunately, I didn't cash. I made day two, but I busted just before the money. I'm now going to Prague for the WSOPE, and I've got a redemption arc that I need to play out.”
Playing the WSOP Ladies event was a learning experience she hopes to capitalize on.
“It was the biggest tournament I've ever played," she tells us, "and I think the nerves got the better of me. It was very intimidating. When there are hundreds of tables and players, it's kind of easy to get in your head.
“Having played in Vegas, I can take that experience to Prague this year and hopefully do better than last summer. Maybe even win.”
Team WSOP Vlogger
Leah won’t just be playing in Prague. She’ll be filming it for her YouTube channel as part of the superstar WSOP vlogger team.
“I'm really excited to capture my whole experience at the WSOPE," she says. "I hope to put into practice some of the advice I’ve received over the last few months, and I’m hoping people will see me improving my game. They can follow along with my journey as I go from an amateur poker player to hopefully a pro one day."
The WSOPE vlogger lineup features some of the biggest names in poker content, including Andy Stacks, Xuan Liu, Jonathan Little, Ashley Frank, Kasey Lyn Mills, Lexy Gavin Mather, Frankie C, Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates, and Shiina Okamoto.
And Leah is on a mission to show players she truly loves poker more than she hates it.
“It’ll be fun to show people what it’s like to play at WSOP events like Prague. Hopefully, I can give some insight into what it’s like for someone trying to make it in this industry.”
We’ll be following her journey from the floor in Prague when the 2026 WSOP Europe gets underway on March 31.
Follow Leah on YouTube, X, and Instagram.
