Esther 'Etay' Taylor had an incredible summer at the 2025 WSOP, recording nine cashes and taking her all-time winnings up over the $3 million mark. But it was her journey to third in the prestigious $50K Poker Players Championship that made all the headlines. Taylor became just the second woman ever to make the final table of that event, following Melissa Burr in 2014.
Her first recorded cash came nearly 20 years ago, in the WSOP Ladies event, where she finished 73rd for $2,053.
Ask Taylor how she’s lasted this long in the game, and she’ll point to one thing above all else: finding a true balance between the grind and the life she’s built around it.
“It has taken me a long time to reach the mental place that I'm at right now,” says Taylor. “It’s been 20 years where I’ve been in and out of the industry. The key is life balance.
“Poker is a huge piece of my pie, but it doesn't cover all of it. I have my family, my friendships, my relationships, my hobbies, and my health.
“It’s a horrible feeling when things are not going your way in poker, but if you have other areas you can pull from for support when poker’s been rough, I guarantee that you can deal with those downswings.
“Have other things in your life that bring you joy, happiness, and comfort. If you have all these life things in order, it should translate over to your professional career as well.”
Watch the full episode above now or check below for links to the audio podcast.
Till death do us part
If Taylor’s competition is holding out hope that she’ll retire from her two obsessions — poker and golf — anytime soon, they’ll have to yank the plug themselves. She seems to love both games equally.
“I always say, ‘If I can't swing the club, pull the plug.’ I say that because I golf with 80-year-olds all the time, and they kick my ass.
“I feel the same way about poker. I’ll always be involved. That is my plan, at least until I can't play the WSOP Main Event, which will be like literally on my deathbed. I've seen every type of person play the Main. I know it's possible. I think the Main will be a tournament that I play until I can no longer operate anymore.”
The Interview — Esther ‘Etay’ Taylor
Highlights from our exclusive in-depth conversation with Taylor include:
- Why she fell in love with poker and quit a 9-5 at Wells Fargo
- What drives her to succeed and be super competitive
- How to deal with the rollercoasters of variance in the game
- Her one obsession away from the felt
- How her mixed-game skills grow so quickly
- The best ways to excel at poker without solvers or books
- How friend Shaun Deeb influenced her mindset early on
- Her journey to the $50K WSOP Poker Players Championship final table
- And much more…
Watch Esther Taylor’s full exclusive interview with PokerOrg’s Craig Tapscott in the video above, or listen on Spotify or Apple podcasts.
Check out more in-depth interviews with some of poker’s biggest names below, including Chris Moneymaker, Kristen Foxen, and Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates.
