October 15th, 2009 by Lyndsie

Annie Duke learned poker the hard way, with neither her father nor her brother letting her get off easy when they played the game in their home.

This is a player to watch, because she is a smart player. She went to Columbia University — that’s the Ivy League, folks — and double majored in English and Psychology. From there it was on to the University of Pennsylvania. However, five years into her doctorate, she married Ben Duke and they made the move to Montana. Times were hard there, and Annie chanced on some of the back room poker games in Billings. She put in hour upon hour, and she got very good — so good that times were no longer hard.

Now she has $1,581,476 worth of winnings under her belt, forty seven cashes, two first place finishes, one WSOP bracelet — and she is only forty four (not that she looks it, of course).

October 8th, 2009 by Lyndsie

What does our 8th Queen of Poker have in common with Her Majesty Number 9, Miss Tiffany Michelle? Well, for one thing, you may not know her as a poker player. You may know her better as the gruesomely gorgeous Bride of Chucky, or as Joe Swanson’s perpetually pregnant wife Bonnie (actually, Bonnie finally popped this season, it’s a girl!), or from countless other flicks and TV shows. At any rate, most of us know the vivacious, sultry Jennifer Tilly for that unique, creamily high pitched voice better than we do for her poker skills — but man, we better learn to recognize that game.

To be fair, it has only been recently that Jennifer Tilly has been earning her bones as a skillful player, but she is definitely an up and coming queen. Believe it or not, in 2005, Jennifer took home the gold bracelet in the Ladies No Limit Hold ‘Em event of the World Series of Poker — and lest you think that was just luck, she went on to place first in the World Poker Tour Ladies Invitation. With fifteen cashes, two first place finishes, a WSOP bracelet, and $434,468 in cash winnings, Jennifer’s definitely proving herself both a Jill of All Trades as well, and a veritable Queen of Poker.

October 1st, 2009 by Lyndsie

Coming in at number 9 on this list of the ladies who sizzle when they are playing and when they are simply strutting their stuff, we have the lovely — and talented — Tiffany Michelle. You may know her from television and even from the movies as well — heck, this Jill of All Trades is proficient when it comes to music, too! Given both her affinity and talent for poker, it looks like there is absolutely nothing she cannot do.

She plays, she commentates, she does it professionally, she does it for charity, she does it for fun — this girl is a well rounded poker player, which is undoubtedly the best kind. Her scope, in going from the table to the world behind the scenes, where she covers poker games on TV and on the radio, is quite admirable as well, since she only came onto the scene four short years ago, in 2005.

In last year’s WSOP — the Main Event, no less — she made perhaps her brightest mark. Out of a whopping 6,844 other players, she placed 17th. That made her the first woman to place that high in the field.

Also known as Hot Chips, this lovely lady has already gotten four cashes and won a total of $352,582.

May 31st, 2009 by Lyndsie

Maybe it’s just me (but I don’t really think so), but there’s something hot about a girl who knows how to slap down the cards.  In deference to the last post, I got to thinking that women aren’t recognized nearly enough — there are some down ladies out there doing a darn good job.  We like to hoot and holler over their looks, but face it — pretty doesn’t do a thing at the table, when the cards are hot and the pot is sizzling.  So, over the next few weeks, we’re going to take a look at some of the hottest women in poker — hot not just because of their looks, but because these women know how to play.

First up is Sarah Bilney who, although still pretty new to the wild international scene, is already making quite a splash. Known as “Aussie Sarah,” she represents some series thunder from down under. She hails from Canberra, Australia, and she comes in at number ten because she’s only been playing since 2000, yet she already has sixteen cashes and has won upwards of $258,738.