Famous Female Gamblers
Gambling is viewed by many people as a male-dominated industry, but this is not actually the case. Women have been betting and winning right alongside their menfolk pretty much for as long as games of chance have been enjoyed. While they may not get as much attention from the media as men do, there are several superb female players holding their own at the tables.
Anette Obrestad
Oberstadt is very active online and even runs a YouTube channel, albeit for makeup, not her massively successful Poker career. She collected over $1 million in prizes in games between 2005 and 2006 and celebrated her 19th birthday with another million dollar prize at the first-ever World Series of Poker in Europe.
Carlotta J. Thompkins
Born in Kentucky in 1844, Carlotta Thompkins chose to be known as Lottie Deno at the Poker table. This was to ensure that her family would never find out she was supporting herself by playing cards. Deno was always outfitted in the latest fashions and would not allow players to curse, drink, or even smoke at her table. She passed away in 1934 and has gone into the history books thanks to the fact she managed to beat the legendary Doc Holliday to the tune of $3 000 during her career.
Kirsten Bicknell
Canadian Professional Poker Player Kirsten Biknell had the highest ranking for a live tournament in 2017. She’s got two World Series of Poker bracelets to her name as well and has managed to accrue more than $5 million in cash prizes. Bicknell’s boyfriend is also a Poker player, Alex Foxen, and the couple managed to top the Player of the Year rankings in 2018 and 2019.
Vanessa Selbst
Although she retired in 2018, no list of female gamblers is complete without Vanessa Selbst. She managed to win over $15 million during the course of her career and took three WSOP bracelets too. She is the only woman ever to have reached the no. 1 position in the Global Poker Index and is also the only player who managed to win the North American Poker Tour’s Main Event for two years running.
While we imagine dapper gentlemen in tuxedos puffing on cigars and playing cards when we think of casino games, women are without a doubt getting their share of the action these days. With spectacular skills to recommend them, there’s no reason not to take these players as seriously as we do men.
