Top 10 Women Gamblers in History

Gambling has largely been a male-dominated sport since its inception and way into its heyday. However, that doesn’t mean that women have not wanted to try their luck or have been any less competent in the sport than their male counterparts. Shockingly, female names have popped up in gambling records as early as the 1800s.

From relatively modern games like poker and blackjack to older games like baccarat and dominoes, women have not only participated in these games but, at times, also dominated them. Let’s take a look at a few of them who have left their marks in the annals of history. Here are the top 10 women gamblers throughout the ages. 

10. Maria Gertrudis Barceló - early 1800s

[Source: Pinterest.com]

La Tules is a name many history nerds are familiar with. Born in Albuquerque in 1800, she quickly made a name for herself in the then-Spanish colony. She has a prominent businesswoman who ran everything from a gambling house to a saloon and even a brothel. 

Her gambling house in Santa Fe, New Mexico, should be particularly of note as she would win vast sums of money playing against fellow gamblers there. Her games of choice were Monte and Poker, and she would absolutely dominate other players who dared cross her. She would not only win the respect of her patrons but also their admiration, quite the feat in a heavily male-dominated world. 

Her history isn’t just bound to gambling, however. She was an important part of the Mexican-American War and the Taos Revolt, and her legacy continues to embody the freedom and enterprising nature of the Southwest. 

9. Eleanor Dumont - mid-1800s

[Source: Wikipedia.org]

Eleanor Dumont’s story is a story of heartbreak and loss, but she is remembered as a legend in the gambling community for her exceptional skills and grit. Born in France in 1829, Dumont would move to the US and create a legacy that is worth remembering. 

Although not much is known about her career as a gambler, she was particularly well known for her skill with the card game faro. With the money she won by competing against other players, she would open her own gambling houses at various mining towns during the California gold rush. She would be known as "Madame Moustache" by fellow gamblers, and the nickname would stick throughout the years.

However, her career would be cut short as she fell in love with a miner by the name of Jack McKnight, who left her for another woman. She became severely depressed and turned to alcoholism from heartbreak and ended up losing everything. 

8. Lottie Deno - late 1800s

[Source: cowgirlmagazine.com]

Some people are remembered by history due to their actions rather than their names, and Lottie Deno, also known as the poker queen of Texas, is one of them. Born as Carlotta J. Thompkins in 1844, she soon moved from her birthplace of Kentucky to make a name for herself. 

After a fairly long time moving from place to place, she decided to stay at Fort Griffin Flat, Texas. Stories of her beating every single opponent that challenged her are nearly endless. She would play games against other legendary names like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp as well. Reports suggest she won $3,000 in one night from Doc Holliday at that time, which would be a significant amount today. 

She adopted the name Lottie Deno to prevent her family from knowing she used to gamble for money. They had always thought she married someone rich out west, but they could never have imagined that their daughter had already become a household name in Texas and her exploits would still be talked about for decades to come. 

7. Alice Hukert - late 1800s

Crossing over the North Atlantic Ocean, we find another 19th-century gambling legend by the name of Alice Hukert. Born in London back in 1851, Hukert would soon move to the US and, growing up, would be known for her colorful personality and sharp tongue. 

However, she could also put her money where her mouth was. She traveled the American West challenging any and everybody who would accept a game of poker. Soon her name became widespread, and the legend of Poker Alice was born. Despite her cutthroat attitude towards gambling, she was a known philanthropist in her community and actively helped the poor and needy with her winnings. 

She would even shoot a man who was being a nuisance in one of her brothels. It would be her illegal establishments that would finally put her in jail as she was arrested for running a gambling house, but that didn’t stop her. 

6. Barbara Hutton - early 1900s

[Source: Wikipedia.org]

Born in 1912 to a rich family, Barbara Hutton would quickly rise in the gambling world due to her affinity for high-stakes games. She was also the human embodiment of living large as she threw lavish parties and gave away exquisite gifts, which only added to her legend. 

Although she inherited a large sum of wealth from her father’s businesses, she would lose much of it during gambling. Her games of choice were baccarat and blackjack, where she would bet exorbitant amounts and awestruck other players. Although she would often lose huge sums of money, she would also win back equally high amounts, which made her appearance at Vegas a sight to behold. 

Hutton’s love for gambling only added to her charm, as many men desired her due to her beauty and elegant dressing sense as well. She had many lovers and husbands throughout her life. Overall, Barbara Hutton lived her life like a movie star and enjoyed every bit of it. 

5. Ruthie Carlson - 1930s

Ruthie Carlson is a name maybe only a few people remember. She was born in Minnesota in 1900 and would start her career as a gambler in the 1920s and gain prominence in the 30s. She would quickly gain infamy due to her love for high-stakes poker games.

Despite facing discrimination and harassment, she would go on to become a well-respected poker player in the 30s and 40s. She was known for her sharp wit and methodical approach to the game while reading her opponents like an open book. Although there are no details of her games, she was featured in newspaper articles often and would also appear in a film about gambling in 1936. 

Carlson’s career wasn’t perfect at all. Later in life, she had to take up extra jobs to support herself. That being said, she was an icon and would inspire many women to reach new heights in the sport and live free. 

4. Annie Duke - 1990s

[Source: newyorker.com]

Annie Duke is a well-known and well-respected name in the poker world, and for good reason. She did everything from playing professionally to TV commentary on big tournaments to writing books on poker. She was born on September 13, 1965, in Concord, New Hampshire, and started playing poker through the 90s and beyond. 

Duke’s whole family was full of poker players, and her brother, Howard Lederer, had an illustrious professional poker career as well. Annie began taking poker seriously in 1992, and by 1994 she was already participating in the $2,500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em event in WSOP, where she finished fifth place. She would go on to play and win various titles, including a WSOP bracelet and 4 money finishes. She has amassed a massive $4.2 million through poker competitions alone. 

Duke’s biggest win came in the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, where she went up against big names like Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth Jr. She won the top prize worth $2 million, which was the largest first-place prize ever awarded at a poker tournament till then. 

3. Alice Walker - 2000s

Those who love blackjack have probably heard of Alice Walker and her plethora of achievements. For those who haven’t, here’s a crash course. Walker was born in 1964 and started playing professional blackjack in the early 2000s and was the first female to win a World Series of Blackjack title. 

Walker started playing blackjack at the incredibly young age of 3. She was skilled at both blackjack and poker by the time she turned 18. She started playing professionally much later in life and would even win the 2007 World Series of Blackjack and secure $500,000 as prize money. She also won the 2006 Three-Card Poker Tournament at GSN and made several television appearances playing other pros in her league. 

Although she would move on to other games like craps, baccarat, and pai gow poker, she is widely recognized as the most successful female blackjack player in history.

2. Vanessa Selbst - 2010s

[Source: reviewjournal.com]

The now-retired Vanessa Selbst needs no introduction. She is widely renowned as one of the best female poker players in history, if not the best. She was born on July 9, 1984, in Brooklyn and began playing poker when she was in college. 

Her first big break came in the 2008 WSOP championships in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event, where she came first and took home a massive prize of $227,933. Ever since then, she has gone on to win three WSOP bracelets, two Partouche Poker Tour Main Events, one North American Poker Tour Main Event, and many more! Throughout her career, she has won over $11.8 million in live poker tournaments. 

She announced her retirement from professional poker in 2018 and has been only playing recreationally after that. She went into other career choices, such as briefly becoming a corporate attorney and later becoming a hedge fund manager. She has also been vocal on social issues and injustice, which has only garnered her more respect. 

1. Kristen Bicknell - 2020s

[Source: wsop.com]

Kristen Bicknell is one of the most successful gamblers in the world and also one of the youngest. She was born on December 29, 1986, in Ontario, Canada, and started playing online poker when she was studying at university. 

Although she started off playing poker online, she would soon transition into poker tournaments and make a name for herself. She won her first WSOP bracelet in 2013 in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event, followed by another bracelet in 2016 at the bounty event. 2019 was perhaps her biggest year as she won the PokerStars Players Championship alongside a second-place finish at a WSOP event. 

Although her career is still going on, she has already won more than $7 million through poker tournaments alone. Her career is yet to come to an end, and we can expect her to top the charts when it comes to female gamblers anytime now. 

That concludes our list of the top female gamblers throughout history. Although we always think only men have gambled throughout the ages, we hope this list could give you an insight into the female gamblers who have left their marks on history books and local legends. 

Be it in the 1800s or the 21st century, women have shown extreme grit and dedication along with careful and calculated techniques to make a name for themselves as the top gamblers that anybody would be hesitant to challenge. Who was the most inspirational to you on this list? Maybe you can replicate their success too! Good luck on the casino floor.