Best Female (Live) Poker Players of 2008

by Bodog Poker | Jan 5 2009

It was another good year for women in poker. Unfortunately it was, once again, a complete sausage fest at the WSOP Final Table, although Tiffany Michelle did come close to making it. She finished in 17th and earned $335,534, the deepest run by a woman in the WSOP Main Event since 2000 when Kathy Liebert also finished in 17th place. It should be noted, however, that the WSOP field in 2000 was only 133 compared to 6,844 in 2008. So there’s definitely some progress there.

While Tiffany Michelle’s excellent WSOP performance was impressive it was her only cash of 2008, which really took her out of the running for our Top Five Female Poker Players of 2008. These five women earned our kudos with multiple deep runs and in a couple cases, WSOP bracelets.

No. 1 Vanessa Selbst

Vanessa Selbst of Montclair, NJ had a total of eight cashes in major live poker events in 2008 (three of which were first place finishes) and had total earnings of $451,221. She was ranked No. 33 on Bluff’s Player of the Year Rankings and No. 69 on Card Player’s.

While Selbst didn’t earn the most money out of anyone on this list, she did prove herself by constantly running deep, cashing often and even scoring a WSOP bracelet in a non-restricted event. Selbst won the WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha, setting a record for being the first woman to win a WSOP bracelet for a Pot-Limit Omaha event.

Slebst entered that tournament with her eye on the prize. When there were only 10 players remaining she made a risky move when she called a big pre-flop raise by Tony Phillips. Phillips then went all-in in the dark just before the flop was revealed and Selbst made the call with a pair of eights (top pair on the flop). She ended up making two pair on the river and eliminated Phillips in tenth place. She explained the risky move by saying, "I'm here for the bracelet and I didn't want him to have position on me tomorrow with a ton of chips."

No. 2 Kathy Liebert

Kathy Liebert is always a top contender for the title of Best Female Poker Player of the Year. With almost $5 million in live poker tournament winnings she has earned more from tournament poker than any other woman in the world.

This year Liebert once again proved her mad skills with a whopping 13 cashes and four final tables for total winnings of $674,373, which got her ranked 13th on the Card Player Player of the Year rankings.

Liebert’s biggest cash of the year came when she finished third in the WPT North American Poker Championship in Niagara Falls, Canada. She earned $319,337 for her third place finish but was undoubtedly disappointed in not quite getting that elusive WPT title.

No. 3 Clonie Gowen

Clonie Gowen of Garland, TX has been on the poker tournament circuit scene for years but 2008 has definitely been her best year by far. With a whopping $731,469 in winnings (almost three-quarters of her lifetime live tournament earnings) from eight cashes and two wins, Gowen made her mark on 2008.

The WPT Bellagio Cup No-Limit Holdem Event No. 5 in July saw Gowen take down her first non-restricted WPT title. The $5,000 buy-in event had a field of 235, which earned her an impressive $437,775. Then in October she went on to win the World Poker Open Event No. 13, another $5,000 No-Limit Holdem event that earned her $183,224.

No. 4 Jennifer Harmen

Jennifer Harmen is always a staple of any list of top female poker players. In 2008 Harmen maintained her rep with two major cashes. The first came from finishing third in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship Event No. 2 for $330,000. The second, proof of Harmen’s skill and versatility was from finishing eight in the WSOP HORSE Event No. 22 for $30,851.

No. 5 Nancy Todd Tyner

Nancy Todd Tyner is 186 on Bluff’s 2008 Player of the Year rankings for her four cashes in major live poker events including three WSOP No-Limit Holdem events as well as her first place finish in the WPT Five Star World Poker Classic Ladies Championship for $68,640.

Tyner is perhaps better known in political circles as top a consultant. She was worked on almost 200 political campaigns in 42 states and six countries. She also authors a monthly column for Casino Journal entitled "The Politics of Gaming".

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