Top 10 female players who may win the 2026 WSOP Main Event

The World Series of Poker is well underway, and the most prestigious tournament in the game, the $10,000 WSOP Main Event, is now less than a month away.

The biggest poker event of the year has never had a female champion, despite quite a few women knocking at the door and making deep runs over the years.

If a lady can finally win the Main Event in 2026, If a woman is to finally win the Main Event in 2026, it will likely be someone you have already heard of, and the ones listed here are prime candidates to at least final table this year’s biggest poker fiesta.

Many of today’s top tournament players build their foundations online, putting in high volume before transitioning to major live events like the WSOP. For those following a similar path, taking advantage of online poker bonuses can provide extra value and help stretch your bankroll in the early stages.

10. Annette Obrestad
The youngest player ever to win the WSOP Main Event in Europe at just 18, Annette Obrestad, recently returned to poker at the 2026 WSOPE.

Her return was marked by a successful run in the WSOPE Main Event, which drew thousands of entries, showing the poker world that Obrestad’s career is not over just yet. Older and more experienced now than she was when she won in London, the Norwegian sensation will be bringing new tricks and an unpredictable style of play to Las Vegas, if she decides to show up.

If Annette decides to jump into the Main Event, she will have a lot going for her, including some of that star power that makes recreational players throw their chips away when faced with former champions.

9. Nadya Magnus
A WSOP bracelet winner, former Big Game loose cannon, and a regular on the tournament poker scene, Nadya Magnus is another lady with strong chances in the Main Event.

Originally from Russia, Magnus has made the American dream work for her in a major way, launching her poker career and becoming one of the most respected female players in the world. Nadya has a versatile skillset, and while she may not be a GTO wizard like Kristen Foxen, her strong understanding of the game and instincts may be enough to take her all the way this year.

8. Xuan Liu
Few female poker players have had as much impact on the game as Xuan Liu, a Canadian poker pro who’s won more than $3 million playing tournament poker in her life.

A regular at the WSOP, Triton Poker Series, and other major poker events, Liu is in with a strong chance in any event she enters.

When it comes to the 2026 WSOP Main Event, Xuan’s ability to play with the pros and amateurs alike will go a long way to letting her navigate the field for a deep run. A strong voice of inclusivity in poker, Xuan Liu would be one of the best ambassadors for the ladies if she were able to win the Main Event, which is why thousands will be rooting her on if she can make it to the final days.

7. Jamie Kerstetter
Jamie Kerstetter has been playing poker for many years, but her work with the poker media really made her name blow up in the poker world recently.

With a million dollars in tournament cashes, the New Jersey native is no stranger to playing in high-stakes events with big money on the line. Known for her strong table presence, humor, and ability to read players in real time, Kerstetter has a unique skill set that will greatly help her in the Main Event.

Faced with numerous recreational players, Jamie will have what it takes to make the right plays and potentially go all the way in the 2026 WSOP Main Event.

6. Ana Marquez
A Spanish poker player with years of tournament poker experience and $2.5 million in winnings, Ana Marquez is another major contender for the Main Event champion title.

While she has not had a deep run in the Main Event just yet, she has showcased her skills across a variety of live and online poker tours in Europe, the U.S., and South America. Marquez is a consummate professional and a former PokerStars Team Pro whose skills at the poker table are not in question.

To make a deep run at the Main Event, Marquez will need a good run of cards and a strong mindset, with the latter historically one of her strong suits.

5. Shiina Okamoto
Poker has been booming in Japan over the last five years, and Shiina Okamoto is one of its most representative figures.

In just a few short years, Okamoto has posted some of the most impressive results ever by a female poker player, including winning back-to-back WSOP Ladies Championships in 2024 and 2025.

With more than $1,000,000 in tournament winnings, Shiina will be looking to finally make a deep run in the Main Event and multiply her total prize money many times over by putting her skills to use on the world’s biggest stage.

The tournament poker world has already discovered just how dangerous an opponent Shiina is, and the 2026 WSOP could be her time to shine and win an open event, with the Main Event high on her list of priorities.

Gaelle Baumann

4. Gaelle Baumann
Another European superstar on our list, Gaelle Baumann, hails from France and has also had plenty of success in the Main Event and other WSOP tournaments.

Gaelle has accumulated over $1.5 million in tournament cashes, while mostly playing modest buy-ins, and has been a PokerStars Team Pro member in the past.

At the 2012 WSOP, Baumann came very close to final tabling the Main Event, as she finished in 10th place and won $590,000. The close call made her famous overnight, but she has not been able to replicate that success since.

Going into the 2026 WSOP Main Event, Gaelle Baumann will be one of the female players to watch, and a strong contender to make the final table and perhaps take down the Main Event bracelet itself.

3. Maria Ho
When it comes to women in poker, few names hold as much power as that of Maria Ho, a player who’s been around for over 20 years and seen it all.

Maria has won more than $5.5 million in poker tournaments over her career and has accumulated more than 100 WSOP cashes, an impressive feat in itself. In 2007, Ho was close to making the final table at the Main Event, but ended up busting in 38th place, just a few tables shy of the finish line.

A poker commentator and media personality, Maria Ho has built much of her poker fan base through off-the-felt activities, but that does nothing to diminish her impressive poker skills.

Maria does particularly well in large-field tournaments and against a variety of opponents and styles, which means the Main Event is the one tournament she has a great chance of winning outright.

2. Leo Margets
Leo Margets is an extremely successful poker player in her own right, and the WSOP Main Event in particular has been one of the events where she performs best. Margets has won more than $3.6 million in her tournament poker career and has had more success than most of her peers, but is far from done with posting major results.

In 2009, Margets made a deep run at the Main Event and came 27th, a feat most players can only dream of. Yet, in 2025, she improved on her personal best and actually made the final table, finishing 7th for $1.5 million in prize money.

The Spaniard spent a good chunk of her career as a Winamax Poker ambassador, motivational speaker, and author, all while dominating the tournament poker tables.

No female player has done better in the Main Event than Leo Margets historically, and she is easily one of the ladies to watch at the 2026 WSOP Texas Hold’em Championship.

1. Kristen Foxen
With more than $15 million in tournament poker winnings, Kristen Foxen is one of the most accomplished female poker players in the world.

In 2024, Foxen famously finished 13th in the WSOP Main Event and was eliminated when she tried to pull off a big bluff, highlighting her fearless nature and competitive spirit.

Foxen is a six-time WSOP bracelet winner and no stranger to winning at the poker tables, as she holds numerous PokerGO Tour titles and other valuable accolades. Kristen and her husband Alex make up the world’s most famous poker power couple, as both are staples on the high-stakes tournament poker scene.

Foxen just claimed her most recent bracelet this weekend, winning the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em event for $1.7 million.

Foxen’s approach to poker is methodical and GTO-based, which means she has the skill set to go all the way in a big event like this. Her experience, skills, and historical success are all great indicators that Kristen Foxen could do well at the 2026 WSOP Main Event, and perhaps finally take the whole thing down for the ladies.

Kristen Foxen has done it again!

After four grueling days against one of the toughest fields of the summer, Foxen outlasted 345 entries in the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em, defeating Galen Hall heads-up to win her sixth WSOP gold bracelet and $1,773,083.

Congratulations… pic.twitter.com/cR5F7c3HEX
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 8, 2026