There aren’t many women in the professional poker scene, but that hasn’t stopped Annie Duke. One of the most popular female players, Annie Duke is the sister of famed "poker professor" Howard Lederer (who, incidentally, taught her to play). She has admitted that many men underestimate her at the poker table… and she uses that to her advantage. Just “being a woman,” she says, gives you “a distinct advantage over your male counterparts.”

In 1994, at age 22, Annie Duke started playing full-time, encouraged by her brother. Since then, she has received one World Series of Poker bracelet and won more than half a million dollars. Her brother trained her well, and she has gone on to train other players, such as Ben Affleck, how to play poker (and he won the 2004 California State Poker Championship).

The mother of four children, Annie Duke lives in Billings, Montana. She studied cognitive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania graduate school, but after five years, she left to give more time to her family and play poker with the best.

Annie Duke Fun Facts and Finishes

• Annie Duke is the top female World Series of Poker money winner of all-time.
• She finished 10th at the WSOP... eight months pregnant.
• In 2003 and 1999, she finished second in WSOP Limit Hold’em tournaments.