Female gamblers: 15 of the most famous women in the gambling world

Throughout the long and varied history of gambling, women were considered unsuitable for gambling. Even now, when there are no restrictions on gender, men still exist much more in the world of gambling, regardless of their form.

Women, like any industry, were mocked or expelled from office for their male-only activities, and this week's blog introduced 15 of the most famous female gamblers in history, from famous gamblers in the Old West to women rocking the modern poker world, to make a small contribution to correcting this injustice.

What you're trying to read is a less-known history of gambling. One focuses on fierce women who ignore social norms and use gambling as their stepping stone. Millions of others have opened the way for men to become part of this ancient entertainment on an equal footing.

Let's get started?

1. Lottie Deno (Lolotti)

The history of famous female gamblers should start with a woman named Lottie Deno. The woman is so good at gambling that her notoriety predates her throughout the West. She also enjoyed being with some of the most famous male gamblers of all time, such as the notorious poker player and gunman, Dok Holiday.

In 1844, Lotty, believed to be Carlotta J. Tompkins in Kentucky, learned many skills from her father, a wealthy racehorse breeder. When he died, she was sent to Detroit by her mother, where she was supposed to find her husband.

Destiny, however, made other plans for Lottie, and when he lost all his money, he began to travel along the Mississippi River, and began playing poker on the boat. It was probably around this time that she got the nickname Deno from dinero, which means money in Spanish.

Her trip soon took her to San Antonio, Texas, where she met fellow gambler Frank Thurmond, who was awed by Lottie's gambling skills. Life was not easy for a female gambler at the time, and the angel of San Antonio soon found himself fleeing the village after Thurmond was charged with murder.

Lottie and Frank were finally able to get married and give up their gambling lives and become respected members of the community in Deming, New Mexico. One of Old West's most famous gamblers, Lottie Deno, died at the age of 89 in Deming and remains one of the most famous residents of the town.

2. Eleanor Dumont (Madame Mustache)

Next on the list of famous female gamblers is a woman with an unusual nickname and a life story that is even more embarrassing. There are very few facts about Eleanor Dumont's life, or about Madame Mustache, whom she later became known to, but what we know for sure is that she is responsible for opening up the world of blackjack to women.

She was probably born Simon Jules in 1829. She moved to Nevada City, California in 1854 and settled in the archives of famous gamblers in the Old West. There she opened a gambling house called Ving-et-un (the predecessor of blackjack), named after her outstanding game. Although she opened the way for women to trade and play blackjack, Dumont said she did not allow other women visiting as "joint guests" to give our women pleasure

After several years of successful salons in the gold rush, the precious metal finally began to dry out, and Madame Mustache left Nevada. Because of her reputation as a fair dealer, she found jobs across California, Arizona, and Montana.

In the 1860s, as was typical for female gamblers at the time, she added another deal to her repertoire, and ran brothels in several villages where she regularly visited. After ten years and a ton of money, she soon settled down with a man who had been forced to cheat on her property and return to gambling.

Dumont, a pioneering female gambler, met her fate in 1879, an act she relied on after losing a lot of money in a card game when she was found dead from a morphine overdose.

3. Maria Gertrudis Barcelona (Queen of Sin)

The 19th century was a time of women's gambling, with another gem in the crown of famous female gamblers. Born at the turn of the century, Maria Gertrudis 'Tulz' Barcello was already known as the queen of sin at the age of 25, and gained popularity thanks to illegal gambling houses in the Ortiz Mountains of New Mexico.

Unlike most female gamblers of the time, despite her nickname, Barcelona was known to have never engaged in prostitution. In addition to being a successful businessman, she was also a famous player in the card game Monte.

Although she enjoyed tremendous fame throughout her life, there is no exact description of Barcelona. What's known is that she made a lot of money in the gambling business in Santa Fe, and according to official accounts, she made over $350,000 today. And in 1852, there was an elaborate funeral in the presence of many fellow citizens.

4. Alice Ivors Duffield Tubbs Hubert (Poker Alice)

Closing the Old West's famous gamblers' chapter is Alice Ivors Duffield Tubbs Hubert, better known as Poker Alice.

Born in England in 1851, Alice spent most of her life in the United States. She entered the poker world after the death of her first husband, who was a famous player, after falling into a difficult financial situation. Alice played and traded, and quickly made a name for herself among famous female poker players. When she was nicknamed Poker Alice, she had already attracted many people.

Alice is a tough girl known for always carrying a gun, she used it on more than one occasion and even killed a man for disobeying her "no work on Sundays" rule. Ivors spent a short time in prison, but was acquitted after he shot him for self-defense and quickly claimed to have run a gambling house in South Dakota and the palace of the prostitute poker.

Although there is no official record of her income, Poker Alice claimed she earned $250,000 (more than $3 million in today's money) in her lifetime. One of the first stars in the long history of the famous female gambler died in 1930 after an operation failure. Her role has been immortalized in several films, including the 1987 Poker Alice starring Elizabeth Taylor.

5. May Me Stalker

Maimie Stoker herself was not a gambler, but she has recently made a significant contribution to female gamblers. Born in 1875, the eldest of six children, Stoker learned housework from an early age and acquired management skills.

After marrying a railroad worker and traveling around the country several times, Mame and her new family finally settled in the burgeoning city of Las Vegas. Disappointed by the lack of entertainment and amenities, the stalker rocked the town and opened the Northern Club on Fremont Street in Las Vegas in 1920, which quickly gained local landmark status.

Although she has never gambled, stalker made her name in gambling history as the first woman to have a gambling license after Las Vegas fully legalized gambling in 1931. This marked a remarkable achievement in the knowledge that women were rarely seen gambling in public, not to mention running a casino business.

After running the business successfully for 10 years, May left the business to her sons but remained active in public life in Las Vegas until her death in 1972.

6. Shirley Branucci

In the 1970s, in Las Vegas, women could only trade at blackjack tables, while other common casino games such as roulette and baccarat were the domain of men. Shirley Branucci made her name not as a female gambler, but as the first female baccarat dealer on the Las Vegas Strip.

Branucci came to Shinshi in the 1950s, determined to make a fortune by drinking cocktails at a casino resort. But decades later, as it began to harm her health, her boss, the general manager of Stardust Casino, advised her to go to dealer school.

To explain the situation surrounding women's gambling at this time, when she started trading baccarat, there were no women's clothes in the casino, so she had to buy two tuxedoes and change them to suit her small figure.

The media widely reported her success, and she even appeared on several gambling-related TV shows. Shirley Branucci spent the last 10 years of her 37-year career as a baccarat manager at Stardust, holding the first female title.

7. Claudine Williams

Claudine Williams was a bit of a gambler. Born in 1921 in Louisiana, she began securing her place among famous female gamblers at a young age. At the age of 12, she was hired by a gambling house. At 15, she knew how to play almost all casino games, and by 21, Williams was already running a gambling house in Texas!

Around this time, she met her future husband, Shelby Williams, and moved with her to Las Vegas. In 1963, the two bought a silver slipper casino and ran it quite successfully before selling it to Howard Hughes. But they soon purchased the land across from Caesar Palace and opened the Holiday Casino, a completely new facility now known as the Hara Hotel and Casino, in 1973.

Following Shelby's death in 1977, Claudine took the reins of Holiday Casino, becoming the first female executive at a major casino. But Williams' achievement did not end there. She was also the first woman to hold the chairmanship of the American Bank of Commerce board and the chairmanship of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Claudine Williams's greatest achievement came in 1992, when the revolutionary became the first woman to be inducted into the Game Hall of Fame.

8. Judy Bayley

Among the women who were not gamblers but made great contributions to identifying women's gambling houses is Judy Bailey, commonly known as the first lady of gambling, who is generally remembered in Las Vegas and the history of gambling as the first woman to own and operate a casino.

To play casino games, you need calm nerves and quick thinking skills. To run a casino, you need great brains and great skills. Judy Bayley proved she had both when she acquired the Hacienda Hotel and Casino following her husband's death in 1964.

Despite not having formal management training, Judy Bailey started running the casino like a duck! In addition to successfully paying off her husband's gambling debts that she didn't know before he died, she also oversaw the introduction of poker and fans at Hacienda and is widely credited with bringing a live Keno to the strip!

Bailey is probably not a widely known name outside Las Vegas, but she remains close to the hearts of the villagers who remember her for her valuable charity work.

9. Cat Hulbert

In Cat Hulbert's childhood, there was little indication that she would become a top female gambler. While working in the New York Senate, she became interested in gambling while researching the industry. Shortly after completing her Black Jack dealing course, she moved to Las Vegas.

Her life changed forever when she met Ken Euston, a notorious blackjack player and strategist. She took her to the infamous Czech team. Hulbert made a lot of money by card-counting, touring around the world with Wooston. This lifestyle brought her notoriety as well as money. She has been arrested several times for card calculations and banned in numerous casinos around the world.

Hulbert became a famous seven-card stud player and is the only woman named one of the game's best players by card player magazine. She has since quit professional gambling and is now committed to promoting poker and blackjack among women.

10. Annie Duke

A list of players of poker would be incomplete without the name of Annie Duke, aka the Duchess of Poker.

Her brother, poker professional Howard Lederer, was the first to see the poker potential in Annie Duke when she was in her mid-twenties and encouraged her to hone her skills further. Soon after she learned about her newfound talent, Annie decided to make poker her full-time job.

At one point, Duke was the leading money winner in the history of the World Series of Poker (the title now held by the next lady on our list). Among her contributions to the rise of women's gambling is a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker in 2004 and the only female gambler to have won the National Heads-Up Poker Championship back in 2010. As a result, Duke consistently ranks among the top 10 richest female poker players, even though she quit professional poker in 2012.

Although she is not playing anymore, she has authored several instructional books, such as "Decide to Play Great Poker" and "The Middle Zone", in which she argues that, apart from luck, those who are looking to succeed in poker need skills.

11.Vanessa Herself

Brace yourselves; here comes the absolute titan of the poker world! With three bracelets in the World Series of Poker, Vanessa Selbst is undoubtedly one of the richest and most famous women poker players in the game's history.

Selbst is also the only person, either female or male, to win the North American Poker Tour two times in a row in 2010 and 2011! During her poker career, Vanessa Selbst participated in as many as 21 live poker tournaments!

During her career, Vanessa Selbst took part in a total of 21 live poker tournaments and, as a result, amassed a fortune of nearly $12 million, making her the wealthiest female gambler ever and the only woman to reach the No. 1 ranking in the Global Poker Index!

Although she never won the World Poker Tour or the European Poker Tour, Selbst ended her participation in these tournaments with three and four money finishes, respectively.

To top things off, this New York-born also holds a degree in Political Sciences from Yale University and currently works as a hedge fund manager. Wow!

12. Shannon Elizabeth Fadal

Actress and former fashion model Shannon Elizabeth Fadal, once described poker as her second career. And for a good reason: she played the Main Event of the 2005 World Series of Poker and scored a win in a tournament that celebrated the launch of a new poker room at Caesars Palace a year later, beating 83 celebrities and professionals, securing a spot among poker celebrities.

Elizabeth Fadal also finished in money four times in the World Series of Poker and managed to secure a place in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship semifinals, where she faced creme de la creme of the poker world.

All in all, Elizabeth Fadal scored 12 tournament cashes in the period between 2006 and 2010 and remains among the best-known celebrity poker aficionados.

13. Jennifer Tilly

Daughter of a gambler and poker player, Jennifer Tilly is another celebrity in the register of famous female gamblers.

She won a 2005 World Series of Poker bracelet, and a hefty sum of $158,625 during the Ladies' No-Limit Texas hold 'em event, defeating 600 participants. Later that year, she also won the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament in Los Angeles.

Tilly has also made appearances in the GSN Poker Royale series and took part in the Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2006, coming in third, and appeared in the Poker After Dark show. She appeared in the video game World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions 2007 Edition in 2007.

Announcing her retirement from poker in 2008, Tilly said that she's not giving up poker entirely but intends to "treat it more like a hobby and less like a career."

14. Annette Obrestad

Apart from her massive fortune made from playing poker (nearly $4 million), Annette Obrestad will be remembered in women gambling as the youngest ever winner of the World Series of Poker Europe in 2007, only a day before her 19th birthday.

On this occasion, she won $2.01 million, breaking the previous record set by Annie Duke in 2004. What's even more interesting is that before the 2007 WSOPE, this female gambler from Norway cashed in in only four live poker tournaments. She currently holds second place among professional players of poker in Norway, with most money won in live tournaments.

Apart from being among the most famous women poker players, Obrestad has also contributed to writing online gambling history, given that she kicked off her career playing online poker.

On multiple occasions, Obrestad claimed that she had never made a deposit and instead built her online bankroll by playing freerolls. Good job, girl!

Once famous for always wearing sunglasses when playing to hide her facial expressions, Obrestad now runs a successful make-up tutorial channel on YouTube (no sunglasses!). Although she never retired from poker officially, she seems to appear less and less in tournaments.

15. Kristen Bicknell

Kristen Bicknell, a Canadian poker player, closes our rundown of poker stars. Bicknell also started her poker playing career online while she was still a university student.

When Bicknell started playing, She rightfully nicknamed herself The Ultimate Grinder due to the number of poker hands she played. In the years between 2011 and 2013, she solidified her position in women gambling and gave a whole new meaning to her moniker by having played an estimated 7.5 million poker hands.

Bicknell is a proud wearer of three World Series of Poker bracelets and another 33 finishes in money in the same tournament. She ranked No. 1 among live female poker tournament players in 2017.

At 34, the Canadian is still very active on the poker scene, and her current winnings amount to a staggering figure of slightly over $5 million.

Honourable Mention: Faro Ladies

Although women's gambling was frowned upon throughout much of the history, the activity was often seen as feminine, "an enchanting witchery," as some used to call it. Emotionality and vulnerability of women were often linked to the haphazardness of games of chance.

It's no wonder then that women used to be stigmatised whenever they dared to engage in this predominantly male activity, especially in the Old Continent.

Going back to 18th century Europe, when gambling in public was unacceptable for women in general, let alone women who belonged to the nobility. While aristocratic men were allowed to play at social clubs, ladies who were partial to games had to do it in the privacy of their homes. Thus, a group of women became famous for hosting social gatherings where they would play faro, a once trendy card game, and were soon appropriately dubbed Faro's Daughters or Faro Ladies.

The most notorious among the Faro Ladies were Mrs Albinia Hobart (later Lady Buckinghamshire), Lady Sarah Archer, Mrs Sturt, Mrs Concannon, and Lady Elizabeth Luttrell.

Authors depicted Faro ladies as immoral in newspapers and caricatures and likened their gambling practices to prostitution, attributing them the power to seduce men and break the centuries-old distinction between the male public sphere and the private sphere of women.

Luckily, a lot has changed since then, and, as we've shown in the above list, women now gamble on equal footing as men, although they are still less present in the world of gambling than their male counterparts. 릴게임

What Percentage of Gamblers Are Female? Gender Differences Among Gamblers

When it comes to gambling engagement and frequency, research has shown time and time again that men are more inclined to engage in gambling activities than women. Although figures differ from one survey to another the figures are always tilted to the men’s side.

Examining links between gender and gambling, studies have found that, in terms of engagement in gambling or frequency of gambling, men gamble twice as much as women (69% of men compared to 36% of women).

According to some studies, there are significant gender differences when it comes to problem gambling, too: taking into account age, family and socio-economic status of respondents, the rate of male gamblers who are experiencing gambling problems landed at 20.1%, compared to 7.8% among women. In other words, men are three times more likely to develop gambling problems compared to women.

According to the researchers, factors that participate in gambling and potentially cause gambling problems include impulsive coping, risk-taking tendencies, and social anxiety, all of which are more evident in men than in women.