Images courtesy of PokerGO, WSOP
The WSOP Main Event is more than just a poker tournament; it’s the single most important event on the poker calendar, and one that captures more attention from the mainstream media than all others combined.
With thousands of players descending upon Las Vegas to play in the WSOP Main Event every year, many of them ladies, it was hard to believe that no female player had made the final table since 1995, when poker legend Barbara Enright did so, years before the Poker Boom.
Despite all the efforts and many ladies coming close over the years, a new appearance of a lady at the WSOP Main Event final table would not happen until 2025, when Spanish superstar Leo Margets finally broke the curse and made it all the way to the final nine.
This is the story of Leo Margets’ memorable run in the World Series of Poker Main Event that proved once again that female players belong in poker just as much as men and that the distinction between male and female players is one that will eventually only exist in the history books.
Leo Margets Plays for a Main Event Bracelet
Ever since Chris Moneymaker’s legendary Main Event win in 2003 and the subsequent Poker Boom, the tournament has grown into a unique phenomenon in the poker world. Most recently, it’s been attracting close to 10,000 players each year, which makes getting to the final table that much more impressive.
Looking at the numbers alone, one would expect at least one female player to make it to the final nine every few years or so. Yet, a course of bad luck saw the final lady in the Main Event eliminated close to the final table on more than one occasion, leaving us all wondering when it would actually happen.
As chance would have it, it was the 2025 WSOP Main Event, which again drew 9,735 entrants, that would finally see a lady make it into the final table spotlight.
Spanish poker professional Leo Margets, who already had a very successful poker career before 2025, was the one to break the dry spell for the ladies and build up a stack that would give her a chance to compete for poker’s ultimate prize.
With the support of hundreds of fans within the room, and many thousands more watching at home, Margets was one of the fan favorites to win the whole thing, closely following behind Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, a living legend of the game in his own right.
Margets fought fiercely, but eventually fell to pure bad luck, as her pocket Aces could not survive in a confrontation with Kenny Hallaert’s K♣J♣, which made a club flush by the river.
Margets went out in 7th place and won $1,500,000, but more importantly, she proved once again that ladies can not only compete, but also thrive in the competitive arena of live tournament poker.
Foxen Almost Did It in 2024
In 2024, the WSOP Main Event was special in many ways, as it set a new attendance record, with 10,112 players signing up to play the world’s biggest freezeout poker tournament.
As days went on, one name stood out in the chip counts, and it was that of Kristen Foxen, one of the most popular female poker players in the world.
Foxen kept building up a stack, and as the action approached the final table, the eyes of the poker world were firmly set on her.
For so many aspiring female poker players around the world, watching Foxen battle it out with the boys was an inspiration and proof that they too could do it, despite any stigma or judgment they may be facing.
While Foxen was no newbie to the tournament poker world and was already an established player in her own right, making it this deep in the Main Event was a special moment even for her.
Despite her best efforts, Kristen ended up busting in 13th place and just barely missing the final table, but the way she went out was perhaps the most important part of the whole story.
Foxen didn’t wait to get short-stacked or to lose in a cooler situation. Instead, she took on Joe Serock, one of the best players still left in the field, and pulled a brave bluff that few players would dare make at this stage of the Main Event.
While some called her play silly, the truth is that Kristen knew exactly what she was doing, and she just ended up mistiming her bluff and running into a big hand.
While her bluff didn’t work, it proved that “girls” do belong in poker and that they are more than capable of doing all the things the “boys” are, including pulling big bluffs in key late-game situations.
Is a Female Poker Boom Coming?
When Kristen Foxen was making her epic run in the 2024 WSOP Main Event, the media speculated her winning would trigger a new Poker Boom. The same happened again next year, as Leo Margets finally made the final table.
Yet, despite all the speculation, we are still waiting for a lady to actually go all the way and win the Main Event, so we could see if it actually sparks a new sort of Poker Boom.
The truth is that a growing number of female poker players, including many content creators, have been entering the game and playing it very competitively in recent years. While many women remain discouraged by the male-dominated poker world, others are breaking free of the judgment and leaping forward.
A lady actually winning the Main Event would likely be one of the biggest stories in poker history, and one that could spark a new poker revolution. This one could change the poker landscape from the ground up!
As the 2026 WSOP Main Event enters its late stages and we look for a new champion, we will be keeping our eyes wide open to see which ladies make the deepest runs, and whether or not one can match or beat the record Leo Margets set last year.
Whatever happens on the big stage, aspiring female players already have plenty of idols to look up to, with the likes of Maria Ho and Jamie Kerstatter only a couple of big names in the industry that stand hand-in-hand with Main Event heroes like Margets and Foxen.
