Esther Taylor

Esther Taylor, often called "E-Tay," hails from Portland, Oregon, and later resided in the Philadelphia area. A business owner, she turned to poker in the mid-2000s and quickly became a dominant force in both tournaments and cash games. She has appeared on televised poker shows such as Poker Night in America and Poker at the Lodge, and is a regular on Hustler Casino Live.

Taylor has accumulated over $3.3 million in live tournament earnings, ranking among the top 20 women in poker history. Her career-best cash came in 2025 at the WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship, where she finished 3rd for $595,136, becoming only the second woman ever to reach that prestigious final table. Earlier, in 2017, she placed 3rd in the WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller for $543,713. She also has a 5th-place finish in the 2015 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open for $174,118 and a 2nd-place in a 2022 WSOP mixed event for $171,787.

In 2026, Taylor started strong by winning the Borgata Winter Poker Open $1,150 H.O.R.S.E. event ($24,000). She has 10 WSOP final table appearances and one WPT final table. Although she has not yet won a WSOP bracelet, her deep run in the 2025 WSOP Main Event (152nd for $70,000) and consistent results in high-stakes events solidify her reputation.

Taylor is renowned for her versatility across No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and complex mixed games like H.O.R.S.E. She employs disciplined aggression and excels in multi-day structures, using her background in East Coast mixed cash games to find exploitative edges. Her mental fortitude and technical accuracy over long sessions give her a psychological edge.

Taylor is unmarried and maintains a relatively private personal life. She is widely respected in the poker community with no known controversies. Her estimated net worth, combining tournament success and high-stakes cash games, is believed to be over $4.5 million.

Esther Taylor is a pioneering figure for women in high-stakes poker, breaking barriers in mixed-game events. She continues to compete at the highest levels, chasing her first WSOP bracelet while serving as an ambassador for the game.