Joanne Liu

Joanne Jishung Liu was born on April 10, 1965, in Taipei, Taiwan. She later moved to the United States, settling in Peoria, Illinois, to pursue a master's degree in computer engineering at Bradley University. After earning her degree, Liu took a job as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, and it was there that she discovered poker—a game she had never played before moving to America. She eventually made Palo Alto, California her home and transitioned into a full-time career as a professional poker player. In the poker world she is widely known by her nickname, J.J.

Liu came to international prominence on the World Poker Tour. In 2007, she achieved the highest finish ever recorded by a female player in a WPT Championship event, when she finished as the runner-up to Ted Forrest at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars. That deep run remains one of the defining results of her career. Over the years, she has recorded multiple WPT money finishes and appeared at two WPT final tables. Her result at Bay 101 was widely covered by poker media and helped raise the profile of female competitors in the game.

At the World Series of Poker, Liu has been a regular competitor for many years. She has collected 43 WSOP money finishes, although she has never captured a WSOP bracelet. Her deepest run in the WSOP Main Event came in 2017, when she finished in 442nd place. Liu was also photographed at the 2006 World Series of Poker, illustrating her long-running presence at the series. In addition to the WSOP, she has cashed in numerous international events, including a variety of regional tournaments in Asia, underlining her versatility as a tournament player.

Tournament databases track Liu's live earnings at just over $4 million, with figures such as $4,020,195 and $4,028,238 reported in recent years. The Hendon Mob listed her as having won nearly $4 million, and her best single live cash is $600,000. As of 2024, her career winnings exceeded $3.8 million. Liu ranks seventh on the all-time money list for female poker players, behind Vanessa Selbst, Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, Annette Obrestad, Liv Boeree, and Vanessa Rousso. Among Taiwanese players, she is consistently ranked in the top five of the all-time earnings list. Her Global Poker Index ranking has fluctuated in the 5,700 to 6,100 range, reflecting her continued activity on the tournament circuit.

Liu is known for a steady, patient approach to tournament poker. She is particularly effective in deep-stacked structures, where she waits for favorable opportunities rather than forcing action. Hand selection is a central part of her game, and she tends to play cautiously after the flop while managing her stack carefully. When she has position, however, she can apply considerable pressure to opponents. Her overall style is often described as tight-aggressive, and she occasionally uses her disciplined image to execute timely bluffs. This balanced style has helped her sustain results over a long career.

Within the poker community, Liu is sometimes called the 'Queen of Poker' in Taiwan, a title that reflects her status as the benchmark for female players in the region. She has actively participated in promotional activities aimed at developing Taiwan's poker culture and inspiring a new generation of players. Her career is also significant beyond national borders: as a Taiwanese-born woman who reached the upper echelon of international poker, she demonstrated that gender and background are not obstacles to success at the highest levels of the game. Her path from a software engineering career in Silicon Valley to poker stardom remains one of the most notable journeys in Asian poker.