Kathy Liebert

Kathleen H. Liebert was born on October 1, 1967, in Nashville, Tennessee. She began her professional poker journey as a prop player in Colorado before transitioning to tournament poker. Her first recorded cashes date back to 1994, including events at Amarillo Slim's Superbowl of Poker, the California State Championship, and the World Series of Poker.

In 1997, Liebert finished second in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $123,690. The following year, she placed 17th in the 1998 WSOP Main Event, a feat she repeated in the 2000 Main Event. Her true breakthrough came in 2002 when she won the Party Poker Million Cruise, a limit hold'em tournament with a $1,000,000 first prize. This made her the first woman ever to win a $1 million prize in poker. The final table featured notable opponents including Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, and Mel Judah. Liebert later reflected that this was her biggest achievement, noting that if it had been a World Poker Tour event, she would have been the first woman to win a WPT title.

Liebert has accumulated 128 WSOP money finishes and over $1.4 million in WSOP earnings alone. Her most significant WSOP result came in 2004 when she won a gold bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout, earning $110,180. That year, she was one of three women (along with Cyndy Violette and Annie Duke) to win open events at the WSOP. In 2008, she finished third in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship, earning $306,064. She also cashed in the WSOP Main Event in multiple years, including 17th place finishes in 1998 and 2000, and has continued to cash regularly through 2025.

Liebert has made six World Poker Tour final tables. In 2002, she finished second in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic for over $1 million (though this event is sometimes listed separately from the PartyPoker Million). She placed third in the 2005 Borgata Poker Open, making her the highest-finishing woman on the WPT until J.J. Liu's runner-up in 2007. In 2009, she tied that record by finishing second to Steve Brecher in the WPT Shooting Stars event, which featured the longest final table in WPT history. Liebert also has 24 WPT money finishes overall.

Liebert is known for a solid, patient style that emphasizes post-flop play, position, and hand reading. She adapts well to varying stack sizes and blind levels, making her a consistent performer in deep-stacked tournaments. Her balanced approach avoids excessive aggression while capitalizing on opponents' mistakes. In addition to tournament play, she has extensive cash game experience.

Liebert has been a vocal advocate for women in poker, frequently encouraging female participation and serving as a role model. She was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2010 and was nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame in 2022. Her career total live tournament winnings exceed $7 million (with varying reports up to $7.35 million), ranking her among the top female earners all time. She also appeared on and won the 2005 Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes and has provided commentary for events such as the World Speed Poker Open.

As of 2025, Liebert continues to be active on the tournament circuit. In the 2025 WSOP, she cashed in events including the $10,000 Main Event (662nd for $27,500), the $5,000 Seniors High Roller (73rd for $9,937), and the $1,000 Ladies Championship (131st). She also cashed in the 2026 WSOP Circuit events. Liebert resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Downey, California.