Who is the Jennifer Harman of this era
In the Professor, Banker, Suicide King Harman took on Andy Beal heads-up, coming from the cadre of elite nosebleed Vegas players. I'm curious who would fit this bill today? Robbi Jade Lew seems to be a fixture of the big LA games. Vanessa Selbt used to play nosebleed but may not anymore and is Kristen Foxen more of a cash game or tournament player?
It seems like the nosebleed games (200/400+) have shifted to private and since Bellagio/Aria don't really get over 100/200 very often, the private games are obviously a source of mystery.
Jennifer Tilly, Sashimi and Brittany Wang?
It somehow reads like you're trying to tell the world Tilly is a crusher of some sorts but she gets invited to these games because she donates. Literally no other reason. Tilly is beyond awful. Yes, even in games that play worse than 1/3 games.
Actually I am saying the opposite. I doubt she could beat a Strip $5/$10 game.
However....
Nowadays the most important poker skill is he ability to get invited to juicy private games. She excels at that. And it isn't because she donates. It is laughable to say she awful and couldn't beat a $1/$3 game.
I think this is an impossible question to answer because poker has changed. It has become much more specialized. Back in Jen's day, a good cash game player was likely also a decent tournament player.
Unfortunately tournaments or online are where names are made nowadays. Great high stakes cash game players are much more anonymous because they don't cross over into tournament play as easily.
Funny this topic just came up on Twitter.
anyone in high stakes man or woman is an outlier. It's funny she's complaining when if there are 2 equally skilled players, one man and one woman the woman has a ton of advantages.
maybe those women should stop yapping about the latest fashion and start discussing some triple range merge
Actually I am saying the opposite. I doubt she could beat a Strip $5/$10 game.
However....
Nowadays the most important poker skill is he ability to get invited to juicy private games. She excels at that. And it isn't because she donates. It is laughable to say she awful and couldn't beat a $1/$3 game.
Wrong. Without question wrong.
But lets agree to disagree. Cba arguing about Jennifer ****ing Tilly.
I like her.
Genuinely unsure what point you think you made by saying ''not walking into Bobby's room tells you everything you need to know''. When did Bobby's room become the decider in who is or isn't good?
Also how does this prove that she'd be a whale in that game?
As for lucrative. She seems to be doing plenty fine.
I honestly thought the invite-only games killed Bobby’s Room.
Wrong. Without question wrong.
But lets agree to disagree. Cba arguing about Jennifer ****ing Tilly.
She’s the only female to remain in nosebleed games and has a bracelet. You can’t stay in those games as a huge donator, even if she gets 5mm+ annually from the Simpson. Half that is taken in taxes. I think she does better than you’d like to give credit.
anyone in high stakes man or woman is an outlier. It's funny she's complaining when if there are 2 equally skilled players, one man and one woman the woman has a ton of advantages.
Yea this. If a woman has the same skill level as a random man, her access to cheap or free coaching from crushers would be so much better. Its a joke to complain that woman have it worse than men in terms of getting to a high stakes level of play.
Some mid stakes tourney donk I follow on insta recently had some tourney donk scores and decided to play in Bobbys Room last summer. This guy is by no means a mix games crusher, but likes to play mix games on the side. He was allowed to play, sun ran a few big pots for a decent session. Next night he was banned from entering lol.
Says it all about what Bobby's Room has become. Back in the day the likes of Ivey would have been waiting for this guy to return and happily play him for however long he wanted to play.
Genuinely unsure what point you think you made by saying ''not walking into Bobby's room tells you everything you need to know''. When did Bobby's room become the decider in who is or isn't good?
Also how does this prove that she'd be a whale in that game?
As for lucrative. She seems to be doing plenty fine.
I honestly thought the invite-only games killed Bobby’s Room.
Almost all high stakes games are invite only and have been forever. You need a game organizer to get the lineups to show up so the game can run or you walk into an empty high stakes room every time you want to play.
Some mid stakes tourney donk I follow on insta recently had some tourney donk scores and decided to play in Bobbys Room last summer. This guy is by no means a mix games crusher, but likes to play mix games on the side. He was allowed to play, sun ran a few big pots for a decent session. Next night he was banned from entering lol.
Says it all about what Bobby's Room has become. Back in the day the likes of Ivey would have been waiting fo
Yea, they don’t ban you for winning in Bobby’s room. Your friend neglected to mention what he really did.
Back to the original question on a modern day Jen Harman. It appears there is none. Harman was (and may still be, for all I know) a top tier mixed game player. She was a long time participant in Doyle's game. Her WSOP bracelets are in limit hold 'em and no limit deuce to seven lowball. And she contributed a chapter to the second edition of Doyle's Super System on Limit Hold 'Em.
What women who are active players today have won a bracelet in an open WSOP mixed game or non-NLHE or PLO event since Jen did in 2002? The last female winner I could find is Carol Fuchs, who in 2015 won a $1500 Dealer's Choice event - I"m not sure how much if at all she still plays today.
She’s the only female to remain in nosebleed games and has a bracelet. You can’t stay in those games as a huge donator, even if she gets 5mm+ annually from the Simpson. Half that is taken in taxes. I think she does better than you’d like to give credit.
1)lmao at mentioning the bracelet. I've always said they're a good marketing gimmick and you prove it. Plenty of people with bracelets are down lifetime in poker overall or in tournaments. They don't mean anything other than you ran hot in that event.
2)I'll take the over on 5m quarterly forget annually.
You actually can stay in those games as a huge donator especially when you have big money coming in nonstop. It's a lot harder to stay in them as a winner.
3)She’s the only female to remain in nosebleed games
Yea but that's bc there aren't that many females with **** tons of money, an interest in poker, a desire to play huge who will keep playing when they get torched.
This doesn't make Tilly a crusher it makes her super rich.
Some mid stakes tourney donk I follow on insta recently had some tourney donk scores and decided to play in Bobbys Room last summer. This guy is by no means a mix games crusher, but likes to play mix games on the side. He was allowed to play, sun ran a few big pots for a decent session. Next night he was banned from entering lol.
Says it all about what Bobby's Room has become. Back in the day the likes of Ivey would have been waiting for this guy to return and happily play him for however long he
he was probably a favorite in the game and not much fun to play with.
I'm sure he can get action from Ivey.
1)lmao at mentioning the bracelet. I've always said they're a good marketing gimmick and you prove it. Plenty of people with bracelets are down lifetime in poker overall or in tournaments. They don't mean anything other than you ran hot in that event.
2)I'll take the over on 5m quarterly forget annually.
You actually can stay in those games as a huge donator especially when you have big money coming in nonstop. It's a lot harder to stay in them as a winner.
3)She’s the only female to remain in no
I also laughed at the idea that winning a bracelet in a 600 entrants ladies-event has any significant meaning.
As for the highlighted, exactly.
I also laughed at the idea that winning a bracelet in a 600 entrants ladies-event has any significant meaning.
As for the highlighted, exactly.
lmao i didn't even realize it was a ladies event.
I remember a few years ago playing plo every day for about a week with the guy who won the 1k or 1500 plo early in the series.
Super nice guy, loved showing it off. He was also absolutely horrendous. I can't even imagine the disgusting beats he was handing out to win the event,
bracelet lol.
Almost all high stakes games are invite only and have been forever. You need a game organizer to get the lineups to show up so the game can run or you walk into an empty high stakes room every time you want to play.
Yea, they don't ban you for winning in Bobby's room. Your friend neglected to mention what he really did.
Hes not my friend and hes kind of a douche so I wouldnt be surpised if he didnt tell the entire story. Makes sense lol, I seem to be misinformed about Bobbys room then.
Hes not my friend and hes kind of a douche so I wouldnt be surpised if he didnt tell the entire story. Makes sense lol, I seem to be misinformed about Bobbys room then.
Nah you're right those games are mostly private. If people don't want to play with you then you're not playing.
You already said the guy is a dueche. If he's doing poker dick stuff like tanking, enforcing ticky tack rules, making whales show when they say you're good, crying when he gets a bad beat etc he's not coming back.
1)lmao at mentioning the bracelet. I've always said they're a good marketing gimmick and you prove it. Plenty of people with bracelets are down lifetime in poker overall or in tournaments. They don't mean anything other than you ran hot in that event.
2)I'll take the over on 5m quarterly forget annually.
You actually can stay in those games as a huge donator especially when you have big money coming in nonstop. It's a lot harder to stay in them as a winner.
3)She’s the only female to remain in no
I would have t@ken the over also but AI, for the good that it is, says that the $5mil is more an upper limit than min. Also put her NW at abt $40mil. That is well into the wealthy but not IMO super rich. Rich for sure but not super rich
1)lmao at mentioning the bracelet. I've always said they're a good marketing gimmick and you prove it. Plenty of people with bracelets are down lifetime in poker overall or in tournaments. They don't mean anything other than you ran hot in that event.
2)I'll take the over on 5m quarterly forget annually.
You actually can stay in those games as a huge donator especially when you have big money coming in nonstop. It's a lot harder to stay in them as a winner.
3)She’s the only female to remain
According to Grok she has the combination of skills, resources and mental fortitude. I realize that you didn't like the way she played several hands and are therefore confident in guessing her results in private games. I think it's no coincidence that Tilly and Tilt are similar words. She may be extremely skilled in inducing tilt on others who think she's a fish that she later crushes.
To stay in high-stakes poker action for a long time, you need a combination of skills, resources, and mental fortitude. Here’s what’s typically required:
Bankroll Management: High-stakes poker involves big swings. You need a substantial bankroll—often 50-100 buy-ins for cash games or tournaments at your chosen stakes—to weather variance. For example, if you’re playing $25/$50 blinds (where a buy-in might be $5,000), you’d want $250,000 to $500,000 to avoid going broke during a downswing.
Skill Edge: You must be better than your opponents. This means mastering technical aspects like pot odds, expected value, range analysis, and game theory optimal (GTO) play, while also exploiting opponents’ tendencies. High-stakes games attract pros, so your edge needs to be razor-sharp.
Emotional Control: Tilt—losing focus due to frustration or bad beats—can destroy you in high-stakes games where mistakes are costly. Long-term success requires discipline to stick to your strategy, even after losing a $50,000 pot.
Stamina: High-stakes sessions, whether live or online, can last hours or days. Physical and mental endurance—through sleep, nutrition, and focus—are key to avoiding sloppy play late in a session.
Adaptability: The player pool evolves. Opponents study your tendencies, so you need to adjust strategies, mix up your play, and stay ahead of the meta-game.
Reputation and Networking: In private high-stakes games, getting invited often depends on trust, reliability, and connections. Being a consistent, respectful player can keep you in the action.
Risk Tolerance: You’re putting serious money on the line. Comfort with that level of risk—without letting it cloud your decisions—is non-negotiable.
Pros like Daniel Negreanu or Phil Ivey thrive because they combine these elements. Amateurs with money but no skill burn out fast. It’s a marathon, not a sprint—grind it out with patience and precision.
