Jennifer Harman is a global role model for many female poker players. Though she rarely appears in poker competitions these days, her achievements are enough to keep her relevant.
Jennifer Harman was the only woman in “The Corporation,” the team that played against billionaire Andy Beal and participated in the highest-stakes poker games ever. Before 2012, she was the only woman to hold two WSOP bracelets.
She was also a member of Team Full Tilt and consistently appeared in big high-stakes cash games on popular TV shows like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. Her consistency influenced other women, causing them to take the bold step of playing poker professionally.
However, Jennifer Harman’s journey to poker stardom was challenging. She had to endure personal, health, and career battles. Several books have detailed her journey, but for fans of Jennifer Harman, this casino news focuses on her triumphs.
Jennifer Harman Becomes a Legend
Poker was not a strange game to Jen Harman. Her parents were hobbyist poker players. She learned the game when she was 8 in Reno, Nevada, where she was born on November 19, 1964. By age 12, she was already demonstrating a remarkable skill in the game. She was competitive, strategic, and brilliant, even in her academics.
During her prime teenage years (16), Jennifer Harman poker passion led her to obtain a fake ID card, which she would use to sneak into one of the local casinos to play poker. However, she began to face some serious life battles.
One of the challenges she faced was the sickness of her mother, who had kidney problems. Their dad was always away for work. Therefore, she and her sister had to care for their mother while taking her for dialysis. Eventually, she died when Jennifer was 17.
After this loss, she could only play poker for solace. Yet, during this period, she continued to perform brilliantly in academics.
Jennifer furthered her education at the University of Nevada, bagging a degree in biology. But then, after graduation, she returned to her poker career, this time as a professional player.
Several Jennifer Harman books reported that this decision caused a long-term disagreement between her and her father. Ultimately, she moved to Las Vegas to pursue her passion, hoping to become one of the poker boom stars.
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Breaking through the Male-Centric Cash and Live Poker Games
Jennifer Harman began playing professionally in 1993 at the Bellagio. She performed so well at high-stakes poker that she built her bankroll to about $700,000 while competing in $150/$300, $200/$400, and $300/$600 Limit Hold ’em casino games.
In 1994, she got into tournament poker, playing in the Queens Poker Classic in Las Vegas. Among 316 players, almost all males, she finished 8th in a $500 Limit Hold ’em event to cash $3,052. She played her first WSOP tournament in 1996, competing in the $ 2,500 Hold ’em Pot Limit. Jennifer came 6th among 180 players, winning $15,750.
Poker Jennifer Harman graduated to $400/$800 limits cash games in 1997, playing several poker variants, including Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and Razz Poker. She soon moved to $800/$1,600 and $1,000/$2,000. Having mastered advanced poker techniques, Jennifer became formidable at the table and gained recognition among her peers.
WSOP Bracelets
In May 2000, Jennifer Harman Biography took a new turn. In her third WSOP appearance, she competed in the high-stakes $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw, a 30-player event. She finished first among other poker legends to win her first WSOP bracelet and $146,250.
Then, in May 2002, exactly two years after her first bracelet, she competed in the WSOP $5,000 Limit Hold ’em, a 113-entry event. Again, she finished 1st to win her second WSOP bracelet and $212,440, becoming the only woman to achieve two bracelets until Vanessa Selbst broke her record in 2012.
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To date, there are no official records of her playing in online casino sites, however, many professional players now participate in online events taking advantage of the anonymity this brings.
Jennifer Harman: Brief Health Stint from Poker and Return
Jennifer Harman was diagnosed with kidney disease during her 20s. This mandated her to undergo her first kidney transplants in her late 20s back in the early 1990s. She had to take a break from poker and then return later.
However, in 2004, she needed to have another kidney transplant. Again, she stopped appearing in professional tournaments to take care of herself. Nevertheless, she still had it in her to return to playing poker.
In December 2004, Jennifer Harman competed in the WPT Championship. She finished 4th in the 376-entry $15,000 event for $299,492. In March of the following year, she played in a $10,000 WSOP Circuit Championship Event, coming 2nd to win $383,840.
In 2008, she appeared in the WPT $10,000 No Limit Hold ’em Championship Event. Finishing 3rd, she won $330,000. Jennifer was present at the 2010 WSOP. She finished 3rd in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 Championships for $173,159.
Jennifer Harman net worth is estimated to be $15 million. As of her last appearance in June 2024, her total earnings in tournament poker were $2,924,146.
Playing in “The Corporation”
Andy Beal vs Jennifer Harman. Andy Beal was a billionaire who came to the Bellagio in 2001, where he came across The Corporation: Jennifer Harman, Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein, Chip Reese, Gus Hansen, Ted Forrest, Todd Brunson, Minh Ly, David Grey, Lyle Berman, Phil Ivey, and others.
The Corporation pooled millions of dollars to play against this businessman who made his wealth from banking and real estate. The confident ones, including Jennifer Harman, played Andy Beal. After several losses to Beal, the Corporation eventually won over $16 million from the billionaire in 2006.
Harman’s Contributions to the Poker and Hall of Fame Induction
In 2004, when she stepped away from poker for her kidney transplant, Jennifer Harman began a charity adventure. She founded a non-profit organization, Creating Organ Donation Awareness (CODA). She raised funds for those with kidney problems requiring transplants.
Jennifer Harman launched a Charity Poker Tournament at the Venetian in 2007 to raise $111,000 for the National Kidney Foundation in 2009. She has also raised hundreds of thousands in charity for animal care. The (NSPCA) is one of the organizations for animal cruelty prevention that benefitted from her philanthropy.
Jennifer Harman eventually secured her seat in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2015.Be part of the community—find us on social media now!