 If you ask many of the
top male pro’s who
the top female pro is, you
will get a fairly resounding
answer that it is indeed
Jennifer Harman, and not
only is she the best female
player, but one of the best
all around. Harman was born
and raised around gaming
in Reno, Nevada. She took
to the game at a very young
age, due mostly to the fact
that her father had a passion
for the game of poker. This
did however become an issue,
as when Jennifer wanted
to take a shot playing poker
for a living, her father
did not approve. Jennifer
made the decision anyway,
and has become more than
successful in the poker
world.
In her teens, Harman was
already attempting to make
a splash in the poker world.
She was able to acquire
a fake ID, and used it to
play in the various local
card rooms and casinos.
As most that make the jump
into the poker world, her
first attempt was less than
successful. Harman was persistent,
and instead of becoming
discouraged, used these
experiences to perfect her
poker skills.
Harman did attend college
at UNR, and achieved a bachelor’s
degree in biology. Upon
graduation, Jen moved to
L.A. to determine what route
her life was going to take.
She took a job as a bar
tender, however it did not
take long for her to realize
that poker was her calling,
and she quit to become a
full time pro at 21 years
old. Harman started out
at the smaller games, and
has since proved her poker
mettle and moved up to play
the highest stakes in the
world.
Harman has had good success
at the World Series of Poker,
and in 2000 she was able
to earn her first bracelet.
The odd thing was that the
event she won, a deuce-to-seven
triple draw event, was a
game she had never played
before. The only experience
she had was a short lesson
from “The Professor” Howard
Lederer right before she
hit the table. In 2002,
Harman won the second WSOP
bracelet of her career,
and is still the only woman
to have won multiple bracelets
in open competition events.
Harman took a break from
poker in 2004 to address
her health issues, and underwent
a kidney transplant for
the second time. She has
had kidney issues from a
young age, but did make
a full successful recovery.
Harman returned to poker
in a big way, she has since
finished second in a WSOP
circuit event, fourth at
the WPT 5-diamond Classic,
and a fifth place finish
on the Professional Poker
Tour.
Jennifer is well known
to TV audiences, as she
has several appearances
on both Poker After Dark
and High Stakes Poker. Harman
is a successful cash game
player as well and can be
found in some of the biggest
games Vegas has to offer,
and is the only female regular
at “The Big Game” at
the Bellagio. Harman can
be found playing online
at Full Tilt Poker, and
is married to fellow poker
pro Marco Traniell
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