Maria Ho
Encyclopedia
Maria Ho is a professional poker player, born in Taipei, Taiwan. She is currently ranked 12th in the world among female poker pros in overall earnings.
Maria finished 38th in the 2007 World Series of Poker
and was the last woman remaining in the event, earning $237,865. In 2009, she was seen on the CBS Emmy Award winning television show The Amazing Race 15
with fellow poker pro and 2008 Last Woman Standing, Tiffany Michelle
. 2011 was a record breaking year for Maria; she went heads-up for a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Event #4 and took 2nd place for $540,020 - the largest cash a woman has ever had at the WSOP to date. A few months later, at the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe she took 27th place and became the first and only player to have been the Last Woman Standing in both the WSOP and WSOPE Main Events.
Fluent in Mandarin and born into a traditional Chinese family, Maria's family moved from Taiwan to the United States
when she was four-years-old eventually settling just outside of Los Angeles in Arcadia, California
. It was in college that Maria was introduced to playing poker. She was drawn to the psychology and competitive spirit of the game and soon went from playing games with college friends, to playing Limit cash games at nearby Indian casinos. When Maria graduated from UCSD in 2005 with a major in Communications and a minor in Law she had gone from playing low limits to high stakes cash games and had grown her poker bankroll to the point that she felt confident to embark on a career as a professional poker player.
In addition to her 38th place finish at the 2007 World Series of Poker
Main Event, Maria has found other success at the World Series of Poker: with two cashes in 2007, two cashes in 2009 and three cashes in 2010. Maria’s most recent feats include a final table and 10th place finish at the World Poker Tour
’s Bellagio Cup, a final table and 6th place finish at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event: South Africa, and a 2nd place finish in the Aussie Millions $10,000 buy-in 8-Game tournament.
A skilled and respected player, Maria has received invitations to play in various types of games all over the world. In 2008, she traveled to Hong Kong to play in the World Mahjong Tour, going head to head with various Chinese and Taiwanese celebrities and professional Mahjong players. In 2010, she played as a member of Team China in the Inaugural World Team Poker Invitational and helped her team secure a 1st place victory.
Beyond the poker tables, Maria has shared her knowledge of the game as an on-camera host for WSOP.com, a commentator for the live WSOP final-table broadcasts on ESPN 360, and as writer for several poker publications - including her recent chapter contribution in the book Winning Women of Poker: Secret Strategies Revealed. She has also been seen on the third season of American Idol
where she made it to "Hollywood Week" and as a panelist on Anderson Cooper 360.
Maria finished 38th in the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
and was the last woman remaining in the event, earning $237,865. In 2009, she was seen on the CBS Emmy Award winning television show The Amazing Race 15
The Amazing Race 15
The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
with fellow poker pro and 2008 Last Woman Standing, Tiffany Michelle
Tiffany Michelle
Tiffany Michelle is an American poker player and actress, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA.Michelle gained fame when she was the last woman remaining out of 6,844 players in the 2008 World Series of Poker Championship Event, making $334,534 for her 17th place finish...
. 2011 was a record breaking year for Maria; she went heads-up for a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Event #4 and took 2nd place for $540,020 - the largest cash a woman has ever had at the WSOP to date. A few months later, at the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe she took 27th place and became the first and only player to have been the Last Woman Standing in both the WSOP and WSOPE Main Events.
Fluent in Mandarin and born into a traditional Chinese family, Maria's family moved from Taiwan to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when she was four-years-old eventually settling just outside of Los Angeles in Arcadia, California
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
. It was in college that Maria was introduced to playing poker. She was drawn to the psychology and competitive spirit of the game and soon went from playing games with college friends, to playing Limit cash games at nearby Indian casinos. When Maria graduated from UCSD in 2005 with a major in Communications and a minor in Law she had gone from playing low limits to high stakes cash games and had grown her poker bankroll to the point that she felt confident to embark on a career as a professional poker player.
In addition to her 38th place finish at the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
Main Event, Maria has found other success at the World Series of Poker: with two cashes in 2007, two cashes in 2009 and three cashes in 2010. Maria’s most recent feats include a final table and 10th place finish at the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
’s Bellagio Cup, a final table and 6th place finish at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event: South Africa, and a 2nd place finish in the Aussie Millions $10,000 buy-in 8-Game tournament.
A skilled and respected player, Maria has received invitations to play in various types of games all over the world. In 2008, she traveled to Hong Kong to play in the World Mahjong Tour, going head to head with various Chinese and Taiwanese celebrities and professional Mahjong players. In 2010, she played as a member of Team China in the Inaugural World Team Poker Invitational and helped her team secure a 1st place victory.
Beyond the poker tables, Maria has shared her knowledge of the game as an on-camera host for WSOP.com, a commentator for the live WSOP final-table broadcasts on ESPN 360, and as writer for several poker publications - including her recent chapter contribution in the book Winning Women of Poker: Secret Strategies Revealed. She has also been seen on the third season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
where she made it to "Hollywood Week" and as a panelist on Anderson Cooper 360.