Raising Women in Poker: Breaking Barriers and Inspiring the Next Generation
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Poker has long been a game where skill, nerve, and strategy rule the day, but the reality is that not everyone arrives at the table on equal footing.
For Janna Leach, that imbalance isn’t just about chips and cards, it’s about the culture surrounding the game. Through her RAISE Women initiative, she’s working to carve out space for women and other underrepresented players, not only to feel welcome, but to thrive, from grassroots home games to the biggest poker festivals.
"It's about promoting the fact that there are all sorts of people in the poker industry and that the environment isn't always welcoming for everybody," Janna explains. "We want to create a space where people feel confident to step into the poker world, challenge poor behaviour when we see it, and celebrate each other's achievements."
From Accidental Player to Advocate
Janna's own poker journey began by chance. Her brother introduced her to the game while she was studying at university. Although initially hesitant, the attraction of poker as a mind sport was too great, with the mental and psychological challenges appealing to her ambitious personality.
She quickly became a fan, and her poker journey has continued ever since.
"I've been working hard to bring my game back up and exploring live poker over the last couple of years"
"I was rubbish for the first two years," she admits with a laugh. "But I made friends with pros, got some coaching, got staked online for two years, and had a lot of success. After taking time off to raise my daughter, I came back in 2023 to a very different game with solvers and modern study tools. I've been working hard to bring my game back up and exploring live poker over the last couple of years."
It was during this time that she began connecting with other women in the game, realising the importance of building a support network that went beyond social interaction.
The Challenge of Re-entering the Game
One of the biggest hurdles for women returning to poker, Janna says, is the time-intensive nature of study in the modern game.
"Speaking as a single mother, I juggle a lot. I can't put in the hours I used to, and I know many women feel the same because of work and family commitments," she says.
For Janna, groups like RAISE Women can help bridge that gap. By encouraging members to study together, share strategy discussions, and support each other's growth, these communities can help level the playing field.
"There isn't enough strategy discussion in most women's groups," she says. "That's something I want to change. We're lucky to have support from people like Dara O'Kearney and Niclas Thumm, who can help bring that study mindset into the group."
Celebrating Success Stories
One of Raise Women's recent success stories is Amber Sullivan, the newly crowned 2025 Goliath Ladies Champion. Amber's route into poker was as unconventional as Janna's, and just as full of passion.
"I ran a pub for eight years and didn't allow gambling, apart from small bets on the Grand National or Cheltenham," Amber recalls. "Then a group of lads started playing poker in the pub. They taught me the game, and one week I won £15 and that was it."
After cutting her teeth in pub games and the Redtooth Poker League, Amber started travelling for tournaments, collecting a string of results in Malta, Ireland, and London. Winning the Women's Championship at the London Poker Festival last September gave her her first non-Redtooth trophy, and the hunger for more.
"You travel on your own, but when you arrive, you've already got friends waiting for you"
At the Goliath, she prepared with a Ready Set Prep session from Katie Swift on the morning of the Ladies Event, a boost she credits with giving her the confidence to take it down.
"I think these groups are brilliant," Amber says. "I've spoken to loads of people who say they wouldn't have had the confidence to play if it wasn't for them. For me, living in Cumbria miles from any casino, it's been a lifeline. You travel on your own, but when you arrive, you've already got friends waiting for you."
What’s Next
While Amber is eyeing a return to Malta in October, Janna will be competing in the PokerStars Women's Summer Festival in London that starts this week, after she recently won a package online on PokerStars.
Organisers, including PokerStars Ambassador and Director of Poker at the Hippodrome Kerryjane Craigie, are hoping that satellite winners and a new generation of female poker players will help the event attract one of the biggest women's fields outside of Las Vegas.
For both women, the mission is clear: keep building the network, keep creating opportunities, and keep showing that women can not only hold their own in poker, they can thrive.
"We want to grow this organically, get people travelling together, studying together, and becoming a bit more of a crew," says Janna. "It's about raising our game, supporting each other, and showing the poker world exactly what we can achieve."
Pictures courtesy of Mickey K May
