Poker Profiles: Kathy Liebert

There are not many successful females in Poker and Kathy Leibert is one of them. For that alone, the forty-something Poker babe must be really proud. After all, she has enough reasons to be!

Born Kathleen Leibert on October 1, 1967 in Nashville, Tennessee, Kathy is not just about another successful Poker pro. She holds the amazing distinction of being the first woman ever to cash in a tournament prize money worth a million dollars, no less. Turning to Poker was unplanned. Kathy lived the normal life of getting through school and developing a corporate career. However, her first take at business and finance did not make her happy. So she quit her job and invested on stocks. Kathy's earning from stock investments allowed her to travel the world. In one of her many pursuits, she stumbled upon Poker and never looked back ever since.

Kathy's first high stake Poker tournament was 2002's Party Poker Million, which she eventually won. After that impressive start, she moved on to enter World Poker Tour events. She was one of the most successful females in WPT history, making numerous final table appearances and eye-popping cash ins. Kathy is yet to win a WPT title but she is not on a hurry. Her third place finish at the 2005 Borgata Poker Open is enough to keep her calm. Knowing that she can go as far kept her spirit alive that one day she will win a title for herself.

While Kathy is not lucky enough at entering WPT, she had a chance to enjoy what it feels like to be the ultimate winner by joining fellow greats at World Series of Poker. Her single golden bracelet was from a Texas Hold'em Shootout event during the 2004 ceremonies. Kathy was only one of three women Poker professionals who are able to win an open event in that year.

Aside from the WPT and the WSOP, Kathy also appeared in numerous other tourneys. Among them is the Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes, from which she won first prize. She also graced the World Speed Poker Open held in London. But Poker is not the only thing that matters in Kathy's world. In fact, she continues to make investments at the stock market even when her Poker winnings are enough to keep her life comfortable.

Kathy goes back-and-forth to her two homes -- one in Las Vegas, Nevada and the other in Downey, California.