Maria Ho is a renowned professional poker player and television broadcaster/commentator who has amassed nearly $5,000,000 in live poker tournament earnings. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of four.
As one of the most recognized and successful female poker professionals worldwide, Maria has consistently ranked among the top female players. In 2011, she became the second-ranked female player globally, and as of 2023, she is ranked third on the World Series of Poker All-Time Female Money Earners list.
Outside of poker, Maria has made appearances on various television shows, including The Amazing Race, American Idol, and Deal or No Deal. She has also competed on CNBC's Stock Draft and has been a featured celebrity guest on several programs.
Maria attended the University of California, San Diego, where she graduated in 2005 with a major in Communications and a minor in Law. During her college years, she honed her skills as a member of the university's a cappella group and performed in several musicals.
Maria's passion for poker began in college, where she learned the game from her classmates. She eventually became a regular at local Indian casinos, where she developed her skills and moved up stakes as a Limit Hold'Em player.
In 2007, Maria gained international recognition when she became the Last Woman Standing in the World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 38th out of 6,358 players and earning a payday of $237,865. She has repeated this feat twice more, making her the only player to hold the title of WSOP Main Event 'Last Woman Standing' a record three times.
In 2011, Maria broke another WSOP record, achieving the largest cash by a woman ($540,020) for her second-place finish in Event #4. She has since become one of the most successful female players in the history of the World Series of Poker.
Maria has also made a name for herself as a television commentator, becoming the first woman in history to be hired to a poker television series as the primary strategic commentator for the Heartland Poker Tour in 2013. To this day, she remains one of the few women to hold this role, having commentated on numerous productions including ESPN's World Series of Poker, Fox Sports' World Poker Tour, and PokerGO's programming.
In 2019 and 2020, Maria received Global Poker Award nominations for 'Broadcaster of the Year', which she won in 2019. She was also inducted into the Women In Poker Hall of Fame in 2018, the first year she became eligible for nomination.
Maria is passionate about philanthropy and donates her time and resources to charitable endeavors worldwide. She is a volunteer with L.A. Works in her hometown of Los Angeles and has participated in several charity events, including the Tiger Woods Foundation 'Tiger Jam' and the NASCAR Foundation's annual poker fundraiser.
