Annie Duke

Annie Duke is a former professional poker champion and cognitive psychologist who now shares her expertise in decision science with corporate and academic audiences, empowering individuals and organizations to make smarter decisions in complex environments. After securing a remarkable $70,000 within her first month of playing at the 1994 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, Annie Duke went on to establish herself as one of the most decorated professional poker players in history. Her early success propelled her into a full-time career in professional poker, culminating in a WSOP gold bracelet win in 2004 for the Omaha Hi-Lo Split tournament. In the same year, Duke triumphed in the high-stakes $2 million winner-take-all WSOP Tournament of Champions, solidifying her reputation as a dominant force in the sport.

Duke further cemented her legacy in 2010, becoming the first and only female winner of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. By the time of her retirement from professional poker around 2012, she had accumulated $4,270,548 in total lifetime live tournament winnings, ranking her among the top women in WSOP history. Beyond her competitive play, Duke also contributed to the industry by serving on the World Series of Poker Player Advisory Council and teaching at the WSOP Poker Academy. She co-founded and served as commissioner of the Epic Poker League from 2011 to 2012, and developed the Global Poker Index (GPI) in 2011.

Currently, she serves as an adjunct professor at both the Harvard Kennedy School and the UPenn Wharton School of Executive Education, where she continues to share her expertise in decision science with corporate and academic audiences, building upon a foundation that included being awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship for her doctoral studies.