At the end of July, we invited you to nominate an inspiring woman in poker. The most compelling entry would win a PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival 2025 package — complete with travel, hotel, and a Main Event buy-in.
After trawling through an incredible amount of worthy nominations, we’re thrilled to announce that Gina Tuttle is the winner, and she’ll be flying to London next week to compete in the Main Event.
A heartfelt video from Gina’s family moved the combined PokerOrg and PokerStars judging panel. You can watch it in the video at the top of this article.
Family and community behind her
In 2020, Gina was diagnosed with cancer and had to medically retire from her work in the fire department, where she had “dedicated herself to the community and citizens in and out of the Baltimore County region.”
The next chapter of Gina’s story is at the poker table. She began playing tournaments in October 2024, and scored a win in her very first cash in a ladies bounty event. In a total of 20 cashes, she’s claimed three titles and reached 12 final tables. Her best result was in June this year when she won a $450 no-limit event for $34,000.
And it won’t just be Gina sitting down to play the Women’s Summer Festival Main Event. As Jake and Drew Tuttle say to round out their video, “You’re not just selecting Gina to represent at the Women’s Summer Festival, you’re selecting a family and a community that stands behind her and supports her in this journey.”
Gina also received other nominations, including one from Shane Stoe, who said, “I’ve watched her crush big-field tournaments for the past year at MD Live and AC. She stacks table captains in silence. Gina is a class act, but don’t let her smile fool you. She can find lines that will make pros nervous.”
Richard Wong said, “I would like to nominate rising poker star Gina Tuttle for the 2025 PokerStars Women's Summer Festival package. For a poker player to start playing tournaments in October 2024 and climb the ranks so quickly is truly amazing. She is a rising star in the poker community who studies the game, learns from other players, and is hungry for more.”
Congratulations, Gina! We’ll be at the Women’s Summer Festival to follow your journey and share your story from the felt. And congratulations to all the other incredible women who were nominated.
