Xuan Liu

Xuan Liu biography

Xuan Liu was born on June 25, 1985, in Tianjin, China, and relocated to Toronto, Canada at age five, growing up Chinese-Canadian in a household that emphasized strategic games such as chess and go, which sharpened her analytical instincts from an early age. She studied political science at the University of Waterloo from 2003 to 2008, where she also played online poker and hosted games alongside notable players including Glen Chorny and Michael McDonald.

Liu has since built one of the most accomplished careers among female poker professionals, cashing in more than 90 tournaments and capturing six titles since 2010. Her breakthrough came in 2011 with a third-place finish at the European Poker Tour San Remo for more than $500,000, and she has gone on to become the only woman to reach the final table of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event.

In May 2025, Liu made history as the first woman to win a Triton Super High Roller Series title, and she notched a career-high prize of $860,000 in the $25,000 buy-in WPT Global Slam in Montenegro. Her career earnings exceed $3 million, placing her among poker's top 20 all-time female money winners.

Liu represented Natural8's "Team Hot" from 2016 to 2018 and 888poker from 2014 to 2015, and served as WPT Global Ambassador from May 2024 to May 2025, an assignment through which she worked to expand poker's popularity in emerging markets, particularly her country of birth, China.

Xuan Liu playing style

Liu is known for a disciplined, analytically-grounded approach shaped by a childhood spent playing chess and go, favoring patient, strategic decision-making in both cash games and high roller tournaments.