ShareAlexandra Botez is a talented chess player with a Woman FIDE Master title who is making a name for herself in the world of poker. Earlier this year, she took part in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) in the Bahamas, where she competed in the main event and won one of the side events.
She emerged victorious in the $550 Hyper Turbo Freezeout, earning $10,815 in prize money and a PokerStars trophy. This marked her first-ever tournament victory in poker, in what was only her second recorded tournament cash according to The Hendon Mob.
Strategic Mind
Botez is a five-time Canadian National Girls Chess Champion. Her strategic mind and competitive spirit have translated well to the game of poker, where she has become a regular in high-stakes cash games and live streams. In 2022, she was part of one of the largest cash game streams of all time, playing in a high-stakes game with Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, and other notable players. She walked away with a profit of over $450,000, and the stream was watched by over 1.2 million people.Since then, Botez has continued to play more poker, including hosting a Creators Cash Game at the WPT World Championship and returning to the Hustler Casino Live stream.Her win at the PCA has garnered support from many in the poker community, including Team PokerStars Pro Benjamin 'Spraggy' Spragg, who noted that making it to the end of a live tournament is no easy feat, savagely pointing out that his friend and high stakes player Parker Talbot has yet to score a live win in over 13 years of playing.
While Botez's success in poker may come as a surprise to some, the crossover between chess and poker is well-established. Both games require strategic thinking, discipline, and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure. Botez's experience in chess has undoubtedly helped her in her transition to poker, and her growing success in the game is a testament to her natural talent and hard work.
Botez is not just a talented poker player, but also a popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber, with over a million followers on both platforms. She has made streaming chess engaging, exciting, and entertaining, and has now begun turning her attention to streaming poker.
"It took a while for chess people to understand that you really have adapted the format for the more casual viewers. And I think if you could do that with poker as well, then I don't see why it wouldn't be able to. I think poker is even more accessible than chess because there's RNG. With chess, you can get tired of grinding and it's all your fault when you lose!"
The Canadian also participated in the PokerStars Players NL Hold'em Championship (PSPC), where she played in the Ladies Event alongside PokerStars Ambassadors Jennifer Shahade and Georgina James right after arriving into the country and jumping straight into the event.
"I just flew in and jumped straight in. I busted my first bullet in a cooler — I flopped a set and lost to a slightly higher set. I love ladies events — they're my favourite. In poker, you're allowed to talk at the table so it's a lot more friendly, whereas with chess nobody talks, and it tends to get super serious.
"It's a lot more intimidating in ladies chess events. You could be friends afterward but [during the match] you're just staring at each other in silence angrily for like six hours."
Botez's success in poker has made her a role model for many young women looking to break into the traditionally male-dominated world of poker. She has shown that with hard work, dedication, and a strategic mind, anything is possible.
