The hot Australian Sarah Bilney is one tough poker babe. Her father was a political diplomat, a former MP for the Australian Labor Party. Growing up, her family moved and traveled a lot so cards were a common form of entertainment. They played all sorts of card games, everything from gin rummy, hearts, and even a game called ‘Oh Hell’ because of its tendency to frustrate players. During her early adult years, she and some of her girlfriends played once a week in an impromptu group that eventually came to be known as the Canberra Ladies Card Club. She first started playing poker in 2000 after her husband introduced her to the game. Until that time she had never heard of Texas Hold’Em. Her husband was a recreational player from Louisiana and one of their first conversations was about poker. At the time Sarah worked for the Australian Government and had little time for the game. Then in 2003, she moved to London, England to pursue a Masters degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics. The free time allowed her more opportunity to follow her interest in the game. Sarah was a member of the London School of Economics Poker Society where she was the only female player. She also began to regularly visit the Victoria Casino where she played mostly Pot Limit Hold’Em games. She played for a few years there where she honed her skills.
Sarah Bilney Aussie Millions
One of her first tournaments was the Aussie Millions. She went with her husband but did not play in the tournament itself. Instead she stuck to the cash games where she managed to increase her bankroll. Afterwards she entered some small, no-limit tourneys where she went through both highs and lows. Then the next year she entered the Aussie Millions and experienced her first bad beat.
Sarah Bilney WSOP
In 2004 she entered her first World Series of Poker. She did not fare so well that year and it wasn’t until the next year that her luck changed. At the 2005 WSOP Main Event, after four days of intense play against a field of over 5,000, she was finally knocked out but took 63rd place. She was the second-highest female finisher and the win earned her $150,000. She has since played in many tournaments and has had 15 cash wins. At the 2005 WSOP, the media gave her the nickname ‘Aussie Sarah’ and it has since stuck.
She has been ranked as the 20th highest female WSOP money finisher. In her home country of Australia, she is the top female money winner. She has played in tournaments all over the world including Barcelona, Paris, London, Dublin, New Zealand, and Melbourne. She gives some credit to her success to studying game theory while earning her degree.
Sarah Bilney Future
Sarah currently lives in Australia with her family. Her total tournament winnings are over $250,000. Her favorite game is Pot Limit Hold’Em and like most pros, her goal is to win a WSOP bracelet. She currently has a website, www.aussiesarah.com where she keeps a blog.
