Katja Thater
Encyclopedia
Katja Thater (ˈkatja ˈtaːtɐ; born 14 July 1966 in Hamburg, Germany
) is a professional poker
player and horse breeder
. She is married to another poker professional, Jan von Halle.
Her popularity in Germany comes from the wide coverage on local television of her participation in the Poker Nations Cup
and Women's Poker Open.
Before becoming a professional poker player, Thater was the director of an event and marketing company in Hamburg and competed in dressage
tournaments at horse shows. She continues competing in her spare time.
Thater represented Germany as a member of the national team in the 2006 Poker Nations Cup in Cardiff
, participated in the Women's Poker Open in London
. She is also a member of PokerStars
Team Pro.
She won her first World Series of Poker
bracelet in 2007
in the $1,500 Razz
event. Other major tournament finishes include fourth place in the 2002 Austrian Classics and fifth place in the $1,000 World Championship Ladies no limit Texas hold 'em
event in 2007. In 2010, she won a $1,000 buy-in 8-Game Mix Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas for over $10,000.
As of 2010, Thater's total live tournament winnings exceed $350,000.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) is a professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player and horse breeder
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
. She is married to another poker professional, Jan von Halle.
Her popularity in Germany comes from the wide coverage on local television of her participation in the Poker Nations Cup
Poker Nations Cup
The Poker Nations Cup is an international poker tournament, televised on Channel 4 from March 2006 onwards.The series is commentated by Jesse May and Barny Boatman. Padraig Parkinson covered for Boatman in preliminary match 2....
and Women's Poker Open.
Before becoming a professional poker player, Thater was the director of an event and marketing company in Hamburg and competed in dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
tournaments at horse shows. She continues competing in her spare time.
Thater represented Germany as a member of the national team in the 2006 Poker Nations Cup in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, participated in the Women's Poker Open in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She is also a member of PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
Team Pro.
She won her first World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
bracelet in 2007
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
in the $1,500 Razz
Razz (poker)
Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low...
event. Other major tournament finishes include fourth place in the 2002 Austrian Classics and fifth place in the $1,000 World Championship Ladies no limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
event in 2007. In 2010, she won a $1,000 buy-in 8-Game Mix Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas for over $10,000.
As of 2010, Thater's total live tournament winnings exceed $350,000.