Ebony Kenney made history back in 2022 at the Coin Rivet Invitational when she became the first woman to cash for seven figures in a Triton event, pocketing a cool $1.7 million. But her 2025 Triton series might have been even more impressive, maybe not financially, but for the dominance she showed among the poker world’s elite.
Here are three powerful lessons she shared during the series, which you can follow on the ACR Poker YouTube channel.
Your Stack Is Worth More Than You Think
Having had some of her biggest successes in turbo tournaments, Kenney pointed out an idea that most inexperienced players miss: when you’re sitting with 10 big blinds and the average stack is 20 big blinds, you’re far less desperate than you think. That’s because in a normal structure, the average stack would be far greater, let’s say 40 big blinds. This means that your 10bb stack is effectively worth twice as much in the turbo as it would be in a regular tournament.
This reality ought to completely change how you approach these games. Most players count out their 10-big-blind stack and feel like they need to shove any two playable cards. But once you recognize that your stack has more value within the context of that specific tournament, you become much more patient and can allow the game to come to you while the rest of the field panics.
The Poker Gods Don’t Care
Kenney put it bluntly: “Poker doesn’t care about you. You’re not owed big hands. And you’re certainly not owed for them to hold up when you get them.”
She showcased this reality by surviving her way to a $26K payday in one of the Triton turbo events with just 3 big blinds left. Many players would have watched their stack dwindle and found some marginal spot to gamble earlier. Instead, Kenney recognized that all she could do was play the game the poker gods were giving her—which, on this day, meant doing a lot of folding and letting other people bust.
After the tournament, Kenney highlighted the resilient mindset she’s worked hard to cultivate, saying, “I can be completely at peace with the results today, and still want more.”
Of course, no one is going to be happy about having to fold for hours with a micro-stack. But professionals understand that to maximize their equity, they have to accept the realities of that particular tournament and execute the strategy that maximizes their equity in the long run.
Stay On Your Soapbox
Although not related to poker strategy, I was inspired listening to Kenney discuss why she refuses to stop speaking about the importance of bringing more women into the game, even, as she said, if some of her fellow professionals might wish she did.
Kenney, who in recent years has developed a friendship with another player who knows something about the importance of representation—the legendary Phil Ivey—explained how when you see someone like you on TV doing something you thought was impossible, suddenly it becomes possible. She used the example of the four-minute mile, where after one person broke the barrier, then boom, boom, boom—suddenly dozens of others were doing it too.
‘You have to see it to believe it’ is more than just a cute saying, it’s reality. And for women looking at poker, especially high-stakes poker, Kenney is showing them what’s possible. And that’s worth staying on the soapbox for!
All in all, Ebony cashed in half her Triton tournaments and stone-bubbled another with pocket aces, an astounding feat, considering the caliber of players at these events. And that was all before the $15K High Roller, where she had her most epic run of all. How much did she add to her winnings in that one? You’ll have to tune in to the ACR Poker YouTube channel to find out.
