How I Broke Through on the High Roller Stage

By Ebony Kenney

In 2022, Ebony Kenney did more than just cash big, she broke through on one of poker’s most intimidating stages. With a $1.7 million score in the $200K Triton Invitational in Cyprus, Kenney silenced doubters, stunned the poker world, and proved she not only belonged among the game’s elite but could thrive there.

But it didn’t start with confidence. “I had already gone through all of these feelings that I didn’t deserve to be there,” she says. “The entire poker community had something to say about it.” What she brought to the felt wasn’t arrogance or entitlement, it was presence and gratitude. “I was just so grateful to be there. And I wanted to take in every moment.”

Gratitude as a Weapon

Gratitude, it turns out, was her greatest weapon.

Preparing for the Storm

From the outside, high roller events look like a dream, a rarefied arena for poker’s elite. But behind the curtain is a storm of stress, scrutiny, and pressure. Kenney knew she had to prepare differently. Ahead of Cyprus, she hired a mindset coach and a poker coach, cut alcohol from her life, and focused on showing up with discipline, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

“The alignment was perfect,” she says. “I really worked hard to make sure I was ready for it.”

Building Momentum

Still, that didn’t mean the tournament was smooth sailing. “There were so many moments when I felt like, ‘I can win this,'” she recalls. Watching opponents bust while she stayed in the mix, surviving tough spots, and eventually doubling up through Fador [Holtz]; these moments built a quiet but undeniable momentum.

“Even when I was short-stacked, I felt like, when the cards fall your way, nothing can stop that.”

Breaking the Cycle

The final table was electric, but the emotions were even more powerful after. When asked what the $1.7 million meant to her, Kenney doesn’t talk about rankings or headlines. She talks about food stamps. She talks about raising kids under government assistance. She talks about how, just five years before, she was scraping to survive.

“It still feels like something someone else did,” she says. “Even now, when people ask about it or mention it, I have to remind myself it really happened.”

Professional and Personal Impact

Professionally, it catapulted her into poker’s upper echelon. Personally, it reframed what was possible. She wasn’t just breaking through in a tournament. She was breaking a cycle.

One of the most valuable lessons Kenney took from that experience was the importance of consistency. Before Triton, she admits she didn’t treat standard tournaments with the respect they deserved. “Now I treat them the same,” she says. “Whether it’s a $250 or a $50K, it’s all wrapped in gratitude.” The win didn’t just earn her a payout, it elevated her entire approach.

Trusting Her Instincts

Kenney is quick to point out that she didn’t come from a traditional GTO background. Her game was built on instinct, presence, and self-awareness. For a long time, she doubted whether that was enough. Triton proved otherwise.

“I have great instincts,” she says. “And I get to be proud and confident in the abilities I do have.”

Earned Confidence

That confidence is no longer borrowed, it’s earned. Not just because she won, but because she showed up for herself and trusted who she was. The win validated her as a player. But the real win, she says, was giving herself permission to believe in her own story.

As she prepares for future events, Kenney brings with her the lessons of Cyprus, not just the strategic ones, but the personal ones too. “Triton gave me permission to love myself, to believe in myself in a way that felt real. It changed everything.”

Ready to break through at your own level?

Whether you’re playing micro-stakes or high rollers, the key is believing in yourself and preparing with intention. Join Americas Cardroom and start building your own breakthrough story.

Trust your instincts. Trust your story. Trust yourself.