Our coverage of 2024 Ladies Poker Week – in collaboration with the Women’s Poker Association – is drawing to a close. We’re wrapping things up with some notable moments and highlights from the $1,000 buy-in WSOP Ladies Event, as well as a look back at “the week that was”.
2024 WSOP Ladies Event
Just prior to the kickoff of the WSOP Ladies Event, dozens of excited ladies met at the Mon Ami Gabi restaurant in Paris Las Vegas, to enjoy a yummy breakfast as well as each others company.
The calm before the storm 😁
Just before the $1,000 @WSOP Ladies Event, dozens of excited players gathered together for a special breakfast @ParisVegas‘ Mon Ami Gabi.
In <1 hour, every single one of these ladies are going to be trying to take each other’s chips!
Cc: @WPAGlobal pic.twitter.com/SqN2Y3pLpo
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 28, 2024
WPA President Tara Smith and Vice President AJ Rudolph
While the field didn’t eclipse last year’s record 1,295 players, a very strong 1,245-player field ended up entering this year’s event, and they all came to play. A who’s who of poker’s most decorated and experienced players competed, but to name names would only serve to unintentionally leave “notable” players out, so we won’t do that here. That said, we will point out one cool license plate that we spotted in the Horseshoe parking lot:
There were also plenty of recreational players and even a few first timers in the field, and WSOP Vice President Jack Effel introduced four such first timers – all writers for mainstream media publications – to the assembled masses for the official “Shuffle Up and Deal” prior to their taking their seats in the event.
It’s @WSOP VP @JackEffel getting things underway at the Ladies Event.
4 special guests from mainstream media outlets – who have NEVER played poker before, until last night! – had the “shuffle up and deal” honors.
600 exuberant ladies (and counting!) are ready to rock n’ roll! pic.twitter.com/NVSVfb9BZM
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) June 28, 2024
While the focus was understandably on the players, we noticed a familiar face in the box, dealer Sandie Selzer, who is making her 20th consecutive appearance at the World Series of Poker. That’s certainly worthy of highlighting, and it was a pleasure to notice plenty of folks engaging with our post about her.
On a day in poker that’s all about the ladies, let’s all give some love to Sandie Selzer.
She’s here dealing for her 20th summer at the @WSOP. pic.twitter.com/nWzosnLq3r
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 28, 2024
By the end of Day 1, only 187 players remained from the original 1,245 and having made the money they were guaranteed a mincash of $2,006 from the total prizepool of $1,095,600. The Day 1 chip leader was Irene Carey, but she busted right at the end of Day 2’s play, as players learned they’d be competing for a top prize of $171,732 as well as the coveted World Series of Poker Bracelet.
Jennifer Shahade and Kasey Lyn Mills made day 3 only to bust shortly after play began, with heavy hitters still in contention, including Marle Spragg, Nadya Magnus, Cherish Andrews. In the end, play came down to Jamie Kerstetter and Japan’s Shiina Okamoto, the Day 2 chipleader. Okamoto notched the win, which marked an improvement on her runner-up finish in last year’s WSOP Ladies Event.
🏆| We caught up with Shiina Okamoto after she won the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship for $171,732. An incredible achievement after coming 2nd in the same event last year. pic.twitter.com/uZLdWYnJ4Z
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) July 2, 2024
$150 PLON Omaha 8 event at Westgate
The final Ladies Event that closed out 2024 Ladies Poker Week also took place yesterday, namely the Poker League of Nations (PLON) $150 Omaha 8 event. Heather Kimel emerged victorious from a field of 40 players. The total prizepool was $4,800 with eight players guaranteed a return of their buy-in with a mincash of $150, while the winner took home $1,440 for her efforts.
| Player | Payout |
| 1. Heather Kimel | $1,440 |
| 2. Jennifer Johnson | $990 |
| 3. Felicia Johnico | $720 |
| 4. Marielizzette Acoba | $585 |
| 5. Lynn Bennett | $405 |
| 6. Debbie Rolland | $360 |
| 7. Kristi Bailey | $150 |
| 8. Shannon Moe | $150 |
No Tilt Poker Tables Players of the Day
Picking just a single Player of the Day from among the legions of lovely ladies competing in the WSOP Ladies Event would be impossible, so what we’ll do here instead is turn the tables by highlighting our Player of the Day sponsor themselves, No Tilt Poker Tables.
I’ll speak very openly and plainly: back in April, the idea of providing ongoing, in-person coverage of Ladies Poker Week was just that; an idea. It had never been done before, and though my discussions with the Women’s Poker Association were productive and we were excited about the possibility, we both agreed that it couldn’t happen without a sponsor.
In and up stepped No Tilt Poker Tables to provide that support. Don’t get me wrong, folks. I’ve always been a strong ally and as supportive as possible as an advocate for the ladies in our poker community. It’s been my absolute privilege and pleasure to zip around the numerous Las Vegas casinos over the last week, watching you all play your hearts out at the felt. But devoting that amount of time, effort, and attention to the cause without any backing whatsoever would simply be impossible.
For that reason, I’m supremely grateful to No Tilt Poker Tables for so kindly agreeing to sponsor Cardplayer Lifestyle’s coverage, throwing their full support into ensuring that the ladies in our game can get due spotlight and media attention.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the stories of the many Players of the Day that we were able to bring to light over the past week throughout our coverage at MGM Grand, Orleans and Resorts World, The Venetian, South Point, Aria and the Golden Nugget, Westgate, and of course the Horseshoe and Paris for the WSOP.
Naturally, I encourage you to please check out the No Tilt Poker Tables website and strongly consider getting your next poker table from them.
2024 Ladies Poker Week: What’s Next?
As mentioned at the outset of this article, this will conclude Cardplayer Lifestyle’s exclusive coverage of 2024 Ladies Poker Week.
I’d like to encourage you to please share your feedback on our coverage with the Women’s Poker Association Board of Directors. We hope to be able to continue providing coverage of Ladies Poker Week in the years to come, and you can rest assured that we’ll aim to improve on said coverage based on that valuable feedback.
I’d like to express sincere thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read our articles over the last week, as well as engage with them on social media and share them with your friends and family. It’s my firm belief that increased media coverage and exposure of poker, and women in poker in particular, will help grow the game we all love overall, and specifically bring more women to the felt.
Our coverage is brought to you courtesy of No Tilt Poker Tables, which produces custom, handcrafted poker tables for families, card rooms, and casinos all over the world.
