2025 Women’s Poker Week: $2,500 NLH LIPS Ladies High Roller $100K GTD (3day)

The elegant Venetian Las Vegas was the host on Sunday, June 22, for the first-ever Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS) $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Ladies High Roller 100K Guaranteed. Cardplayer Lifestyle was on site to catch all the action in collaboration with the Women’s Poker Association.

The Inaugural LIPS Women in Poker High Roller launches today! @VenetianPoker at Noon – $2,500 NLHE $100,000 Guarantee! We couldn’t be more excited and are looking forward to seeing you for this historic @LIPS_Tour event! @WomenInPoker #womeninpoker #lipstour #wiphighroller pic.twitter.com/nKAoK4dQBj

— ♠️♥ LIPS Tour ♦️♣️ (@LIPS_Tour) June 22, 2025

The tournament featured a player-friendly structure, with each entrant starting with 50,000 in chips and blind levels set at 50 minutes. Action kicked off at 12:10 p.m., with late registration open until 9:20 p.m. The prize pool guarantee was quickly surpassed, already eclipsed by the end of Level 2. A total of 117 players entered the field, creating an impressive prize pool of $257,400. The winner will take home $67,846, while the top 15 finishers are guaranteed a minimum payout of $5,474. Day 1 concluded at the end of Level 12, with the remaining players set to return for Day 2 at noon.

In the lead-up to the event, the Venetian also hosted two $300 satellite tournaments, which collectively awarded 17 seats into the High Roller.

The Venetian has had a very cohesive relationship with LIPS for over 10 years, and the personnel and management at the Venetian proactively worked very hard to accommodate the lovely ladies, including adjusting the break times from 10 minutes to 15 minutes to accommodate the women’s requests.

This tournament attracted more notable players than can be fully listed, but several familiar faces stood out on the felt. Among them were actress Beth Grant and poker legend Kathy Liebert, who has an astounding 106 WSOP cashes totaling $1.4 million. Cecile Ticherfatine from France, with over $1 million in career earnings, also joined the action. Dusti Smith, riding high after her second-place finish in the WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event and a recent win in the Wynn’s $3,000 Ladies High Roller, brought serious momentum to the table.

Lupe Soto, founder of LIPS, was ecstatic with the number of entries in this high-stakes event. The organization has been discussing hosting some of these higher-stakes games for a long time, so she was delighted that the turnout was so high. Lupe stated at one point during the registration period, “If we can get to 100 people, I will be over thrilled.” The 100-player mark hit with three hours left on registration, and the high-fives were rampant.

Video courtesy: Women Poker News

Also spotted were poker powerhouses Ruth “Ruthless” Hall, winner of the 2023 Ladies Malta Event Chris Read, PokerNews podcaster Kyna England, poker personality Marle Spragg, and Rachel Usack, who had just claimed victory at the Orleans Ladies Championship.

Professional poker player and award-winning broadcaster Jamie Kerstetter, known for her sharp wit and engaging presence, has officially partnered with Venetian Poker as the venue’s Women’s Poker Ambassador. Jamie was on-site not only to compete, but also to welcome and support the many talented women participating in this event.

As part of her ambassador role, Jamie will host a special Meet-Up Game (MUG) on Tuesday, June 24th, at 9:00 a.m. at the Venetian. Two seats will be awarded during the MUG for the $600 No-Limit Hold’em LIPS Ladies $75K GTD event, which begins later that day at 12:10 p.m.

Ladies – Join us June 24 at 9am as @JamieKerstetter hosts a low stakes $1-3 NLH Meet Up Game @VenetianPoker

Two (2) $600 LIPS Ladies entries will be randomly awarded with at least two (2) hours of play during the MUG

Sign up via @PokerAtlas app or by calling 702-414-7657 pic.twitter.com/eHlKlvfdwz

— Tommy LaRosa (@VenetianTD) June 18, 2025

Speaking about her partnership with The Venetian, Jamie shared, “The Venetian has been doing a lot to support women in poker, and it’s part of the reason women showed up in droves to smash this 100K guarantee.”

WPA Player of the Day: Bonnie Weitzel

The player of the day is brought to you by the Women’s Poker Association’s sponsor, Maria Ho, Advocate for Women in Poker, Professional Poker Player, Commentator, and Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductee.

When asked why it was important to sponsor this series of women’s events, Maria responded, “I am proud to support the WPA and all organizations that help bring more women into poker. It’s a goal that the community as a whole should strive for. It’s paramount to create a comfortable environment for all players to enjoy and thrive in this game we love so much.”

Check out Maria’s recent TEDx Talk here: https://youtu.be/H-0agRnaClE

Bonnie Weitzel: A Comeback Story Rooted in Passion, Resilience, and Poker

Bonnie Weitzel has been playing poker casually with her family for most of her life, but it wasn’t until 2012 that she began taking the game seriously. That turning point came when her husband, Lonny Weitzel, suggested, “Let’s go play some poker.” At the time, neither had much experience with real-money games, but that didn’t stop them from finding early success. They took a spontaneous trip to a ladies’ event in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Bonnie won the tournament, and Lonny finished second in a concurrent World Series of Poker (WSOP) event. It marked the beginning of their shared journey at the tables and the first of many memorable poker adventures.

One of Bonnie’s most cherished victories came last spring, when she captured the title in the $300 No-Limit Hold’em Ladies Ring Event on the WSOP Circuit in Tunica, Mississippi. The trip itself was a last-minute decision, made with her close friend Stephanie Miller. “Let’s go down and win a ring,” Bonnie said on a whim, and just four hours later, that’s precisely what she did. Running on only three hours of sleep, they returned home victorious. In the winner’s photo, Bonnie is holding her beloved dog, who was nearly 18 years old at the time of the photo. That photo has since become a treasured keepsake, as her furry companion passed away shortly after.

Bonnie Weitzel, EV11 Ladies Winner | Image courtesy Poker.org

Bonnie has also earned a reputation as a satellite tournament ace. On one recent day, she won two tickets in two different venues. First, she secured a seat in the $360 LIPS National Championship in a satellite at South Point. Then she rushed to the Venetian, registered late for another satellite, and won that one, too.

She credits much of her recent success to her longtime friend and poker coach, Ruth Hall. After taking one of Ruth’s courses, Bonnie put the knowledge to immediate use. That very day, she entered a tournament in Shreveport and won it decisively.

But Bonnie’s poker journey hasn’t been without its trials. She was forced to miss last year’s Women’s Poker Week due to a harrowing airplane incident that led to a year-long hospital stay. Her husband, Lonny, a seasoned pilot, was flying them to Los Angeles with their son on board. As her son sat up front, Bonnie took the back seat, secured by a seatbelt that proved tragically inadequate when the plane encountered extreme turbulence. Bonnie, who is petite, was violently thrown around the cabin. Though she remained conscious, she suffered multiple severe injuries: a broken back, fractured sternum, and six broken ribs. The plane made an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she began a long and painful recovery, including spinal surgery involving metal plates and screws.

Throughout her ordeal, Bonnie was buoyed by the unshakable support of her poker community. Her friends flooded her hospital room with flowers, updates from the poker room, and messages of encouragement. One dear friend, Jacqueline Pennington, visited regularly, offering foot massages and emotional support, care that only true friends provide.

Bonnie’s return to the tables is nothing short of remarkable. Her patience, determination, and resilience have carried her through a grueling recovery and back into the game she loves. Sitting for long hours at the felt, especially after such trauma, is a feat in itself. Her opponents describe her as unreadable, a quality that continues to serve her well.

Bonnie may have missed out last year, but this year she’s back, with purpose, with passion, and with one mission in mind: to win.

2025 Venetian $2500 Ladies High Roller: Prize Pool Details

Heading into Day 2 tomorrow, Lisa Schuessler will start out as the chip leader, with Jacqueline Burkhart close behind and Jamie Kerstetter pulling up in third place. Thirty-nine hopefuls remain as we head into Day 2.

2025 Women’s Poker Week: What’s Next?

• Monday, June 23rd is the $600 NLH at Wynn Las Vegas at 11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, June 24th is Venetian’s 9 a.m. MUG with Jamie Kerstetter, to be followed by the $600 NLH LIPS Ladies $75K at 12:10pm
• Tuesday, June 24th at 2:00 p.m. at Westgate Las Vegas, $150 Ladies Omaha8
• Tuesday, June 24th at 6:00 p.m. at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, $150 Ladies Warm-up Tournament

Be sure to keep checking back with us here at Cardplayer Lifestyle as we continue to report on the highlights of this exciting week.