WPT World Championship Welcomes the Ladies with a Variety of Female-Oriented Initiatives
4 minutes
Last Updated: January 25, 2024
The World Poker Tour (WPT) has been at the forefront of various initiatives supporting inclusion of female players in the game, and the trend will continue at the upcoming WPT World Championship festival at the Wynn.
With just weeks to go until WPT World Championship kicks off, the organization has announced a number of female-focused initiatives, all aimed at promoting the game with the ladies.
On top of the WPT Ladies Championship event, which is guaranteed to attract hundreds of the best female players in the world, the festival will also offer opportunities for women to win prizes, socialize, and enjoy the festival to the fullest.
Speaking about the Ladies Championship and other WPT female-oriented initiatives, World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska commented:
“We greatly appreciate the incredible support of the players who participated in last year’s Ladies Championship and are looking forward to an even bigger event this year.
We salute the many woman pioneers in this industry and are happy to be part of meaningful events that support our continued admiration.”
Before you keep reading, make sure to check out WPT Global for one of the last opportunities to qualify for the upcoming WPT World Championship online and book your tickets to fabulous Las Vegas.
WPT Ladies Championship as Pivotal Female-Centered Event
The second annual WPT Ladies Championship kicks off on December 6, almost a week before the start of the WPT World Championship, and will be one of the biggest female-only events in poker this year.
In 2022, the WPT Ladies Championship attracted 578 female players, with Lina Niu coming out on top and taking home a hefty first-place prize of $105,136, a lion’s share of the $560k prize pool.
This time around, the $1,100 buy-in event comes with a guaranteed prize pool of $250k, but is likely to see this number shattered by quite a bit if history is anything to go by.
The event will run for three days but with only one Day 1 flight on December 6, so if you were planning to compete for the WPT Ladies Championship trophy, make sure to be at the Wynn on that date.
This year, at least ten female players who qualified through various satellite events will get to play at the Wynn, and it is likely that at least a few more such seats will be given away before cards are in the air.
All final table action from WPT World Championship event will be streamed live, allowing fans around the world to witness the skills of the best female players in the world and experience all the action first-hand.
Meet-Up Game with Jamie Kerstetter
Jamie Kerstetter has become one of the most recognizable female names in poker over the last few years, and the honor has fallen on her to host this year’s Ladies Mimosa Meet-Up Game.
The event, which saw over 150 ladies take to the cash game tables last year, will feature free champagne for everyone, along with 19 special splash pots prizes which will include WPT goodie bags, and even seats to the $1100 WPT Prime Championship.
Please save the date ✨12/8✨
for another Mimosa 🥂 MUG @WynnPoker!We have lots of splash pot prizes once again, including $1100 @WPT seats and gear donated by @RunGoodGear and @FadedSpadeBrand ♠️
More info to come as the event gets closer, stay tuned pic.twitter.com/iLmpkZ0uEc
— Jamie Kerstetter (@JamieKerstetter) November 6, 2023
If you are looking for some great fun, opportunity to win free prizes and a chance to compete at cash games against the best female players in the world, the Meet-Up Game will be running at the Wynn Poker Room on December 8 from 9 am to 12 pm.
As the name suggests, the event itself will only be open to female players, but there will be plenty of action for men at the Wynn as well, and we trust that the atmosphere will be inclusive of all genders.
Ladies Championship VIP Viewing Party at the Wynn
The efforts of WPT to promote the inclusion of women in poker over the years have been quite notable, and this year they are hosting a special event to give the most deserving proponents of the cause a chance to put their heads together while enjoying an entertaining viewing party.
On December 7, the WPT VIP Passport Lounge will host a viewing party of all episodes of last year’s WPT Ladies Championship, and entry to the event will be invite-only.
The invites for this particular event have been sent out to members of Poker Power, Poker League of Nations (PLON), Women’s Poker Association (WPA), and Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
All the organizations in question are dedicated to promoting the game among the ladies, and the event will give them a chance to spend some quality time together, discuss ideas, and reminisce over the top moments of last year’s WPT Ladies Championship.
Expect Big Names in WPT Ladies Championship
Last year’s WPT Ladies Championship attracted the likes of Jamie Kerstetter, Kathie Liebert, Farah Galfond, Ebony Kenney, and many other notable female players.
Both Liebert and Kerstetter managed to overcome well over 500 players to make a final table run, and you can expect some big names on the final day of this year’s event as well.
The number of emerging female players in the poker community has been growing by the day, and we are likely to see quite a few of those join the legends in a battle of wits this year.
With the Ladies Championship acting as an interlude for the Main Event, it is also likely we will see quite a few of these same top-level female players playing in the $40 Million guaranteed WPT World Championship and the other events surrounding it.
In many ways, 2023 has been the best year for female equality in poker to date, and we are guaranteed to see WPT and other top poker organizations continue to push the agenda in the years to come for the benefit of everyone involved.
