Lina Niu reigned because the final lady standing on December 18, profitable the first-ever WPT Girls Championship on the Wynn Las Vegas, topping a area of 578 runners.
The newly-minted champion earned a money prize of $105,136 and a Rockstar cruise room package deal from Virgin Voyages for her World Poker Tour win.
The WPT Girls Championship boasted the most important assure ever for a Girls occasion at $200,000. The $1,100 buy-in event practically tripled the assure because it drew 578 entrants, producing a $560,660 prize pool that was paid out to the highest 72 finishers.
Canadian entrepreneur Liu stated following her triumphant win, “Right this moment’s been a curler coaster for positive. I began off with chip lead, misplaced quite a bit early on, and performed tremendous tight.”
She added, “I acquired actually fortunate in some all-in spots. Simply acquired tremendous fortunate on the final hand too.”
Earlier than her win on this occasion, her reside poker earnings have been $16,857 in line with The Hendon Mob, and she or he usually performs $2/$5 pot-limit Omaha money video games.
2022 WPT Girls Championship Last Desk Outcomes
| 1 | Lina Niu | $105,136 |
| 2 | Olga Iermolcheva | $70,008 |
| 3 | Dusti Smith | $51,538 |
| 4 | Cindy Spier | $38,350 |
| 5 | Kathy Liebert | $28,847 |
| 6 | Jamie Kerstetter | $21,934 |
How the Last Desk Performed Out
The ultimate desk was filmed for tv within the Latour Ballroom on the Wynn, that includes marquee poker gamers Kathy Liebert and Jamie Kerstetter. Ukrainian poker professional Olga Iermolcheva positioned second for a $70,008, Dusti Smith positioned third for $51,538 and Cindy Spier ended up in fourth for $38,350.
“Thanks to all the ladies that participated within the Girls Championship, in addition to the opposite Girls occasions throughout the pageant,” stated WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “I want to congratulate Lina on profitable the primary Girls Championship in WPT historical past, including one other vivid spot to our twentieth anniversary.”
Liebert completed fifth for $28,847, widening her lead as the feminine with the best WPT earnings at simply over $2 million. Kerstetter took sixth for $21,934, bringing her whole reside earnings to $786,892, in line with The Hendon Mob.
Kathy Liebert
The Ladies in Poker Corridor of Fame ceremony was additionally on this stacked ladies’s centric-week on the WPT. Ladies in Poker Corridor of Fame 2022 inductee Angelica Hael, WPT VP of International Tour Administration and large supporter of WPT ladies’s initiatives, ran deep into Day 1 earlier than being eradicated late within the session.
Different notable gamers to money have been Ladies in Poker Corridor of Fame members J.J. Liu (ninth place) and Allyn Shulman (sixty fifth place), in addition to Amanda Botfeld (twentieth place), Melanie Weisner (twenty eighth place), Ebony Kenney (forty sixth place), and La Sengphet (53rd place).
The WPT World Championship Pageant additionally included visitor appearances by best-selling creator Molly Bloom and a Girls Meet-Up Recreation throughout Day 2 of the Girls Championship.
See Highlights from the WPT Girls Meet-Up Recreation right here!
The MUG occurred within the Wynn Poker Room and was hosted by Kerstetter, who was joined by gamers corresponding to Xuan Liu, Veronica Brill, bracelet-winner Katie Kopp, Linda Johnson who introduced “shuffle up and deal” for the Girls Championship Occasion, Jan Fisher, WPA President Tara Smith, Poker Energy President Erin Lydon, amongst many extra.
Kerstetter was additionally enjoying the Girls Championship Occasion on the time, together with different attendees who wished to point out help and have enjoyable whereas enjoying different occasions. The WPT contributed $5,500 in prizes, together with WPT Passports which have been added to thriller splash pots, gaining 4 fortunate gamers $1,100 to future WPT occasions subsequent yr.
Congratulations to Lina Niu!
*Pictures courtesy of WPT.
Christina Bradfield
Editor
Christina is a Las Vegas-based freelance author who found poker on the age of twelve. She’s been a contributor to PokerNews since 2022.
