WPT, or the World Poker Tour, is one of the most esteemed poker tournament series in the world. It attracts some of the best poker players from all corners of the globe and has been a major platform for showcasing their skills and expertise. However, despite this level of competition and prestige, there has been a long-standing question that has been debated over for years: Has a woman ever won a WPT Poker Tournament?
To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at the history of WPT tournaments. Since its inception in 2002, there have been numerous tournaments held under the WPT banner. Over 150 events have taken place so far, providing an excellent opportunity for players to prove their worth on the felt.
While it’s true that women have participated in these tournaments regularly over the years, winning one has proven to be an elusive feat. Despite this fact, there have been some close calls over the years that have given hope to female players across the world.
One such close call was that of Kathy Liebert in 2005. She took second place in a WPT event held at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, narrowly missing out on becoming the first woman to win a WPT tournament. She managed to outlast an impressive field of 431 players and ultimately lost out to Nick Schulman heads-up.
Another notable performance came from Van Nguyen at Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament in San Jose. In 2008 she managed to get all the way down to heads-up play but fell just short against Steve Sung.
In recent years there have been several other close calls as well. For example, Esther Taylor-Brady took third place in 2013 at Borgata Winter Open in Atlantic City. Similarly, Lily Kiletto finished runner-up when she played heads-up against Sam Panzica in 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown.
Despite these near misses, there has yet to be a woman who has won a WPT tournament outright. However, this doesn’t mean that women aren’t capable of winning such an event.
In fact, some of the most talented and skilled players in the world are female. Vanessa Selbst, for example, is one of the most successful poker players in history and has earned over $11 million in tournament winnings.
Other notable players include Maria Ho, Kristen Bicknell, Liv Boeree, and Annette Obrestad – all of whom have achieved success in their own right on the poker circuit.
In conclusion, while no woman has yet won a WPT Poker Tournament, there have been several close calls over the years. These performances have shown that women are more than capable of competing at the highest levels of poker and that it’s only a matter of time before one finally breaks through and takes home that coveted title. Until then, female players will continue to strive towards this goal and prove that they belong at the top tables alongside their male counterparts.
