WSOP Updates – Event 17, Ladies Championship ($1,000 NLHE) – Frauke Ritter von Sporschill Leads

65 women from a record 1,286 player field returned on Monday for Day Two of Event 17, the $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold'em tournament. Play would continue to see who would make the final table and have an inside seat at the first prize of $262,077.

Michelle Lewis, who made a final table in a mixed event in last year's World Series and came in with a short stack in this event, was one of the first notable names to depart in 60th place ($3,686). Two time Women's Champion Susie Isaacs went out soon afterwards in 35th place when she was dumped from the event by Cydnie Joy. The big mover of the early going was Kathy Gliva, who surged early and used those chips to make the final table.

Defending champion Mary Jones made a strong run as well. She first crippled Milly Uylenbraek with pocket aces over Uylenbraek's A-9, then finished the job when Milly moved in with 8-6 and Mary had J-8. Later, however, Mary Jones had her pocket aces cracked by Frauke Ritter von Sporschill's J-J when von Sporschill rivered a jack. Jones' championship defense would end in 16th place.

Team PokerStars member Katja Thater surged to a final table seat. Thater, under the weather early in the event, knocked out Jane Wheat in 27th place and Annabelle Jenkins in 20th place. Thater's run was only rivaled by that of Vanessa Selbst, who eliminated Cydnie Joy in 21st place and eventually climbed over 500,000 chips before fading a bit late.

With the blinds at 6K/12K and a 1K ante, two more players were eliminated, setting up the final nine. Kellie Mix walked away in eleventh place (worth $10,766) at the hands of Mindy Trinidad and, on the final-table bubble, Fran Lieberman was taken out by chip leader Frauke Ritter von Sporschill's pocket queens, finishing in tenth for $10,766.

Here is the lineup for tomorrow's Event #15 final table:

PLAYERS — CHIPS

Seat 1: Vanessa Selbst — 354,000
Seat 2: Katja Thater — 340,000
Seat 3: Mindy Trinidad — 444,000
Seat 4: Kathy Gliva — 147,000
Seat 5: Anne Heft — 277,000
Seat 6: Sally Boyer — 326,000
Seat 7: Julie Dang — 48,000
Seat 8: Frauke Ritter von Sporschill — 523,000
Seat 9: Randi Calabro — 110,000

Join PokerNews.com's 'Live Reporting' of Event #17, $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold 'Em, as final-table action begins at 2pm to determine the Ladies World Champion of the World Series of Poker.