Birnbaum Ties La Sengphet for Most WSOP Circuit Wins by a Female
On Sunday, May 12, Nancy Birnbaum made history when she won her third ring in Event #5 $365 No-Limit Hold’em at Harrah’s New Orleans, a tournament that attracted 276 players and created a prize pool of $82,800. The victory tied her with La Sengphet for most WSOP Circuit wins ever by a female.
Birnbaum, who previously lived in Atlanta and worked in BMW sales but now lives in Las Vegas and plays poker full time, won her first ring in New Orleans back in 2009, and then took down her second at Harrah’s Rincon back in December. She also has two runner-up finishes.
In addition to the ring, Birnbaum took home $19,875 in prize money and established herself as the top female player of the 2012-2013 season.
“I’m thrilled to win this,” said Birnbaum, who battled back from an extreme short stack five handed. “I really dedicated myself to playing well. I was so low on chips at one point that I didn’t think it would happen. But this shows you what’s possible if you stay focused and never give up.”
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Ring Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 276 | $82,800 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nancy Birnbaum | Atlanta, GA | $19,875 |
| 2 | Kevin Choe | Burke, VA | $12,281 |
| 3 | Drennon Rackley | Dalton, GA | $8,911 |
| 4 | Shawn Trahan | Youngsville, LA | $6,574 |
| 5 | Wade Woelfel | Mankato, MN | $4,931 |
| 6 | Oran Haynes | Grambling, LA | $3,757 |
| 7 | Brennan Benglis | Lake Charles, LA | $2,908 |
| 8 | Mihail Karasoulis | Metairie, LA | $2,285 |
| 9 | Derrick Evangelista | Stafford, TX | $1,823 |