Shiina Okamoto in Prime Position to Defend Her Title
After ten intense 60-minute levels of play inside the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, Event #70: $1,000 LADIES No-Limit Hold'em Championship has come to a close. Surpassing last year’s total of 1,245 entries, the event attracted 1,368 entries, amassing a total prize pool of $ 1,203,840 with the top prize of $184,094.
By the end of the night, only 317 players had secured their spot for Day 2. Dorothy Ecaldre sits atop the pack, bagging 297,500. Close on her heels is Jill Bowen with 271,500. Completing the podium positions is none other than defending champion Shiina Okamoto with 251,500. Making good on her word, she has returned and is in a splendid position to grab her second bracelet.
Top Ten Chip Counts for Day 1
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorothy Ecaldre | United States | 297,500 | 149 |
| 2 | Jill Bowen | United States | 271,500 | 136 |
| 3 | Shiina Okamoto | Japan | 251,500 | 126 |
| 4 | Jill Pike | United States | 251,000 | 126 |
| 5 | Tammy Vaught | United States | 248,000 | 124 |
| 6 | Juliet Hegedus | United States | 247,000 | 124 |
| 7 | Lang Yi | China | 243,500 | 122 |
| 8 | Haven Taylor | Canada | 232,000 | 116 |
| 9 | Cynthia Compton | United States | 231,000 | 116 |
| 10 | Christine Brewer | United States | 231,000 | 116 |
Familiar names that are also moving into Day 2 are Susan Faber (205,200), Safiya Umerova (146,000), Leo Margets (139,000), Kathy Liebert (97,000), and Barbara Enright (45,000), among others.
Ruth Hall wasn't expected to be seen in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP). After 20 years of attending, she said that 2024 would probably be her last year of participation due to health concerns she and her husband were suffering from. Sadly, her husband passed away, but this year she’s back. She has been playing for the past eight days and has gone deep on all the events so far, using her husband’s ashes as her card protector. She made it through with 103,000.
Some notables who fell short of a bag are Maria Konnikova, Kristen Foxen, Loni Hui, and Jessica Teusl.
Play will resume tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time on Level 11, with blinds 1,000/2,000 and 2,000 big blind ante. Players will play through ten 60-minute levels with 15-minute breaks every two levels. A 60-minute dinner break is scheduled to happen after Level 16 at approximately 6:30 p.m.
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