Japan’s Shiina Okamoto has emerged victorious in the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship, claiming a $171,732 prize and her maiden bracelet.
Event #71: $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em saw Okamoto triumph over a field of 1,245 to bag the biggest share of a $1,095,600 prize and deny fan-favourite Jamie Kerstetter her first bracelet.
Okamoto finished as runner-up in this event last year and looked determined to go one better during the entire session until she was crowned champion.
Final Action
Only six players returned for Day 4 with Okamoto narrowly trailing Kerstetter and the pair having a significant advantage over the rest of the field.
France’s Cecile Ticherfatine fell first after returning as one of two very short stacks, and made a point of the clear camaraderie during the event while thanking her supporters on the rail.
Next up to leave was Mor Kamber, an Israeli who made the unlikely switch from Military intelligence to poker as both a player and product manager.
Kerstetter took both of these scalps and was now cementing her position as tournament favourite.
Linda Durden soon followed, much to the delight of her fellow American Ceci Liao who had started the day as the shortest stack.
Liao was still the shorty as three-handed play began, and despite hanging on for a short while she could not overcome the disadvantage she had to her rivals.
Ultimately it came down to a nasty spot of getting her pocket queens all-in only for Okamoto to wake up with kings.
The heads-up match lasted for more than 50 hands with both players showing great fighting spirit.
But steadily, Kerstetter found herself at an ever increasing disadvantage as Okamoto pulled clear.
The tournament ended when Okamoto turned two pair to beat the top pair of aces held by Kerstetter.
Speaking through a translator, Okamoto said:
“After finishing second last year and with all my supporters here, winning this year feels even more special,”
Event #71: $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’emFinal Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize(USD) |
| 1 | Shiina Okamoto | Japan | $171,732 |
| 2 | Jamie Kerstetter | United States | $114,479 |
| 3 | Ceci Liao | United States | $81,573 |
| 4 | Linda Durden | United States | $58,910 |
| 5 | Mor Kamber | Israel | $43,125 |
| 6 | Cecile Ticherfatine | France | $32,007 |
| 7 | Susan Bluer | United States | $24,090 |
| 8 | Haruna Fujita | Japan | $18,390 |
| 9 | Andrea Sager | United States | $14,242 |
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