Shiina Okamoto Makes History: Defends Her Title in the Ladies Championship
Shiina Okamoto has accomplished something previously unseen at the WSOP, she has claimed back-to-back titles in Event #70: 1.000$ Ladies Championship. After her victory last year and second-place finish the year before, Okamoto once again outclassed a field of 1.368 entries to capture this year’s title, pocketing 184.094$ and her second career WSOP gold bracelet.
Okamoto came into the final table as the chip leader and expertly handled the pressure of being the favorite. In heads-up play, she outdueled American pro Heather Alcorn, who proved that former WSOP Dealer of the Year recipients can also shuffle their way to the brightest lights on poker’s biggest stage.
After her remarkable win, Okamoto admitted the expectations were immense: “Everyone expected me to win again. I knew the only way I could do it was to keep calm and play my absolute best. That meant staying composed and not letting the moment get to me.”
Over the past three years, Okamoto has become the face of this event—never finishing lower than second. Her career is still in its early chapters, but she's already become an inspiration to Japan’s growing poker community, and a trailblazer for women looking to make their own impact on the felt.
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Payout |
|
1. |
Shiina Okamoto |
Japan |
184.094$ |
|
2. |
Heather Alcorn |
USA |
122.654$ |
|
3. |
Stephani Hagberg |
USA |
87.695$ |
|
4. |
Julie Huynh |
USA |
63.517$ |
|
5. |
Sonia Shashikhina |
Russia |
46.614$ |
|
6. |
Juliet Hegedus |
USA |
34.667$ |
|
7. |
Sumire Uenomachi |
Japan |
26.131$ |
|
8. |
Tanith Rothman |
South Africa |
19.969$ |
|
9. |
Elisa Nakagawa |
USA |
15.472$ |
Nedelcu Takes Down Eight Game Mix for His First WSOP Bracelet
Romanian pro Narcis Nedelcu celebrated a career breakthrough, taking down Event #70: 1.500$ Eight Game Mix. In a record-setting field of 789 entries, Nedelcu dominated the competition, and didn’t flinch facing seasoned opponent Scott Abrams in heads-up. His win earned him 184.862$ and a WSOP gold bracelet. The first of his career.
Nedelcu entered the final day as chip leader, capitalizing on that advantage and sending each of the last six contenders to the rail in succession. Abrams did mount a comeback, clawing back from a five-to-one chip disadvantage heads-up, but Nedelcu pulled ahead once again in the No-Limit Hold’em round. He sealed victory in Omaha Hi-Lo, making a flush to clinch the win and wrap up an all-around masterful performance.
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Payout |
|
1. |
Narcis Nedelcu |
Romania |
184.862$ |
|
2. |
Scott Abrams |
USA |
123.086$ |
|
3. |
Walter Treccarichi |
Italy |
83.448$ |
|
4. |
Mark Liedtke |
USA |
57.675$ |
|
5. |
John Cipriano |
USA |
40.653$ |
|
6. |
Elaine Rawn |
USA |
29.234$ |
|
7. |
Christian Malick |
USA |
21.457$ |
The Golden Finale Approaches
With a month of action already in the books, 70 new WSOP ring winners have been crowned so far. Now, just 30 bracelet events remain, including the series’ true headliner. The 10.000$ Main Event kicks off this Wednesday, July 2, promising players and fans alike a 15-day thrill ride packed with the very best the world of poker has to offer. The stakes couldn't be higher, the excitement is palpable!
Sources: WSOP, PokerNews