WPT World Championship Festival heads to Wynn Las Vegas

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas is set to dominate the poker calendar in December and thanks to a number of female-focused initiatives, including multiple giveaways and dedicated events, women poker players will be a key part of the overall festivities.

“We are so encouraged by the tremendous initial response to the World Championship Event,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Considering the immense efforts by our very own VP of Global Tour Management, Angelica Hael, it is only fitting to advocate for the progression of women in poker, including the many women who have been critical to the WPT story.”

The WPT Ladies Championship, which has a buy-in of $1,100, features a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool – the largest guarantee for any Ladies Event in poker history. The tournament begins on Dec. 16 and runs through to the televised final table on Dec. 18. This is the first open Ladies Event filmed for television and will be broadcasted across WPT platforms.

During Day 2 of the Ladies Championship, on Saturday, 17 December, a WPT Ladies Meet-Up Game will take place. The Ladies MUG, hosted by Jamie Kerstetter, will run $1/$2 and $2/$5 No Limit Hold’em tables in the Wynn Poker Room. Kerstetter will be joined on the felt by, WPT Anchor Lynn Gilmartin, Xuan Liu, Ashley Sleeth, and more.

WPT is awarding Ladies Championship seats in a variety of different ways, including many through partnerships with prominent women’s organizations. Some have already been awarded, while others are still to come.

Here is a list of all the opportunities:

WPT Choctaw – One Passport for Ladies Event participants

• May 4 – Yvette Barrera

JACK Cleveland Casino – One Passport during their JACK Poker Weekend

• Aug. 27 – Katie Kopp

SHARE Inc. – One Passport during 2022 Poker Classic

• Oct. 13 – Heidi Straus

Poker League of Nations – Two Passports during monthly Ladies Event

• Oct. 15 – Stephanie Nolan
• Nov. – TBD

Women’s Poker Association – Two Passports

• Nov. 8 – Angel Smith (Facebook giveaway with 627 entries)
• Dec. 14 – Bounty prize during WiPHoF

Women in Poker – Two Passports

• Nov. 28 – TBD
• Dec. – Prize during their Winter Festival

Milestone Satellite – 10 seats guaranteed

• Dec. 15 – $200 buy-in live satellite at Wynn Las Vegas

Malta Poker Festival – One Passport

“The WPT World Championship Festival is set to be a record-setting event and we wanted to ensure it also showcases our commitment to growing the presence of women in poker,” said Hael. “We can’t wait to shine a spotlight on these amazing women in the Ladies Championship with a televised final table for our 20th-anniversary broadcasting schedule.”

Hael, who has been with the World Poker Tour for over a decade, has spearheaded unprecedented international growth for WPT since she joined the company and has consistently encouraged women’s poker initiatives throughout her career. The Australian native was nominated for the 2022 Women in Poker Hall of Fame class and was recently selected as an inductee.