Japan’s Shiina Okamoto navigated her means by a discipline of 1,295 entries within the 2023 World Series of Poker $1,000 women no-limit maintain’em championship, solely to fall one spot shy of incomes the {hardware}.
On day 1 of the 2024 WSOP women occasion, which drew 1,245 entries, Okamoto made a publish on social media that translated to the next: “I want to retrieve the things I left behind last year.”
Incredibly, she did simply that. Okamoto managed to battle all the best way again to the ultimate two, and this time round she emerged victorious with the bracelet. She defeated two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner and poker commentator Jamie Kerstetter heads-up to safe the highest prize of $171,732.
Okamoto, by way of translation by the first-ever Japanese bracelet winner Naoya Kihara, informed Card Player that when she first made that social media publish, “There was a long way to go, and I didn’t think it would really happen. But by the end of day 2 I had a really massive stack, and at that point I thought it could be true.”
After this newest win, Okamoto now has $408,567 in recorded match earnings to her title, with greater than three-quarters of that coming from her success on the WSOP.
This match ran over the course of 4 days. The cash bubble burst late on day 2, with 187 gamers incomes a share of the $1,095,600 prize pool. Plenty of notables ran deep together with poker media member Alexandra Loveless (thirty fourth), two-time WSOPC ring winner Kasey Lyn Mills (thirty first), Jennifer Shahade (twenty seventh), current Resorts World Las Vegas’ Summer Poker Series $100,000 assured occasion winner Robyn Alvis (twenty seventh), Monika Zukowicz (twenty second), Nadya Magnus (nineteenth), Cherish Andrews (sixteenth), and 2023 European Poker Tour Prague closing tablist Marle Spragg (eleventh).
Just six gamers superior to the ultimate day of play, with Kerstetter within the lead and Okamoto becoming a member of her as the one different participant with greater than 100 massive blinds to begin. Kerstetter scored the primary knockout. France’s Cecile Ticherfatine obtained all-in with Ok-J trailing the Ok-Q of Kerstetter. A jack on the flip gave Ticherfatine a pair and the lead, but additionally noticed Kerstetter choose up a flush draw with one card to return. The river introduced a fourth diamond to present Kerstetter a successful flush. Ticherfatine earned $32,007 because the sixth-place finisher.
Diamond flushes had been key within the subsequent massive hand as properly. Israel’s Mor Kamber flopped a jack-high flush with J-7 of diamonds, solely to have Kerstetter flip an ace-high flush when a fourth diamond got here off the deck once more. The chips went in on the flip, however Kamber was not drawing useless. She had an open-ended straight flush redraw to maintain her hopes alive, however a brick on the top noticed her head to the rail with $43,125 for her fifth-place displaying.
Linda Durden was knocked right down to only a single massive blind after her king-jack bumped into the pocket kings of Ceci Liao. Durden managed one double up by Kerstetter, however was quickly all-in once more. She discovered an enormous hand in pocket nines to shove her previous few blinds with. Kerstetter known as with A-7 suited and flopped an ace to take an enormous lead within the hand. Durden discovered no assistance on the flip or river and was eradicated in fourth place ($58,910). This was the biggest recorded rating but for the Wenatchee, Washington resident.
Despite scoring that knockout, Liao was nonetheless the clear quick stack heading into three-handed motion. A preflop cooler introduced her match to a detailed, together with her pocket queens operating into the pocket kings of Okamoto. A king excessive flop left Liao in dire straights, and a clean on the flip ensured that she would end third for $81,573.
Heads-up play started with Kerstetter holding roughly a 3:2 chip lead over Okamoto. The first a number of arms all went Okamoto’s means. A failed bluff try for Kerstetter noticed the lead change arms, as Okamoto made a rapid name of a river increase with deuces filled with aces to finest Kerstetter’s missed flush draw.
Okamoto was in a position to draw back forward of the ultimate hand. Kerstetter limped on the button for 160,000 complete with A
7
and Shiina Okamoto checked from the large blind with 9
5. The flop got here down A
109 and Okamoto check-called a 200,000 wager from Kerstetter, who had flopped high pair. The 5 flip gave Okamoto two pair and the lead. She checked and Kerstetter wager 550,000. Okamoto check-raised all-in and Kerstetter made the decision. The 2 on the river eradicated Kerstetter in second place. She earned a career-best dwell rating of $114,479 because the runner-up, growing her profession earnings to over $1.1 million.
Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the closing desk:
| Place | Player | Earnings |
| 1 | Shiina Okamoto | $171,732 |
| 2 | Jamie Kerstetter | $114,479 |
| 3 | Ceci Liao | $81,573 |
| 4 | Linda Durden | $58,910 |
| 5 | Mor Kamber | $43,125 |
| 6 | Cecile Ticherfatine | $32,007 |
| 7 | Susan Bluer | $24,090 |
| 8 | Haruna Fujita | $18,390 |
| 9 | Andrea Sager | $14,242 |
Winner picture credit score: WSOP / Eloy Cabacas.
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