Runner-Up No More: Shiina Okamoto Wins Ladies' Event With Fierce Determination and Confidence
Table Of Contents
After finishing as the runner-up last year, Japan's Shiina Okamoto etched her name into poker history by clinching her first bracelet in Event #71: $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em at the World Series of Poker. Okamoto triumphed over 1,245 competitors to claim the top prize of $171,732 at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Okamoto faced off in heads-up play against a formidable opponent in poker personality and beloved player Jamie Kerstetter, who began the day with a commanding chip lead. Kerstetter, known for her extensive experience with nearly 200 cashes in WSOP events, earned a respectable payday of $114,479.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The rail around the feature table was bustling with supporters, as each of the six remaining players had their own contingent of friends, fans, and family cheering them on. Particularly memorable was the spirited support for Linda Durden, with chants of "Linda, Linda, Linda" echoing even after her fourth-place finish. Okamoto also enjoyed strong backing from a Japanese crowd rooting for her.
Meanwhile, Kerstetter's entourage added their own flair with chants of "Who let the dogs out," a nod to Kerstetter's fondness for canine companions she sometimes brings to the table.
Winner’s Reaction
Reflecting on her victory, Okamoto expressed excitement about celebrating with her friends and family from Japan. "After finishing second last year and with all my supporters here, winning this year feels even more special," she remarked through a translator.
She conveyed a message of gratitude to those who couldn't be present this year, adding that her confidence stemmed from the experience gained in the previous tournament. Despite her relatively short poker career, Okamoto has already proven herself as a rising star and vowed to return next year to defend her title.
Last year in this very event, Okamoto entered the final day with an overwhelming chip lead but fell just shy and finished second to Tamar Abraham. Okamoto went on to post two more cashes at the 2023 WSOP, including the record-breaking Main Event, and added another pair of cashes this summer before breaking through for her first bracelet.
Final Day Action
All returning players were guaranteed a minimum payout of $32,007, though each aimed for their career-best cash. Cecile Ticherfatine of France, who garnered widespread encouragement from fellow French supporters, was the first to exit against Kerstetter. Ticherfatine praised the camaraderie among players in the women's tournament and expressed appreciation for the overwhelming French backing.
Mor Kamber, a former military intelligence officer from Israel turned poker product manager, made a strong impression but ultimately fell victim to Kerstetter too in a flush-over-flush showdown. Durden, a retired school teacher, then departed in fourth amidst chants from her enthusiastic supporters.
The three-handed play saw Ceci Liao, who also had the support of her boyfriend and friends on the rail, holding the shortest stack, while Kerstetter led comfortably over Okamoto. Despite Liao's solid play, she couldn't overcome the chip deficit and bowed out after her queens ran into Okamoto's kings.
The heads-up battle spanned over fifty hands, during which Okamoto steadily built her advantage over Kerstetter. Both players remained composed under pressure, but Okamoto capitalized on key opportunities. In the final hand, Okamoto hit two pair on the turn and pushed all-in, with Kerstetter's pair of aces unable to mount a comeback.
With Okamoto's victory, the Ladies Championship has concluded, but stay tuned to PokerNews for coverage of all the remaining events at the 2024 World Series of Poker.
In this Series
- 1 Dong Meng Wins Second Bracelet & $200,000 in WSOP Tournament of Champions
- 2 Jose Garcia Wins Event #2: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em for $79,134
- 3 Asher Conniff Wins First Bracelet in Event 1: $5,000 Champions Reunion for $408,468
- 4 Daniel Willis Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #3: $500 Kickoff NLHE
- 5 James Chen Wins WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo ($209,350)
- 6 Darius Samual's 50% Bankroll Risk Pays Off in WSOP $25K Heads-Up Championship
- 7 Mixed Game Legend John Hennigan Wins Seventh Bracelet at 2024 WSOP
- 8 Bryce Yockey BLASTS 25K Fantasy Draft Price After $5K PLO Bracelet Win
- 9 "I'm Only Here to Win Bracelets," says Nick Guagenti as He Captures His Second
- 10 Malcolm Trayner Made a Millionaire in WSOP Mystery Millions
- 11 Great Scott! Seiver Adds to Legacy with Fifth WSOP Bracelet
- 12 David Prociak Conquers The $1,500 Badugi for His Second Bracelet and $129,676
- 13 Simeon Spasov Wins $1,500 6-Max to Claim Second Bracelet for $439,815!
- 14 Robert Mizrachi Joins Brother on Five WSOP Bracelets After $10,000 Dealer's Choice Victory
- 15 20 Years in the Making: TJ Murphy Becomes a WSOP Champion
- 16 Caleb Furth Captures Maiden Bracelet in Event #15: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better for $265,361
- 17 Dylan Weisman Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Event #18: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 18 Brent Hart Rises From Pack to Win Event #16: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em
- 19 John Racener Spins Shortest Stack Up to WSOP Gold in LHE Championship
- 20 Aaron Cummings Wins His First Bracelet In Lowball Triple Draw Event
- 21 "Feeling Vindicated": Brek Schutten Wins WSOP $25,000 High Roller for $1,405,641
- 22 Sean Troha Completes Hat Trick in $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
- 23 Huge Comeback Inspires Daniel Sepiol to First Bracelet in $1,500 Shootout
- 24 Daniel Vampan Claims First Bracelet and $148,635 in $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Max
- 25 Stephen Winters Defeats 20,647 Players to Win $300 Gladiators of Poker ($401,210)
- 26 Nick Schulman Wins Fifth WSOP Bracelet in $25K High Roller ($1,667,842)
- 27 Gruneberg & Bonnacci Capture First WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets of the Summer
- 28 Evan Benton Goes From Poker Beginner to WSOP Bracelet Winner
- 29 Michael Christ "Gets Lucky" On His Way to Winning Event #27: $1,500 Big O
- 30 Alen Bakovic Laughs His Way to the WSOP Event #30 $600 PLO/NLH Mix Title
- 31 Nicholas Seward Wins His First WSOP Bracelet in $3,000 6-Handed for $516,135
- 32 Phil Ivey Wins His 11th WSOP Bracelet in $10K 2-7 Triple Draw Championship
- 33 Richard Ashby Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Same Stud Event
- 34 Alex Manzano Ascends to Win Event #33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack
- 35 Antonio Galiana’s Big Bluff Propels Him To First Bracelet in Event #34
- 36 Another Comeback, Another Bracelet For Phillip Hui In $1.5k H.O.R.S.E.
- 37 Timur Margolin Wins Third Bracelet in Event #36: $800 NLHE Deepstack for $342,551
- 38 John Fauver Wins The First Ever $10k Big O Championship For $681,998
- 39 Sergio Aido Wins 2024 WSOP $50,000 NLHE High Roller ($2,026,506)
- 40 Two Bracelets in Two Weeks: Scott Seiver Wins Sixth WSOP Gold in $1,500 Razz
- 41 James Obst Captures Second WSOP Bracelet in $10K Stud
- 42 Xixiang Luo Wins First-Ever WSOP NLHE/PLO Bomb Pot Mix Event
- 43 Magnus Edengren Gets His Crowning Moment in $1,500 Mixed Omaha
- 44 Kingery's Ransom: Longshoreman Ships $2K No-Limit Hold’em for $410,359
- 45 "It Was My Time": Chris Hunichen Captures First Bracelet & $2.8M in $100K High Roller
- 46 Peter Park Wins First Bracelet and $240,724 in Event #51: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty!
- 47 Dominant Performance: Pedro Neves Crushes On Way to WSOP Monster Stack Bracelet
- 48 Extra Special Day for Christopher Vitch As He Wins Event #48: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 49 Mostafa Haidary Tears Through the Final Four to Win Event #52: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
- 50 Third Time's the Charm: Patrick Moulder Captures First Bracelet and $177,045 in $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw
- 51 Frank Funaro Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in $10k Super Turbo Bounty
- 52 Dario Sammartino Wins First Bracelet in Event #61: $2,500 Stud 8/Omaha 8 for $222,703
- 53 Sean Jazayeri Claims First Bracelet in Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em
- 54 We Want the Funk! David Funkhouser Wins First Bracelet in $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball
- 55 Paolo Boi Stages Impressive Comeback to Win Event #60: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($676,900)
- 56 Daniel Negreanu Wins 7th WSOP Bracelet in $50,000 Poker Players Championship
- 57 Ben Collins' All Ins Were Unbeatable in Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors
- 58 Heads-Up Masterclass Propels Elie Nakache to $10K PLO Championship Title
- 59 Determined Scott Seiver Captures 3rd 2024 Bracelet by Winning $10k No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw
- 60 Runner-Up No More: Shiina Okamoto Wins Ladies' Event With Fierce Determination and Confidence
- 61 WPT Announcer Tony Dunst Wins Third World Series of Poker Bracelet
- 62 David Eldridge Overcomes the Odds to Claim Second Bracelet in $25k PLO High Roller ($2,246,728)
- 63 VAMOS! Martin Alcaide Claims First Bracelet and $501,250 in Event #70: $400 Colossus
- 64 Matthew Lambrecht Wins $10,000 Mystery Bounty for First WSOP Bracelet
- 65 Team Setna is "On Cloud 9" as the Duo Take Down Event #75: $1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold’em
