Oh, What a Night! The Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship Awaits
As the great Kool and the Gang once eloquently declared, oh yes, it's ladies night. Welcome to Event 51, the $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship!
This marks the 36th consecutive year the WSOP has included a women's-only event as part of the schedule. Jackie McDaniels won the first ladies event in 1977, a $100 buy-in seven-card stud tournament.
The ladies continued to play seven-card stud through 1999. Among the winners during that era were June Field (1982) Poker Hall of Famer Barbara Enright (twice, in 1986 and 1994), Starla Brodie (1995), and Susie Isaacs (twice, in 1996 and 1997). Other players cashing in ladies events early on at the start of what would become lengthy, remarkable careers in poker include Cyndy Violette, Jan Fisher, and another Poker Hall of Famer, Linda Johnson.
By 1998 the buy-in had increased to $1,000 (where it has remained ever since), and starting in 2000 the tournament was played as a mixed event combining seven-card stud and limit hold'em. Winners during that stretch included Nani Dollison (twice, in 2000 and 2001), Catherine Brown (2002), and Barb Rugolo (2003).
Reflecting the rise in popularity of no-limit hold'em, the ladies event switched format again in 2004 to become a NLHE event and has remained so since. Here's a list of winners, entrants, and first-place prize money since the switch.
| Year | Winner | Prize | Entrants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hung Doan | $58,530 | 201 |
| 2005 | Jennifer Tilly | $158,335 | 601 |
| 2006 | Mary Jones | $236,094 | 1,128 |
| 2007 | Sally Anne Boyer | $262,077 | 1,286 |
| 2008 | Svetlana Gromenkova | $224,702 | 1,190 |
| 2009 | Lisa Hamilton | $195,390 | 1,060 |
| 2010 | Vanessa Hellebuyck | $192,132 | 1,054 |
| 2011 | Marsha Wolak | $192,344 | 1,055 |
Who will be next to join the list of ladies event winners and earn that most coveted piece of jewelry in poker, a WSOP bracelet? Find out starting at noon Vegas time as we bring you start-to-finish coverage of the three-day Event 51 right here at PokerNews.