WSOP 2013 - Event #51 - Kristen Bicknell Takes Down Ladies Event

This year’s WSOP Ladies Event, or Event #51 Ladies No Limit Hold'em Championship, introduced new entry rules. Having no legal options to keep males from entering the event, which they did in the past years, organisers made the entry open to both males and females. However, while the entry fee for the ladies remained at $1,000, their fellow male players had to cough up $10,000. As a result of the new system, not a single male player entered the event.

The 954 entrants raised a prize pool of $858,600. 122 of them remained, five eliminations away from the money. On Day 2, play resumed and only the final nine were still standing by the end of it, led by Shana Matthews with 497,000 in chips. The favourite of the finale was WSOPC champion Amanda Baker (stack: 277,000).

The Final Table seat draw was as follows:

Seat 1: Julie Monsacre – 188,000
Seat 2: Eleanor Gudger – 398,000
Seat 3: Connie Bruce – 360,000
Seat 4: Chris Priday – 455,000
Seat 5: Shana Matthews – 497,000
Seat 6: Kristen Bicknell – 316,000
Seat 7: Cindy Kerslake – 100,000
Seat 8: Amanda Baker – 277,000
Seat 9: Leanne Haas – 272,000

After only 17 hands, the first elimination of the finale took place: shortstack Cindy Kerslake moved all-in with 59,000 in chips on Level 19 (1,000/4,000/8,000). Baker called and showed T T . Kerslake was ahead with J J but a ten fell on the river on the neutral board and she was out in 9th place.

Chris Priday followed and then Baker busted out as well, shoving her 273,000 preflop on Kristen Bicknell’s bet and the latter called. Baker held A-T and Bicknell had A-Q and the board came T-9-2-Q-7, sending Baker to the cashier in 7th place. Eleanor Gudger, Connie Bruce and Matthews followed, before the heads-up was set with Julie Monsacre out in 3rd.

Kristen Bicknell – 1,434,000
Leanne Haas – 1,429,000

The duel only lasted seven hands. In the last one, Bicknell opened to 40,000, Leanne Haas called and the flop ran 3 8 K . Bicknell bet 50,000, Haas check-called and she also checked the J turn. Bicknell bet 130,000, Haas raised to 280,000 and Bicknell called. On the 7 river, Haas moved all-in with 627,000 and Bicknell made the call.

Haas: K 9
Bicknell: A K

Bicknell won the tournament with an ace kicker.


Canadian Kristen Bicknell’s previous best live tournament result had been a 3rd finish in 2010 in the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza $300 NLHE side event for $21,281. She is now richer $173,922, as well as a golden bracelet.

The end results are as follows:

1st: Kristen Bicknell – $173,922
2nd: Leanne Haas – $107,616
3rd: Julie Monsacre – $67,331
4th: Shana Matthews  –$48,871
5th: Connie Bruce – $36,078
6th: Eleanor Gudger – $27,045
7th: Amanda Baker – $20,572
8th: Chris Priday – $15,858
9th: Cindy Kerslake – $12,389