The PokerStars Women’s Winter Festival has concluded at the iconic Hippodrome Casino in London, delivering thrilling poker action and spotlighting some of the game’s top female talents. The festival made a significant mark, with exciting events, notable appearances and performances, and plenty of international representation at the tables over its four days of poker action. In particular, the Main Event made a huge splash as it was the largest ever women’s only poker tournament to have ever taken place outside of Las Vegas!
Notable Names Lead the Way
PokerStars ambassadors GJ Reggie, Jennifer Shahade, Marle Spragg and newly appointed ambassador Caitlin Comeskey, were among the headliners at the first-time event. Fans worldwide tuned in to PokerStars’ Twitch channel to catch the live-streamed action (on delay) with special guests such as Comeskey, Vanessa Kade, and Ben Spragg adding an extra layer of excitement to the proceedings on commentary alongside Nick Walsh.
The festival kicked off on Thursday, November 21, with Event #1: the £1,100 Women’s Winter Festival High Roller, attracting 27 total entries (six re-entries) hailing from eight different countries.
The £25,920 prize pool was shared among the top five finishers:
- 5th place: Maria Lampropulos (£2,300)
- 4th place: Ivonne Montealegre (£3,000)
- 3rd place: Soraya Estrada (£4,200)
In a back-and-forth heads-up showdown between two UK-based players, Jennifer Steele claimed the runner-up position with a £6,400 payday, while Charlie Waters emerged victorious, taking home the title and £10,020 for her efforts.
Charlie Waters
84 Pairings in the 50/50
A special £220 NLH 50/50 Freezeout took place during the PokerStars Women’s Winter Festival as well, each woman registered alongside a player of the opposite sex. The pairings notwithstanding, it was a regular freezeout tournament with a total prize pool of £32,256. A total of 23 players made it into the money, for a mincash of at least £370. Colombia’s Yon Suaterna finished atop the field for a £7,556 payday.
Main Event Days 1 & 2: Recap and Highlights
Alongside the High Roller, Event #2: the £400 Women’s Winter Festival Main Event kicked off flight Day 1A on Thursday November 21. The event featured a £100,000 guarantee and three starting flights, with players allowed a single re-entry per flight. Days 1B and 1C both took place on Friday November 22.
- Day 1A saw 42 total entries (34 players + eight re-entries), with eight players advancing to Day 2.
- Day 1B saw 148 total entries (119 players + 29 re-entries), with 30 players advancing to Day 2.
- Day 1C saw 81 total entries (69 players + 12 re-entries), with 16 players advancing to Day 2.
Among the 54 players who began play on Day 2 were the chipleaders from the three Day 1 flights (Mary-Rose McCann, Christina Solli, and Laura Glasgow), as well as GJ Reggie, Caitlin Comeskey, and Jennifer Shahade.
One player who unfortunately did not cash was our #MyPartnerInPoker contest winner Nan Min.
Busted 56/148 Day 1B £400 Main @PokerStars Women’s Winter Fest—flopped a straight OOP vs chip leader, tried to trap… she turned/rivered the nuts! 🚨
Still having a blast—the players, food, vibe, and hey, it’s LONDON! 🇬🇧♠️
Huge thanks to @KjCraigie & @PokerLifeMedia! https://t.co/6wQ1ESlbRU
— 𝕹𝖆𝖓𝖚𝖙𝖟𝖆 🦋 (@Nanutza1) November 23, 2024
Even so, it’s clear from her posts on social media that she and her nominator Tyler DuBoys had a great trip to the festival!
Chillin’ w/ Paddington. Mince pie + mulled wine. My first pint.
Londoners sure 💜 X-mas 🎄Seeing the holidays lights ✨🌟💫 before joining the ladies
At @PokerStars Women’s Winter Festival @PSLive_Hippo https://t.co/6Od2lMom5n pic.twitter.com/1XBpcSrs79— 𝕹𝖆𝖓𝖚𝖙𝖟𝖆 🦋 (@Nanutza1) November 20, 2024
Moreover, Tyler ended up winning the festival’s Qualifier Freeroll, for an £1,100 Player’s Choice Ticket!
Huge thanks to @PokerLifeMedia for the amazing Women’s Winter Festival! @Nanutza1 @PokerStars #MyPartnerInPoker
Not going home empty handed either 😎 thanks to the qualifier shootout, I picked up a €1.1k package for a future EPT event!
Help me decide – Paris or Monte Carlo?! pic.twitter.com/YW3kEEAPFd
— Tyler DuBoys (@TylerDuBoys) November 24, 2024
Anyhow, with the Main Event attracting 271 entries, there was a very slight overlay, thus the £100,000 guaranteed prize pool held and awarded the top 44 finishers with a minimum payday of £570.
Whether your’e all smiles 😃 or all business 😎 one thing is for sure the women really showed out for the Women’s Winter Festival ❄️🇬🇧 by having the second BIGGEST women’s turn out outside of Vegas!
♠️ @PokerStars
📍 @HippodromeLDN pic.twitter.com/ULoV0B6hqJ— Poker Org (@pokerorg) November 22, 2024
Big announcement from @KjCraigie at the Women’s Winter Freestyle event, sponsored by @PokerStars 👏 pic.twitter.com/ks29MeXcwA
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) November 22, 2024
Learning Beyond the Felt
Away from the tables, players had the opportunity to sharpen their skills at two engaging Bootcamp tutorials hosted during the festival. Team PokerStars Pro Ben Spragg teamed up with the Hippodrome’s Director of Poker Operations and Strategy Kerryjane Craigie—who also serves as a PokerStars Ambassador for Women in Poker—to deliver the sessions.
Thursday’s Bootcamp, titled “Top Tips for Live Poker,” was tailored for less experienced players and those transitioning from online to live poker. The tutorial covered essential strategies and insights to help attendees feel more confident in a live poker setting, emphasizing the nuances that set it apart from the virtual felt.
Saturday’s session provided an “Intro to Variance” along with a PLO Tutorial, delivering valuable advice on managing the swings inherent in Pot-Limit Omaha, appealing to players keen to broaden their game knowledge.
Main Event Day 3: Lampropulos Emerges Victorious
The 271-entry field was whittled down to just 17 players to start off Day 3, with Ireland’s Jennifer Steele leading the way as the only player who had crossed the 1,000,000 chip mark.
The final table couldn’t have gotten much more international, with representatives of seven different nations seated around the felt. They consisted of (in order of finish):
- Maria Lampropulos (Argentina) – £20,000
- Ann-Roos Callens (Belgium) – £12,610
- Marta Porter (Lithuania) – £9,000
- Franky Green (UK) – £6,850
- Lisa Roberts (USA) – £5,280
- Jennifer Steele (Ireland) – £4,070
- Kim Dockery (UK) -£3,260
- Celine Diot (France) – £2,730
- Berivan Dag (UK) – £2,280
Lampropulos was by far the most experienced player to have made the final table, with over $3.7 million in career winnings, including two 7-figure scores (2017 partypoker MILLIONS LIVE at Dusk Till Dawn and 2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, respectively).
While Callens and Porter, both of whom qualified with online packages to attend and play in the event, put in valiant efforts, in the end Lampropulos managed to take down the title and notch a £20,000 payday for her efforts.
A Celebration of Women in Poker
The 2024 PokerStars Women’s Winter Festival has set the bar for providing a dynamic platform for women in poker, showcasing diverse talent and fostering a sense of community and competition. Full of memorable moments and deserving champions, the stage is set for more such festivals to come and shine the spotlight brightly on women in poker in the future.
Photo credits: Danny Maxwell for Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited
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