The World Series of Poker announced the addition of a €1,000 Ladies Championship to WSOP Europe on Wednesday night. The news broke via social media, with a number of the world’s best female players committing to the event as WSOP Europe debuts in Prague, Czechia, after eight years in neighboring Rozvadov.
WSOP Europe’s new era
The WSOP Europe Ladies Championship bracelet will be a custom piece with additional gemstones that will set it apart from all other bracelets awarded.
With added guarantees, a new home in Prague, and directly competing with the incredibly popular Irish Poker Open, GGPoker and WSOP are attempting to set themselves apart from the competition.
“As we enter a new era for WSOP Europe in Prague, it was essential that our schedule reflected the full spectrum of the poker community,” WSOP CEO Ty Stewart said.
“The Ladies Championship is always one of the most spirited and competitive environments of the summer in Las Vegas, and we are thrilled to bring that same energy and prestige to the heart of Europe. We want this to be the definitive Ladies Event on the continent.”
Big names committed
A number of the biggest stars in women’s poker helped usher in the new era of WSOP Europe by both assisting with the announcement and committing to the event.
Big-name superstars like last year’s WSOP Main Event final tablist Leo Margets (Spain), Sunday Million Anniversary winner Vanessa Kade (Canada), Kitty Kuo (Taiwan), Xuan Liu (Canada), Cecile Ticherfatine (France), and Kasey Lynn “pokermommaa” Mills (USA) will all be in Prague.
In addition, back-to-back WSOP Ladies champion Shiina Okamoto will be looking to make it three wins in a row as she’ll be headed to Czechia.
Vloggers Ashley Frank and Abby Merk, along with GGPoker ambassador Andrijana ‘Lijapoker’ Gligoric, have also confirmed their appearances. In addition, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Mackenzie Dern, who has been a fixture in Brazil and on the Celebrity Poker Tour, also committed to the event.
WSOP Europe schedule
WSOP Europe now features a total of 16 bracelet events, with the €5,000 Main Event being the headliner. The Main Event features three flights and has an eye-watering €10,000,000 guarantee. This is the first time a WSOP Europe Main Event has featured a guarantee, and it is the most affordable Main Event in history, down from €10,300 last year. They should comfortably break the record for most entries, set in 2023 when Max Neugebauer topped the 817-entry field to win €1,500,000.
There’s also the €1,350 European Circuit Championship, a new event that features a €1,500,000 guarantee. Players who have won a WSOP Circuit ring this year are eligible to use their $5,000 package towards entry in that event, as well as free accommodation in Prague.
| Start Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 31 | €1,000 The Opener (4 flights) |
| March 31 | €3,000 Mixed PLO/PLO8/Big O |
| April 2 | €500 Colossus (2 flights) |
| April 3 | €500 PLOOSSUS Bounty (2 flights) |
| April 3 | €5,000 Main Event (3 flights) |
| April 4 | €1,000 Ladies Championship |
| April 5 | €2,000 Turbo Bounty |
| April 6 | €1,500 Monster Stack |
| April 6 | €5,000 European PLO Championship |
| April 7 | €2,500 Rounder Cup (EU vs. World) |
| April 7 | €1,500 Monster Stack PLO |
| April 8 | €20,000 Super High Roller |
| April 8 | €1,350 European Circuit Championship |
| April 9 | €8,000 GGMillion$ High Roller |
| April 10 | €1,000 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot |
| April 10 | €2,500 The Closer Turbo Bounty |
WSOP Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship history
Shiina Okamoto made history in 2025, becoming the first player to win the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship twice. Not only did she pull that feat, but she also did so by winning the event in back-to-back years after finishing second the year prior.
Okamoto’s feat is considered by many to be one of the greatest accomplishments in poker history.
| Year | Event | Entries | Winner | Top Prize |
| 2005 | $1,000 Ladies’ No Limit Hold’em | 601 | Jennifer Tilly | $158,335 |
| 2006 | $1,000 Ladies’ No Limit Hold’em | 1,128 | Mary Jones Meyer | $236,094 |
| 2007 | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,286 | Sally Boyer | $262,077 |
| 2008] | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,190 | Svetlana Gromenkova | $224,702 |
| 2009 | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,060 | Lisa Hamilton | $195,390 |
| 2010 | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,054 | Vanessa Hellebuyck | $192,132 |
| 2011 | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,055 | Marsha Wolak | $192,344 |
| 2012 | $1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 936 | Yen Dang | $170,587 |
| 2013 | $10,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship[c] | 954 | Kristen Bicknell | $173,922 |
| 2014 | $10,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship[c] | 793 | Haixia Zhang | $153,470 |
| 2015 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship[c] | 795 | Jacquelyn Scott | $153,876 |
| 2016 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 819 | Courtney Kennedy | $149,108 |
| 2017 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 718 | Heidi May | $135,098 |
| 2018 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship[c] | 696 | Jessica Dawley | $130,230 |
| 2019 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 968 | Jiyoung Kim | $167,308 |
| 2020 | not held | |||
| 2021 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 644 | Lara Eisenberg | $115,694 |
| 2022 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,074 | Jessica Teusl | $166,975 |
| 2023 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,295 | Tamar Abraham | $192,167 |
| 2024 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship | 1,245 | Shiina Okamoto | $171,732 |
