WPT Crowns First Woman Champion at Invitational

At one of the World Poker Tour’s most exclusive events, history was made when Van Nguyen won the Celebrity Invitational at the Commerce Casino yesterday, becoming the first woman to ever win a WPT title. She won $100,000 as well as a $25,000 seat into the WPT Championship in April.

Hollywood celebrities and poker pros made up the 445 entrants that started the event. Aside from being invited, players could also receive an entry by buying a $25,000 seat into the WPT Championship.

The televised final table started one player shy of its usual sixhanded attendance, another first in WPT history. Billy Baxter knocked out two players in the same hand on the TV final-table bubble, which made him chip leader going in to the final five.

Elias Madias, a poker rookie, was the first to be eliminated. He was followed by Card Player’s own Justin Marchand, who received his entry by winning a WPT media tournament.

Next to go was poker pro Baxter. That left it heads up between Van Nguyen, wife of four-time Card Player Player of the Year Men Nguyen, and Ethan Ruby. Nguyen’s chip lead proved too much for Ruby to overcome, and she won the title.

Here are the final table payouts:

1. Van Nguyen — $100,000 + $25,000 WPT Championship seat
2. Ethan Ruby — $50,000
3. Billy Baxter — $20,000
4. Justin Marchand — $15,000
5. Elias Madias — $10,000

The next stop on the WPT circuit is the Bay 101 Shooting Star event.

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