Event #53: $10,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship | 2014 World Series of Poker

2014-06-29 11:32 UTC-7

Aoki Returns with Huge Lead for Final Table

Nine ladies will return at 1 p.m. to battle it out with cards and chips until one of them is crowned a champion in Event #53: $10,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship. All final-tablists will make at least $11,504, but each of them has their eye on that top prize of $153,470 and the special ladies WSOP bracelet.

Mikiyo Aoki comes into Day 3 as the clear chip leader. Aoki was running over the table on Day 2 and was also the player to knock out the 10th-place finisher, giving her an extra boost to her stack at the end of play. She has a tower of chips numbering 742,000, or just under one third of the total chips in play. The next largest stack at the table has almost 300,000 less — Meikat Siu with 460,000.

Here are the players stacks at the start of play and how they will be seated for the final table:

Seat	Player	Chip Count
1	Persia Bonella	128,000
2	Meikat Siu	460,000
3	Elizabeth Montizanti	184,000
4	Stacey Sullivan	64,000
5	Pat Landis	219,000
6	Haixia Zhang	311,000
7	Patricia Cahill	66,000
8	Mikiyo Aoki	742,000
9	Kendra Wray	214,000

Make sure you follow along here on the PokerNews live update blog for our coverage every step of the way. We will have hand-by-hand reporting until one of these ladies is holding a new bracelet.

Tags: Mikiyo Aoki

2014-06-29 13:46 UTC-7

Patricia Cahill Eliminated in 9th Place ($11,504)

Nível 20 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Hand #11: Persia Bonella open-shoved from middle position and picked up the blinds and antes.

Hand #12: Pat Landis opened to 25,000 from the cutoff seat, Haixia Zhang three bet to 70,000 on the button, and Landis folded.

Hand #13: Zhang started the action with a raise of 25,000 from the cutoff seat, Patricia Cahill three bet shoved from the button, and Zhang made the call putting Cahill.

Zhang:
Cahill:

Cahill was in trouble and needed some help to stay alive. The dealer delivered a board and Cahill was eliminated.

Tags: Haixia Zhang Pat Landis Patricia Cahill Persia Bonella

2014-06-29 13:52 UTC-7

Stacey Sullivan Eliminated in 8th Place ($14,752)

Nível 20 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Hand #14: Stacey Sullivan pushed her short stack all in from middle position and Persia Bonella called in the big blind.

Sullivan:
Bonella:

Sullivan wasn't liking the hand she had to beat, and she wasn't able to get any help when the board ran out . Sullivan was eliminated in eighth place for $14,752.

Tags: Persia Bonella Stacey Sullivan

2014-06-29 14:02 UTC-7

Kendra Wray Eliminated in 7th Place ($19,120)

Nível 20 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Hand #20: Persia Bonella raised to 23,000 and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #21: Mikiyo Aoki raised to 25,000 and scooped up the pot.

Hand #22: Haixia Zhang raised to 25,000 and Aoki made the call. Kendra Wray then pushed all in and action folded back to Zhang. The count came to 99,000 to call and Zhang had a decision to make. She elected to raise it up to 200,000 and Aoki let go of her hand.

Wray:
Zhang:

Wray was in the lead and looking to double up. The flop was safe with . The turn put Zhang in the lead when it came down , and Wray couldn't retake the lead when the river was revealed as the . Wray was eliminated from this tournament in seventh place and has earned $19,120.

Tags: Haixia Zhang Kendra Wray Mikiyo Aoki Persia Bonella

2014-06-29 14:55 UTC-7

Final Table Interview: Mikiyo Aoki

Nível 21 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Bozeman, Montana's Mikiyo Aoki came into the WSOP Ladies Championship final table with the chip lead. And although things haven't exactly gone her way in the early going, this digital marketing professional and poker amateur is still near the top of the chip counts.

There's a sizable crowd and a rather electric atmosphere around the table today, and PokerNews decided to chat with Aoki to get a sense of what her experience has been like so far in this latest Final Table Interview.

PokerNews: It's really an exciting atmosphere here at the final table. How has your experience been so far?

It's so much fun. Last year I played in the [Casino Employees] event, but this is really my first World Series of Poker event. I didn't really have any expectations coming in, so making it here is really exciting. It's awesome… whatever happens, I'm pretty thrilled.

PokerNews: You came in with the chip lead, but doubled up a few short stacks so far. How are things going?

It's been pretty rough. I called with queens versus [Patricia Cahill's] low ace early on and hit trip queens, but it came runner-runner to give her a straight. Then here I hit the flush but [Elizabeth Montizanti] hit a full house. It has been a little frustrating, but I'm trying to be patient and pick good spots and hopefully build it back up.

PokerNews: There's one small cash on your record to this point. What's your history with the game of poker?

I started pretty young. I have a brother who is a year older than me and I would always play in little five-dollar home games when we were kids growing up. Since then I've played a bit of cash games, a few tournaments, but nothing this big for sure.

PokerNews: There's often a lot of camaraderie in the WSOP Ladies Championship. Has that been your experience so far?

I noticed that too. I don't think I've played against a single player that didn't have a great attitude. Everyone has been so sweet. I definitely agree there's been a lot of camaraderie. When someone gets knocked out everyone is always giving her hugs because we've all kind of bonded coming to this final stage.

PokerNews: Here at this final stage you are on the live stream, under the lights, and a big crowd is watching. Is it nerve-wracking?

Now that I'm here it's easy to focus, but I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, that's for sure. It's definitely exciting.

PokerNews: So what's your plan going forward?

To try to be patient, pick good spots, and hopefully regain the chip lead at some point.

Tags: Mikiyo Aoki

2014-06-29 15:13 UTC-7

Persia Bonella Eliminated in 6th Place ($25,072)

Nível 21 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Hand #43: Elizabeth Montizanti moved all in on the button for 109,000 and the ladies in the blinds folded.

Hand #44: Persia Bonella opened to 35,000 under the gun, Meikat Siu called from middle position, and Mikiyo Aoki called in the big blind. A three-way flop was dealt , Aoki checked, Bonella bet 58,000, Siu raised to 116,000, Aoki folded, Bonella three-bet shoved all in for 167,000, and Siu made the call.

Bonella:
Siu:

Bonella was ahead with he pair of fours and two cards to come. The turn came and Siu had paired her queen to take the lead and the river sent Bonella to collect her earnings in sixth place.

Tags: Elizabeth Montizanti Meikat Siu Mikiyo Aoki Persia Bonella

2014-06-29 15:15 UTC-7

Patty Landis Eliminated in 5th Place ($33,279)

Nível 21 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Hand #45: Haixia Zhang raised to 35,000 and Meikat Siu made the call. The dealer revealed for a flop and Siu checked. Zhang bet 50,000 and Siu gave up her hand, awarding Zhang the pot.

Hand #46: Patty Landis shipped it in the middle from under the gun and Mikiyo Aoki called.

Aoki:
Landis

The board ran out and Landis couldn't catch up to the tens. She was eliminated in fifth place and has earned $33,279.

Tags: Haixia Zhang Meikat Siu Mikiyo Aoki Pat Landis Patty Landis

2014-06-29 15:21 UTC-7

Elizabeth Montizanti Eliminated in 4th Place ($44,770)

Nível 21 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Hand #47: Haixia Zhang got a walk in her big blind.

Hand #48: Elizabeth Montizanti open-shoved on the button, Zhang asked for the count in the small blind, Montizanti’s all in was for 111,000, and Zhang made the call.

Montizanti:
Zhang:

Montizanti was in good shape for the double up until the dealer delivered a flop of . Zhang had hit her ace and after the turn and river ---- Montizanti was busted in fourth place.

Tags: Elizabeth Montizanti Haixia Zhang

2014-06-29 16:37 UTC-7

Meikat Siu Eliminated in 3rd Place ($61,114)

Nível 22 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

Hand #75: Haixia Zhang opened to 50,000 from the small blind and Mikiyo Aoki called in the big blind. The two ladies seen a flop of , Zhang led out with a bet of 100,000 and took down the pot.

Hand #76: Aoki opened wiith a bet of 43,000 from the small blind and Meikat Siu made the call fom the big blind. The dealer issued a flop, aoki led out for 70,000 and Siu called to see the turn, . Aoki led out again, this time for 143,000, Siu raised all in, and Aoki made the call.

Aoki:
Siu:

Siu was drawing dead and as the fell on the river, was eliminated in third place.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Haixia Zhang	1,250,000 210,000	210,000

Mikiyo Aoki	1,130,000 230,000	230,000
Meikat Siu	Eliminado

Tags: Haixia Zhang Meikat Siu Mikiyo Aoki

2014-06-29 17:04 UTC-7

Mikiyo Aoki Eliminated in 2nd Place

Nível 22 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

Hand #87: Mikiyo Aoki pushed all in from the button and Haixia Zhang eyed up her opponents stack. After a minute of thought she decided to call and Aoki was facing elimination.

Aoki:
Zhang:

Aoki needed to connect with something on the board to catch up, but she didn't see anything that helped on the flop of . The turn card was the which added some gutshot outs for Aoki. The river card was the which locked up the pot for Zhang, and Aoki was eliminated from the tournament in second place after beginning the day with a massive chip lead. She has earned $94,800 for her great run in this event.

Tags: Haixia Zhang Mikiyo Aoki