The World Poker Tour has always been a large supporter of women’s poker, and they have taken another step towards improving the reputation and recognition of women’s poker by creating the World Poker Tour Ladies’ League, the WPTL. The first event of the WPTL will take place on January 20, at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
Before forming the WPTL, the World Poker Tour held annual ladies’ events, the WPT Ladies Night Out, where the best female poker players would gather to prove themselves the best lady. The WPT has also helped support other ladies’ events, most notably the $1000 buy-in Ladies Event held at the Bicycle Casino during their Poker Legends series of tournaments.
The WPT hopes to entice as many ladies as possible to play in the WPTL. With affordable buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,500, female poker players of all skill levels will be able to compete in the events, so the events hold promise of interesting battles between the amateurs and the pros. The winner of each event will qualify for the WPT Ladies’ Championship that will be held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas after the prelimnary events are completed.
The World Poker Tour is working in conjunction with several ladies’ poker groups to put on these events, one such group being the Ladies Poker Assoctiation, or LPA. There will be events at many of the WPT’s current venues, including the Bellagio, Foxwoods, Bay 101, and the Commerce Casino.
The WPT has worked with women’s charities before, and they shall continue to do so, as 15% of the $1,500 buy-ins for the WPT Ladies’ Championship will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Foundation for the Cure, assisting their cause to find a cure for breast cancer and save the lives of women afflicted by the cancer.
The WPT has once again come up with a way to provide support for women’s poker, providing more events for ladies to pit their poker skills against each other and show the world the quality of premier female poker players.
Below is the Schedule for the WPTL
January 20, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ – $300 buy-in
February 2-3, Commerce Casino, Los Angeles, CA – $970 buy-in
March 16, Bay 101, San Jose, CA – $300 buy-in
March 29, Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Mashantucket, CT – $530 buy-in
April 13-14 Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV – $1,500 WPT Ladies’ Championship