Maria Ho defeated one of the best female players in the game Kristen Bicknell to win the $25K High Roller at the La Poker Classic.
It’s definitely a great moment for Maria because when she won the event she turned 36 years old, and the $276,690 prize is absolutely a perfect gift for the 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame member.
The 2019 L.A. Poker Classic $25,000 buy-in NLHE High Roller title is actually Maria Ho’s second-biggest live score in her career. Her biggest score to date is her runner-up finish in a $5,000 event for $540,020 at the 2011 WSOP. Currently her lifetime live tournament earnings are over $3 million.
The event had a player field of 28 entries that built a prize pool of $699,860. The top five players shall earn a payout, with the top three to be guaranteed six-figure prizes.
In the final hand, Maria Ho was up against Kristen Bicknell.
Maria Ho had Q-5
Bicknell had K-10
The board showed J-9-8-5-8, and Ho got the better hand with a 5 pair on the turn, thus winning the pot and the title.
World Poker Tour Executive Director Matt Savage greeted Maria Ho a happy birthday as he posted the results of the event via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SavagePoker/status/1103386999807868929
Maria Ho said to Matt after she won, “Matt, I’ve played so many tournaments on my birthday because Bay 101 used to always fall then, and I’ve never even sniffed a final table on my birthday. I guess on my birthday I’ll have to come back to pick up my payout!”
LAPC $25K High Roller Results
|
Player
|
Country
|
Prize
|
1
|
Maria Ho
|
United States
|
$276,690
|
2
|
Kristen Bicknell
|
Canada
|
$180,070
|
3
|
Sean Winter
|
United States
|
$117,190
|
4
|
Tamon Nakamura
|
Japan
|
$76,270
|
5
|
Manig Loeser
|
Germany
|
$49,640
|
Source: https://www.highstakesdb.com/9389-maria-ho-wins-lapc-25k-high-roller-for-276690.aspx