History was made on Monday at Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa when Michelle Chin became the first female to win a World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. Chin, who was born in Taiwan but moved to the states 12 years ago, received her first gold ring and $88,126 in first-place money for winning the tournament, but little did she know that she was the first female in the Circuit's 11-year history to win a Main Event.
"It means a lot to me," She said. "There aren't too many women in the poker community. We like to see more and more women play because it is a fun game. No matter what sex you are you should be able to enjoy it. It means a lot to me. I hope I encourage a lot of other girls to come out and play."
Chin currently resides in Wichita, Kansas where she was a restaurant owner at one time. Although she's currently looking for a new job, she told WSOP.com that she rather be classified as a recreational player rather than a professional.
The Council Bluffs Main Event attracted 235 entries over two starting days. The total prize pool was $352,500 and the top 24 players made the money with a min-cash worth $3.254. Here are the final table results:
1st: Michelle Chin - $88,126
2nd: Mike Lang - $54,468
3rd: Michael Sanders - $39,642
4th: Jesse Wilke - $29,317
5th: Greg Jennings - $22,021
6th: Michael Jensen - $16,797
7th: Tom Moss - $13,007
8th: Gregory Beaufait - $10,223
9th: Richard Fitzgerald - $8,153