Detroit Poker Dealer Wins the 2016 WSOP Ladies Championship
A Detroit, Mich., poker dealer and home game hero won the 2016 World Series of Poker Ladies Championship on Sunday.
Courtney Kennedy, a 37-year-old dealer at Motor City Casino, took home $149,108 and her first WSOP bracelet after getting the best of an 819-player field including a final table full of accomplished players.
��I��ve had cards in my hand since I was two years old,�� Kennedy said. ��I��m a home game player and I deal at Motor City Casino in Detroit. This game has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.��
The final table included WSOP Circuit ring winners Amanda Musumeci, Wendy Freedman and Amanda Baker, alongside Colossus II ninth-place finisher Michelle Deng and Team PokerStars Pro Yaxi Zhu. Kennedy beat Baker heads-up after taking what would prove to be an insurmountable lead with five players remaining in Sunday's final table.
Three handed, Kennedy had a 3-1 chip lead over Deng and Baker combined, and never fell out of chip lead position on the way to the win.
��I had to be careful about having the chip lead," Kennedy said. "I didn��t want to get carried away, especially with my rail cheering for me and all. I just wanted to play my strong game and pick my spots.��
2016 Ladies Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Courtney Kennedy | $149,108 |
| 2 | Amanda Baker | $92,121 |
| 3 | Michelle Deng | $64,401 |
| 4 | Natalia Breviglieri | $45,683 |
| 5 | Amanda Musumeci | $32,889 |
| 6 | Shelly Johnson-Ochoa | $24,037 |
| 7 | Wendy Freedman | $17,837 |
| 8 | Nicole Schwartz | $13,443 |
| 9 | Yaxi Zhu | $10,292 |
The event marked Kennedy's sixth time playing the WSOP Ladies Championship, but her first ever cash.
��When we all cashed, I was excited just to do that,�� Kennedy said. ��I cashed, so I��m good is what I thought. Once again, I never saw this coming.��
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