By Sean Chaffin
Another WPT event, another super deep run for Maria Ho (pictured. It’s been a whirlwind of big finishes of late for the poker pro and commentator. After a third-place finish at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas in May, Ho entered Day 4 at the Gardens sixth in chips with 11 players remaining.
“It’s tremendous,” she said of making Day 4. “I believe this is the first WPT that I’ve played since Seminole, so that’s pretty awesome. What else could I ask for?”
Getting through Day 3 wasn’t easy and involved some mental toughness and fortitude at the table. Several bustouts right near the end of the day only added to the anticipation for today’s action.
“There were a few times when I lost some chips, but I just didn’t allow that to discourage me and I just kept fighting,” she says. “I think I had to fight for all the pots that I won today, which sometimes feels good to earn it that way. I wouldn’t say it was a struggle, but I battled.”
Ho took home $344,960 for her Seminole Hard Rock finish. She scored a WPTDeepstacks title in October 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Now with another chance at a final table, Ho’s hoping to add a title on the Main Tour.
Beyond the WPT, it’s been a big year in general. In March, the 36-year-old won the a $25,000 High Roller event at L.A.P.C. for $276,690. In May, she scored a fourth-place finish in Montreal in the partypoker Millions C$10,300 High Roller event for $70,851. She followed that up at the World Series of Poker in June with a fifth-place finish in a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $91,211.
No stranger to poker fans, Ho is heavily involved with the game beyond just playing on the felt. She works as a commentator and host during poker broadcasts on ESPN, PokerGO, and other outlets. She’s become one of the top voices in poker whether hosting event coverage or offering tournament analysis.
With so many recent final tables, Ho seems on the verge of winning a title, but knows adding her name to the WPT Champions Cup won’t be easy.
Currently, Ho doesn’t have any more WPT events scheduled on her calendar, but plans on being in the field at some more in Season XVIII. What’s her plan of attack on Day 4 at the Gardens?
“Luckily I’ve been in this position before, so I feel like the best plan is to just stick with what I’ve been doing and feel confident in my game,” she says. “But I’m willing to adjust and adapt on the fly if need be. Not too much of a game plan, but I definitely feel like I have a good idea about how to approach it.”
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.