Los Angeles, CA (March 8, 2022) – In recognition of International Women’s Day, World Poker Tour® is shining a spotlight on four organizations that advocate for inclusivity for women throughout the poker industry; Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS), Poker League of Nations (PLoN), Poker Power, and the Women’s Poker Association (WPA).
The Ladies International Poker Series is a nonprofit organization that provides greater access to poker for women through their hosted live events across the United States.
“Ladies International Poker Series is the first poker tour established for women and expands the game of poker through live and online events across the United States,” said Lupe Soto, founder of LIPS.
Poker League of Nations is an international organization that actively increases the participation of women in poker through special events, staking opportunities, and its community.
“Our community welcomes all who are aligned with our goal of empowering women through the game of poker,” said Lena Evans, CEO and Founder of Poker League of Nations. “We aim to make women more confident in all facets of life through honing the skills necessary to be successful at the poker table”
Poker Power focuses on the connection between the valuable lessons that are present in the game of poker and real-life application of those lessons.
“Our organizations share a commitment to bring more women to the table and to empower them with game-changing skills,” said Erin Lydon, GM of Poker Power. “The power of poker is that by playing a game of strategy, we learn to master the game of leadership. As more women learn and play, the impact will be transformational for generations to come. It’s time to stop playing not to lose and start playing to win.”
The Women’s Poker Association seeks to advocate for all women in the poker industry through increasing the exposure of current women poker players and fostering new women players in the community.
“The Women’s Poker Association (WPA) is a nonprofit, all volunteer organization that works tirelessly to empower, elevate, and educate women in poker. The WPA supports those that support women in poker,” said Tara Windsor-Smith, Vice President of WPA. “It’s crucial that women, at any stage of their poker journey, always feel welcomed and supported, plus know what resources are available to them within the poker community. Through strategic and thoughtful partnerships within the poker industry and purposeful WPA programs, we continue to bring awareness to women in poker within our industry. This has resulted in positive changes and forward-thinking initiatives which are being recognized and carried out worldwide by poker operators and the poker community. What has been accomplished over the past decade for the recognition and advancement of women in poker, is just amazing! However, the job isn’t finished yet, and the WPA still has a ton more to do.”
WPT® is proud to honor the women who have helped build and enrich the World Poker Tour. This includes Angelica Hael (VP of Global Tour Management), Hermance Blum (VP of Marketing), Deborah Frazzetta (VP of Finance), Loc Sondheim (Executive Director of Ad Sales and Distribution), Cathy Zhao (Senior Director of Global Tour Management), Mandy Glogow (Supervising Producer), Chelsea McGuire (Senior Director, Business & Legal Affairs), Lynn Gilmartin (WPT Anchor), as well as the rest of the women who support WPT events from all angles.
“As we celebrate our 20-year anniversary, we are grateful to the women (and men) who continuously strive to increase the number of women in this game we love,” said Angelica Hael, VP of Global Tour Management. “We continue to be committed to increasing the number of people in our global poker ecosystem, and one of the ways we will achieve this is to energize, encourage, and empower more women to enjoy the game of poker.”
In addition to the celebrations on International Women’s Day, all of the aforementioned organizations will participate in the Women in Poker Bounty Tournament on ClubWPT.com, beginning 6pm ET on Sunday, March 13th, which will award over $9,000 in cash prizes and WPT Prime Passports. The Women in Poker Bounty Tournament champion will receive a $1,000 WPT Prime Passport. Additionally, each participating organization will enter a designated player carrying a $1,000 WPT Prime Passport as a “bounty” awarded to players who eliminate them from the tournament. An extra $1,000 in cash prizes will also be awarded to the top tournament finishers. The tournament will also be livestreamed with Lynn Gilmartin as commentator, alongside WPT Honors recipient Linda Johnson and other guests.
For more information, visit ClubWPT.com.
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About the World Poker Tour®
World Poker Tour® (WPT®) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 19th season, which airs on Bally Sports in the United States. Season XIX of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 43 states and territories across the United States, Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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