Maria Ho takes down a WPTDeepStacks title in Johannesburg, and the World Poker Tour put their support behind Gamers.Vote, an idea from the mind of Steve Lipscomb’s 15-year old son, Harry.
I haven’t suffered from insomnia since 2009.
Freedom.
That’s the cure.
There’s one place where insomnia would be a nightmare, and that’s South Africa.
I’ve been there twice, both at the request of The World Poker Tour (WPT), and man they have some of the biggest bugs I have ever seen, one of which was the same length as my foot. Imagine being awake all night thinking about these little critters creeping around the entrances to my internal world – thoughts that must have entered the head of Maria Ho this past week.
Ho was in South Africa as a guest of Shuffle Up Poker South Africa, and in between lounging around the pool, and sauntering around the savannah looking for sabre-toothed tigers, she managed to win the WPTDeepStacks title.
In previous years, the WPT and Shuffle Up Poker SA have brought a mini-invasion of American and European talent to the Emperors Palace in Joberg to sample the delights, but the numbers have dwindled in recent years.
Ho, has visited the place three times, and this is her first title on South Africa soil (only her third career title, would you believe it). Ho put in the effort required to defeat a field of 387-entrants to win the one million Rand first prize ($68,885 to you and me).
The most notable competitor seated at the final table with Ho was Jarred Solomon who finished ninth.
“I have played a lot of WPTs, so it’s nice to come here and take one down,” Ho told Royal Flush Crew’s Caitlyn Howe after her win. “It feels good to win. To be the final person standing in a tournament is what we do this for.”
Ho also had special praise for the competition
as outside of the wildlife; the people are what make a South African poker experience something special.
“The people here are really friendly,” said Ho. “They don’t take bad beats poorly, and it makes for a nice atmosphere.”
Maria Ho is currently #4 in the GPI Female Rankings (#167 overall), and this was her first victory since 2015.
Final Table Results
1. Maria Ho – $68,885
2. Riyad Khan – $49,046
3. Justin Uys – $31,549
4. Joe Abreu – $19,976
5. Robert Fenner – $15,361
6. George Levine – $12,743
7. Shadley Abrahams – $10,677
8. Steve Radloff – $8,748
9. Jarred Solomon – $7,012
WPTDeepStacks is currently in San Diego where Frank Kelly leads the final eight players with $63,215 up for grabs in that one. WPT Champions Club member, Daniel Strelitz, sits in the sixth spot.
The Main Event tour his Jacksonville on October 19 for the $5,000 buy-in WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble.
WPT Partner With Gamers.Vote
One man likely to have lost quite a lot of sleep due to the WPT is Steve Lipscomb. The man created the company in 2002 and helped turn it into the powerhouse that it is today.
It seems that sense of drive runs through the blood of his siblings.
Lipscomb and his 15-year old son, Harry, have joined forces to create Gamers.Vote, a collaboration between gamers and the best gaming companies in the world, and the WPT is on board as a partner.
The Lipscomb’s vision is to unite gamers and persuade them to vote in the next US Presidential elections. There is no political agenda on the table. The sole goal is to combine what Pew Research believes to be half of US adults in a bid to help them register online to vote.
Joining the WPT as a partner of this brilliantly innovative project are Zynga, DraftKings, RiotGames, NBA2K, Esports Arena and Twitch.
You can register to vote, right here.
