In a poker world where the number of young standout female poker players keeps growing every year, one woman seems to stand out above the rest. This summer, plenty of women like Amanda Musumeci, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Jackie Glazier, and Cherish Andrews spent time in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) spotlight, but the one to break the streak of open events without a female winner was the same woman who did it in 2008—Vanessa Selbst.
The two-time gold bracelet winner takes center stage tonight on ESPN as the early action of Day 4 unfolds from 8pm-10pm ET. Selbst ended the 2012 WSOP preliminary event action with a resounding exclamation point by winning the $2,500 10-Game event, earning a second bracelet, and becoming one of a long list of women to pick up a six-figure score at this year’s WSOP and the 12th woman to make it to a WSOP final table this summer.
The recent success of Selbst and other women in poker the past couple of years might explain why 2012 was such a standout summer for the ladies. Collectively, women at the WSOP logged over 300 cashes, made 12 final tables, and picked up over $4 million in earnings. Shulman also earned a bracelet in an event outside of the Ladies Event, taking down the record-setting Seniors Event for more than $600,000. That success spilled over into the main Event too. Even though only 211 women played in the tournament, comprising 3.2% of the field, almost two dozen survived to Day 4 .
Selbst was one of the women who were still in the Amazon Room as the money bubble loomed. She didn’t need to worry about sneaking into a payday either. Selbst dominated not only her table, but the field with one of the biggest stacks in the room.
Selbst gets much of the limelight, but tonight’s coverage also features Big One for One Drop winner Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, past Main Event winner Johnny Chan, Kevin Pollak, and Selbst’s summer roommate, Liv Boeree and Maria Ho.
These pros aren't the only ones aiming to make money tonight on ESPN though. You can win your seat into the 2013 WSOP Main Event just by tuning in thanks to the WSOP.com Watch and Win Sweepstakes. Keep your eyes and ears out for a special code during tonight's broadcast, then log into your WSOP.com free play account, enter the code, and you are automatically entered in tonight's drawing for a 2013 seat. If this week doesn't go your way, don't fret, as Watch and Win will continue every week the Main Event airs on ESPN, including the nearly live final table coverage. Official rules for the contest are available on WSOP.com.
Tuesday's coverage begins at 8pm ET and continues with two hours of all-new content. Here is a glimpse of what to expect in tonight's Day 4 coverage: