As one of only two women in the field of over 70 UK, American and European poker stars gathering for the PartyPoker.com World Open II, Pippa Flanders, was considered an unlikely candidate to win the top prize. But with a little help from her lucky donkey mascot “Eemore,” Flanders made a number of big-name poker pros look like asses as she took home $200,000 for her first place finish.
Amongst the top players that Flanders, a mother-of-two from the UK, eliminated were Tony G, Roland De Wolfe, Marc Goodwin, Tony Bloom, Kenna James, Harry Demetriou and last year's champion Lee Nelson.
'To have been one of only two women who entered amongst over 70 entrants and to have won it is simply unbelievable and wonderful. Go girls!' exclaimed Flanders. “It was such a wonderful ending that I had always hoped for, but never expected. I still can't believe I beat all those top names to the title.”
In winning this tournament, Flanders claimed one of the biggest prizes ever collected by a European female player. Prior to this event, her total career tournament earnings amounted to only $42,000 over four years.
'Pippa's victory is the first great breakthrough for European women in poker,” said a PartyPoker.com spokesman, “and demonstrates the rise of women champions around the world in open poker tournaments.”
As one of only two women in the field of over 70 UK, American and European poker stars gathering for the PartyPoker.com World Open II, Pippa Flanders, was considered an unlikely candidate to win the top prize. But with a little help from her lucky donkey mascot “Eemore,” Flanders made a number of big-name poker pros look like asses as she took home $200,000 for her first place finish.