The PokerStars Women's Summer Festival is in London for six days, offering a slate of eight tournaments with a £100,000 Main Event.
On Wednesday, the first of the marquee events kicked off the action on the opening day with 25 players turning out to put in 31 entries for the £1,100 High Roller. They built up a prize pool of £29,760, from which five players would win at least £2,830.
Bernadette Daley was the winner, overcoming a dominating Shiina Okamoto to win the top prize of £11,300. Okamoto — the back-to-back WSOP Women's champion — fell in third place after building what looked to be an unstoppable chip lead at the final table.
Shahade and Spragg fall before bubble
The finale started with nine players and Nan Min had the lead, followed by Daley and Cheryl Catrair. Deborah Worley-Roberts, Cristina Ilie, and Jennifer Shahade also made the finale, with Marle Spragg and Louisa Plint rounding out the remaining field as the short stacks.
Shahade was the first player eliminated after three-way clash with back-to-back WSOP Women's champ Okamoto and PokerStars Ambassador Spragg. Spragg made a full triple-up with 
on a board of 
, but it was the big side pot that sent Shahade to the door with 
against Okamoto and her 
.
Worley-Roberts and Plint were next to go in quick succession, both at the hands of Daley. Six-handed play stretched out until Spragg got it in and busted out with 
against the 
of Min, bursting the bubble and paying the final five players. Five-handed play continued until Ilie hit the rail after the first final table break. Catrair, who had knocked out Ilie, fell in fourth when her pocket nines couldn't beat Min.
Daley holds off Okamoto
The shakeout left just three players — Min in the short stack with 20 big blinds, Daley with 40 big blinds, and Okamoto, who led a charge throughout the final table to enter three-handed play with 57 big blinds.
It looked to be a foregone conclusion, but the tide changed for Okamoto when she got out of line against Daley. Okamoto, who had 
after the turn on a board of 
, went in for a raise against Daley and her 
. The river was a 
and Okamoto bet big and Daley snap-called to take the chip lead.
Okamoto faded back and Daley gained strength until the two clashed in the WSOP champ's last hand of the night. Daley called a shove from Okamoto with top pair on a board of 
. Okamoto, who had two pair with 
, needed to fade a pair on the board to secure a full double and retake the chip lead. The river, however, was the 
and Daley scooped the pot with kings and threes.
Daley wouldn't give an inch of her big advantage in heads-up play, putting Min's 
shove away with Big Slick.
Women's Summer Festival action continues all week with two more marquee events, the £100,000 Main Event and the ever-popular 50/50 co-ed event.
Women's Summer Festival High Roller final table results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernadette Daley | £11,300 |
| 2 | Nan Min | £7,290 |
| 3 | Shiina Okamoto | £4,840 |
| 4 | Cherly Catrair | £3,500 |
| 5 | Cristina Ilie | £2,830 |
| 6 | Marle Spragg | - |
| 7 | Louisa Plint | - |
| 8 | Deborah Worley-Roberts | - |
| 9 | Jennifer Shahade | - |
