Monday at the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas saw the conclusion of the two-day 2024 WPT Ladies Championship. The $1,100 buy-in drew a field of 485 competitors to generate a total prize pool of $470,450, smashing the $250,000 guarantee set by the WPT.
After starting the final table squarely in the middle of the pack, Tirza Sanders maneuvered her way to a top-of-the-podium finish and the $90,432 top prize, as well as the 2024 WPT Ladies Championship trophy and title. Along the way, Sanders did most of the heavy lifting herself, eliminating five of her eight opponents in an unstoppable run to the top.
The Sanders Show
After surviving two early all-ins, Sanders won a key hand early in the final table to not only double up but also score her first knockout. Following Mikiyo Aoki's all-in off of a short stack and Sara Ralston's three-bet from the small blind, Sanders looked down at 
and moved all-in over the top for a little more. Ralston made the call and the three hands hit their backs.
Aoki: 
Ralston: 
Sanders:
Board: 
Sanders' pocket pair held up across the runout to both score the full double and send Aoki to the payout desk in seventh place. Krisha Augerot bowed out in sixth place soon after and, from that point onwards, it was all gas, no brakes from Sanders as she eliminated the next three opponents to reach heads-up play.
Sanders went on to defeat Jana Delacerra in the heads-up stage of play after starting with more than a two-to-one chip lead thanks to her eliminations of third-place finisher Sinead Davenport, fourth-place finisher Sara Ralston, and fifth-place finisher Jenny Ding. Sanders' three knockouts in the back half of the final table provided her with the added momentum – and the stack – to see out the win.
The final hand of the heads up battle saw Delacerra commit her final ten or so big blinds with 
and Sanders called it off with 
. With the title on the line, the board ran out 
to pair Sanders and deliver the victory. The $90,432 top prize earned by Sanders was nearly double her career tournament earnings to date, improving on her prior best cash of $8,444 by a sizable margin.
2024 WPT Ladies Championship final table results
| Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirza Sanders | $90,432 |
| 2 | Jana Delacerra | $58,987 |
| 3 | Sinead Davenport | $45,803 |
| 4 | Sara Ralston | $35,833 |
| 5 | Jenny Ding | $27,318 |
| 6 | Krisha Augerot | $20,770 |
| 7 | Mikiyo Aoki | $15,522 |
| 8 | Camille Brown | $11,449 |
| 9 | Shannon Fahey | $8,346 |
Images Courtesy of World Poker Tour
