Positive initiatives deserve recognition in the poker industry, and this is certainly one of those moments where the World Series of Poker (WSOP) should be applauded.

In the lead-up to the upcoming festival, WSOP has teamed up with several professional female poker players and content creators. Through these partnerships, each of the selected players is running social media giveaways, offering followers a chance to win a seat to the upcoming Ladies Championship at WSOP Europe, with each valued at €1,000.

This year’s WSOP Europe will take place in a new time slot and at a new venue, running from March 31 through April 12 and awarding a total of 15 gold bracelets. Among the highlights is the introduction of a brand-new €1,000 Ladies Championship, scheduled for April 4, marking the first time that such an event will be included on the European schedule.

The tournament will be open strictly to female players and is aimed at growing the popularity of women in poker while providing them a dedicated competitive stage at poker’s most prestigious brand. While the WSOP has hosted a $1,000 Ladies Championship during its Las Vegas summer series for multiple years, this marks the first time a similar event is being introduced as part of WSOP Europe.

The champion of this inaugural European Ladies Championship will receive a specially crafted gold bracelet created specifically for women’s events. According to the officials, the bracelet will feature a custom design and additional gemstones, making it visually distinct from the standard bracelets awarded in open-field tournaments.

Multiple Female Pros Giving Away Seats

To celebrate the launch of the Ladies Championship in Europe and to help generate interest among female players, the WSOP has collaborated with several well-known female poker professionals and vloggers over the past few weeks. Each participant has been tasked with giving away a seat to the event via their social media channels.

These giveaways are being conducted independently, meaning each creator has set their own entry criteria. Fortunately, most of the requirements are straightforward: participants may simply need to follow the host, leave a comment explaining why they deserve the seat, share a post in a Facebook group, or take part in freerolls tied to the promotion.

Every giveaway also comes with its own deadline, so interested players should carefully review the specific instructions (linked below) and timeframes outlined by each host before entering.

So far, Pokerfuse has identified close to a dozen female players who are currently running or have recently run such giveaways. All of them are confirmed to be participating in the Ladies Championship during the upcoming WSOP Europe festival:

Some of these promotions may already have concluded, so interested readers should verify directly with each creator. It is also possible that additional giveaways tied to the Ladies Championship are taking place that Pokerfuse has not yet identified. If that is the case, readers are encouraged to reach out and share the details so the article can be updated accordingly.

Women Continue to Shine on Poker’s Biggest Stages

In live poker overall, female participation remains relatively small, typically estimated at around 5% to 6% of total entries. However, the number of women taking part in major events, including those at WSOP Europe, has gradually increased over the years. Despite representing a minority of the field, many female players have produced impressive performances on the biggest stages.

The year 2025 in particular proved to be a landmark period for women in poker, with several players making deep runs and securing major scores. Spanish pro and Winamax ambassador Leo Margets grabbed global headlines with her remarkable run to the final table of the WSOP 2025 Main Event. She became the first woman in 30 years to reach the Main Event final table.

Navigating a massive field of 9,735 entries, Margets ultimately finished seventh, earning roughly $1.5 million, the largest Main Event payout ever recorded by a female player.

Another standout performance came from Natasha Mercier, who made the final table of the $25,000 buy-in WSOP Paradise Super Main Event in the Bahamas. Her sixth-place finish earned her approximately $1.8 million, marking one of the biggest cashes of her career and among the largest scores by any female player during the year.

Meanwhile, PokerStars ambassador Maria Konnikova enjoyed a strong season as well, capturing the High Roller title at the North American Poker Tour and collecting $66,350 for the victory.

Japanese player Shiina Okamoto, who is also running one of the current giveaways, delivered a particularly notable achievement in the $1,000 WSOP Ladies Championship, successfully defending her title and becoming one of the rare players to win the same WSOP event in consecutive years.

In May 2025, Canadian pro Xuan Liu etched her name in the history books by becoming the first woman ever to capture a title on the prestigious Triton Poker Series, a circuit renowned for its elite high-stakes fields and some of the toughest competition in the game.

Other female professionals also produced strong results across the live poker circuit. Another PokerStars ambassador, Jen Shahade, for instance, enjoyed an impressive run across several events, including victory at the PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival Main Event in London. She outlasted a field of 193 entries to secure the trophy and £22,200 in prize money, her best result on British soil.

And of course, it would be impossible to discuss top female performances without mentioning Kristen Foxen. Widely regarded as one of the strongest players in the game, Foxen finished 2025 at the top of the female money list for the second consecutive year. Her consistent success in high roller tournaments and numerous deep runs have cemented her status as the highest-earning female player in poker history.

The WSOP Europe itself also holds a special place in the history of women’s poker. Back in 2007, Norwegian prodigy Annette Obrestad stunned the poker world by winning the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event, becoming the youngest player ever to claim a WSOP bracelet, a record that still stands today.

“As we enter a new era for WSOP Europe in Prague, it was essential that our schedule reflected the full spectrum of the poker community,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP in a recent press release.

“The Ladies Championship is always one of the most spirited and competitive environments of the summer in Las Vegas, and we are thrilled to bring that same energy and prestige to the heart of Europe. We want this to be the definitive Ladies Event on the continent,” Stewart added.

This year, WSOP and GGPoker are aiming to turn WSOP Europe into the biggest edition the festival has ever seen. The €5,300 Main Event alone carries a record-setting €10 million guarantee, a target that would require around 2,000 entries to meet, more than double the turnout the tournament typically attracts.

The schedule also features a €1,500 European Circuit Championship with €1.5 million guaranteed, alongside a wide range of tournaments with buy-ins spanning from €565 all the way up to €20,800, giving players multiple opportunities to compete across different stakes levels throughout the series.