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Transgender Poker Pro Wins $130K WSOP Ladies Runner-Up

7/1/2026

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Summary

Williams Finishes Second

Transgender poker pro Aubrey Williams finished second in the 2026 WSOP Ladies Championship, earning $129,692.
Nevada law allowed her to enter, advancing through 1,475 entrants to a heads-up final lasting over two hours.
She lost the final to first-time bracelet winner Skye Chen, who received $194,630 for first place.
The $129,692 prize, the largest cash of Williams’s $500,000 career earnings, sparked online hate despite player support.

Summary

Ladies Championship Record

The 2026 WSOP Ladies Championship attracted 1,475 entries, the largest field ever, beating the record of 1,368.
The tournament created a $1,298,000 prize pool and paid 222 players into the money.
Emily Spencer entered the final day with 10,290,000 chips, while all finalists had never won a WSOP bracelet.
Organizers said the turnout signaled a surge in women’s poker popularity, prompting the final table to air on WSOP channels delayed.

History

Historical Context

The World Series of Poker added a ladies-only Stud event in 1977, won by Jackie McDaniels for a $5,580 prize, marking the first women’s bracelet. The tournament’s format shifted to Texas hold’em in 2001 and its prize pool topped $1 million by 2007, reflecting growing participation. Aubrey Williams’s 2026 runner-up finish builds on this legacy of expanding inclusion.

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Williams Finishes Second

Transgender poker pro Aubrey Williams finished second in the 2026 WSOP Ladies Championship, earning $129,692.
Nevada law allowed her to enter, advancing through 1,475 entrants to a heads-up final lasting over two hours.
She lost the final to first-time bracelet winner Skye Chen, who received $194,630 for first place.
The $129,692 prize, the largest cash of Williams’s $500,000 career earnings, sparked online hate despite player support.

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