World Poker Tour Causes Controversy with decision on WPT Ladies Championship

World Poker TourThe WPT Ladies tour will be ending in Las Vegas with the $1,500 championship event. The World Poker Tour chose the Susan G. Komen for the Cure as the charity to benefit from the Championship. However this year the WPT choose to take 15% of the prize money to use as the donation for the charity instead of gathering donations from the players. This decision has caused several players to withdraw from the event. Two of the strongest voices against the decision are Susie Isaacs and Lisa Adams. Susie is a former WSOP Ladies event winner and Lisa is the talk show host of Poker Talk America and an avid poker player. Both have stated that the event should be billed as a charity event and not a championship event since the amount donated is being withheld from the prize money. It has been stated that with the 15% being withheld for the donation another 3% will be withheld to pay for the tournament staff and another $25,500 withheld to give the winner of the tournament a seat to the WPT Championship. This is a very large amount to be withheld and the larger the player numbers the amount withheld will be larger.

Steve Lipscomb the World Poker Tour CEO was a guest on Poker Talk America this past week along with Susie Isaacs and stated that the WPT is trying to promote women in poker and a good cause. He also stated the WPT gives women what men don’t have: an exclusive event. Lipscomb also stated that the event had been opposed by shareholders and now with the ladies opposing the decision “no good deed goes unpunished.”

The WPT has stated the event will move forward as planned and next year they will reconsider the charity aspect of the Ladies Event. That is if the ladies have an event next year. This event will be the only championship to donate a portion of its prize pool to a designated charity.

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