Not many journeys to Prague go via Cyprus, but for at least one poker player, a stop on the sun-kissed Mediterranean island will be the precursor to an all-expenses-paid trip to the snowy Czech capital this December.

Alongside EPT Cyprus this week, PokerStars is hosting another Women’s Bootcamp, in partnership with Poker Power, from which one player will win a full package to the EPT Prague Main Event later in the year.

It’s a second running of an incredibly popular contest that played out at last year’s EPT Prague.

For whomever wins the contest, the prize will cap a rapid rise through the ranks from beginner to high-stakes competitor, and further underline PokerStars commitment to boosting the number of women players in poker.

AN INCREDIBLE CHANCE

Women players from across the globe were invited over the past few months to play a number of online tournaments, from which the winners earned a chance to travel to Cyprus for the official “PokerStars x Poker Power Women’s Bootcamp Showdown”.

There were 244 original applicants, whittled down to 40 who played the online bootcamp, of whom 10 made it to Cyprus to play the Showdown.

That event — a winner-takes-all tournament — takes place on Wednesday, and its winner will then be packing their bags to Prague.

Before they started on this journey, the players were all rank amateurs, total newcomers to poker, but they have been helped along the way by exclusive coaching from PokerStars Ambassadors Jen Shahade, Lali Tournier and Georgina “GJReggie” James.

LEARNING THE ROPES

Today in Cyprus, as the EPT Main Event kicks off, they are playing a practice tournament allowing them to get used to handling chips, placing antes, following etiquette. Two of the EPT’s highly trained dealers are helping the players along, introducing them to a world with its own peculiar conventions.

For many, setting foot in the enormous poker room today was their first ever introduction to this kind of setting. The TV crew was still assembling the feature table set; the massive Eureka High Roller was beginning its second day; and EPT Main Event players gradually ambled in.

The Showdown players posed for a pre-tournament group shot, before getting straight into the action.

On a neighbouring table, Jen Shahade, also a Poker Power ambassador, dealt a small media tournament to some journalists who were the guests of PokerStars. As the players from the practice showdown were eliminated, they came across to the media event and grabbed some chips. They took the opportunity to learn further from Shahade who was, of course, only too happy to offer advice and answer questions.

We’ll follow the Poker Power Showdown as it plays to its winner on Wednesday. In the meantime, time to meet the future poker stars.

DREA RENEE

Familiar to many in the poker world, Drea Renee first worked in the industry 14 years ago as a massage therapist. She then became a reporter seven years later. She subsequently hosted numerous poker shows from various tours, mostly in her native United States. Now she is finally taking a stab at playing the game.

She has many friend across all areas of the poker industry. Some of whom will no doubt be offering advice as she aims to make a splash in the game she has followed for so many years.

PATRICE GORDON

Patrice worked in leadership roles for major companies such as British Airways, Royal Mail and Virgin Atlantic, before setting up her own consultancy in Leadership Development. She focuses on creating leadership teams that not only excel but also reflect the diversity of the world.

She is the maestro in reverse mentoring, amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Gordon met Jen Shahade in May and was inspired by her to join the launch of the Women’s Bootcamp in June – and came second. This fuelled her to participate in the eight-week bootcamp and hone her skills.

KATIE HOPKINS

Poker is not the first male-dominated world Katie Hopkins has entered. She is also a member of a golf group named Fore the Ladies. It was through the group that she first learned about poker.

Hopkins is from Philadelphia, where she works as an Associate General Counsel at Nasdaq, focusing on securities law. A sports injury meant she had to take a break from he usual hobby of competing in triathlons. But she used the time off to learn more about poker, and eventually make it to Cyprus.

LAURA LEBAILLY

Laura Lebailly is a student from France, soon to enter her final year at business school, where she is studying Luxury Marketing. She is a recent convert to poker, having become intrigued by its rules and strategies after reading more about the game. She applied for the poker bootcamp immediately after hearing about it, stating she is thrilled to have made the cut to come to Cyprus.

YVONNE MAI

Originally from Germany, Yvonne Mai moved to New York and then London to study a degree in Marketing. After completing her studies, she moved into the acting world. She has appeared on TV, in independent films and Hollywood action movies.

Mai was introduced to poker by her friend Alexandra O’Brien and is now intent on making a success of this new pursuit.

KATERENA NOWOSAD

Based in Leeds, in the UK, Katerena Nowosad is an accountant for a financial services company. She has always had friends interested in poker, and finally decided to take the plunge herself after learning about the Poker Power bootcamp.

She honed her skills in the weekly sessions and now plays online on the PokerStars app. Her trip to Cyprus will represent the first time she has played in a major tournament environment.

JENNIFER LARSON

Jenny Larsen began her Poker Power journey after conducting a quick search for fun ways to develop Her leadership skills.

During the one-hour virtual poker lessons, she quickly saw how being aggressive at the poker table could develop her assertiveness in the boardroom. Now she is most grateful for how discipline in the game has helped her to better choose her battles in life.

INES LAFOSSE

There are numerous strings to the bow of Ines Lafosse: photographer, content creator and hotelier among them.

She is originally from Argentina but now spends a good deal of her time in the poker hotbed of Brazil, having fallen in love with the country after her first visit to Rio in 2017.

She covers numerous topics in her various content outlets. Including travel, ecotourism and extreme sports. Now, having first played the game at the PSPC in the Bahamas, she is keen to add poker to her content resume.

LOUISE ULRICK

Having originally trained as a maths teacher, Louise has actually spent the past 20 years building a business that teaches people how to buy and sell Microsoft licenses. She has even written books on the subject.

She has numerous diverse hobbies. The most recent is poker, having read a book in which the central character was a female professional poker player.

Ulrick learned the rules of the game and then coincidentally saw an advert for the bootcamp, only a couple of weeks after starting to play. She applied, succeeded, and is now writing a new chapter in her own adventure.

SABRINA CHEVANNES

Sabrina Chevannes will not be the first poker player to transition to the game after a successful career in chess. And the women’s international chess master will be coached further by Jennifer Shahade, another leading chess player.

Chevannes now spends her time running a London-based creative agency and regards poker as a way to improve her decision-making, as well as helping her to better handle failure and loss.

She says the main difference she has encountered so far is coping with the inherent variance in poker, compared with a game of complete information.

MORE ABOUT THE EPT

Official EPT site
EPT Cyprus coverage hub
EPT Cyprus activities guide

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