2026 Women's Poker Week: Nicole Turner Wins MGM Grand Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Event
The 2026 Women's Poker Week was held at MGM Grand. The $250 buy-in ladies no-limit hold'em event attracted 164 entries for a total prize pool of $32,800. Nicole Turner won a deal with Lynn Xi to take the title and $7,398. Members of the French Queens team performed well, and Cecile Ticherfatine from France was named Player of the Day.
2026 Women's Poker Week continued on Saturday, June 20th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with the $250 buy-in Ladies No-Limit Hold'em event, supported by the Women's Poker Association (WPA) and the Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS) for the final table. As part of the 2026 MGM Grand Summer Poker Festival, the event featured a $20,000 guarantee, ultimately attracting 164 entries for a total prize pool of $32,800, far exceeding the guarantee.
The champion earned $9,056, but the top 19 all made the money. The field was international, with players from France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and the United States.
Final Table Recap
Alejandra Reidel of Argentina was the first elimination from the final table, finishing in 9th place. 8th place went to Karen Buerki, who plans to play multiple events this summer, including the WSOP Main Event. 7th place finisher Laurence Humler from France will play more ladies events this week. Leah Mauer of the UK finished 6th, France's Thuy Cam Kieu took 5th, and Canada's Marie-Claude Grondin placed 4th.
Seven members of the French "Queens Squad Officiel" brought a lively atmosphere to the tournament. The squad is selected through national tryouts and training camps. Thuy Cam Kieu reached the final table and finished 5th, while another member also cashed earlier. Whenever the French cheering squad appeared with flags and chants, the energy in the room instantly lifted.
Third place went to Cindy Spier of Massachusetts, a regular in the women's poker community. The remaining two players, Nicole Turner (Australian-born, now living in the UK) and Las Vegas local Lynn Xi, then agreed to a chop. Turner, with more chips, took the trophy and official 1st place, while Xi finished 2nd.
Turner's path to victory was not easy: she lost nearly half her stack on the first hand, spent most of the tournament short-stacked around 10 big blinds, and gradually battled back through patient hand selection and key doubles. Her husband supported her from the rail the entire time, even skipping dinner to stay with her until the end. Turner plans to continue playing women's events this summer and has registered for the $10,000 WSOP Main Event for the first time.
Final Table Results
Player of the Day: Cecile Ticherfatine
The Player of the Day award is supported by Epicpokertraining.com. One of France's most successful female poker players, Cecile Ticherfatine has nearly $1.5 million in live tournament earnings. She founded the Queens Squad, an organization dedicated to connecting, mentoring, and inspiring women in poker. Although she busted early in this event, she stayed all night to cheer on her students.
Ticherfatine's poker career began nearly 20 years ago, when she owned several businesses and played primarily cash games. About three years ago she decided to take tournaments seriously and hired a coach. Since then, her results have skyrocketed, allowing her to travel the world for major events. She credits her competitive nature and athletic background—she was a professional handball player—for instilling discipline and toughness. She emphasizes the importance of bankroll management: "You have to play within your bankroll, or not care about the money. If you care too much about the money, the result won't be good." Her competitive philosophy is: "I'm not afraid of anything. I just want to play my A-game."
The Queens Squad selects seven members through nationwide tryouts and training camps, providing emotional, educational, financial, and community support. Based on recent results, this model has been very successful.