Renee Xie Makes History as First Woman to Win GUKPT Main Event

Renee Xie has made history by becoming the first woman to win a major main event on the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT). The Northamptonshire-based poker player claimed victory at the GUKPT Luton Main Event on September 6, finishing ahead of 396 other entrants.

The GUKPT is a poker tournament series that hosts events across the UK. Renee’s victory marks the first time a woman has won one of the tour’s main events during its 20-year history.

Speaking to Annabel Amos on BBC Radio Northampton, Renee expressed her surprise at the achievement, saying she could not believe she had won and was left at a loss for words.

Women continue to represent a small share of the global poker community. According to poker website 888Poker, women account for approximately 4% of poker players worldwide, although the proportion has steadily increased since the early 2000s.

Key Highlights:

• Renee has become the first woman to win a main event on the 20-year-old Grosvenor UK Poker Tour
• Renee won the GUKPT Luton Main Event after defeating 396 other entrants, marking her first major tournament victory
• She says poker has strengthened her resilience and emotional awareness, but she continues to play for fun rather than as a professional career

Renee had previously finished second, fourth and seventh in events but had never won one and said only a few women take part.

She has played poker for several years, initially taking it up as a hobby because she enjoys strategy, competition and the mental challenge.

Although she continues to play alongside her job and has made money from the game, she has no plans to become a professional. "I only play for fun," Renee said. [Poker] is not a sustainable income source.

"It's not about the money. To win a tournament is so hard and I feel that I've accomplished something." Renee said poker had also helped her to develop resilience, and become more aware of her emotions.

"Poker has shaped me into a stronger person. You have to be resilient and mentally strong. It teaches you social skills, reading body language, reading the flow of the game and understanding your own emotions," she said.

Samantha Turton, head of helpline and online services at GamCare, said: "Many people in Britain do enjoy gambling and most of those are able to do so safely, but for those who struggle with the activity, the consequences can be significant.

"It is important that people are aware of some of the signs that a gambling problem might be developing.

"These include feelings of being preoccupied with gambling and not feeling able to take their mind off of it, spending more time and money on gambling than they perhaps should, using gambling as a way to escape challenges in their life or, most commonly, regularly trying to win back money they had previously lost while gambling, known as 'chasing losses'."