The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas continued with Event #68: $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship, where defending two-time champion Shiina Okamoto had the distinct honor of kicking off the tournament.

The Japanese poker professional delivered the traditional “Shuffle Up and Deal” announcement before taking her seat, hoping to make history by securing an unprecedented third consecutive Ladies Championship title.

Shiina Okamoto — Credit: Spenser Sembrat

Okamoto had built an incredible legacy in this specific event over the previous three years. She finished as the runner-up in 2023 against a field of 1,295 entries, captured her first gold bracelet in 2024 by defeating 1,245 entries, and defended her title in 2025 by outlasting a record 1,368 entries.

With nearly $1.3 million in lifetime live tournament earnings, she entered the room with plenty of fan support but faced an uphill battle to preserve her historic streak.

A Brutal Turn Collision Ends the First Bullet

Shiina Okamoto’s opening attempt ended in a major collision against Salima Dhanani. On a board showing a deuce, a six, a nine, and a seven, both players found themselves all-in on the turn card.

Okamoto turned over seven-six for two pair, but Dhanani held a superior nine-deuce for a higher two pair. The ten on the river brought no help to the defending champion, sending her to the rail.

However, because late registration remained open until the start of Level 9, Okamoto still had the opportunity to buy back into the tournament.

The Final Elimination for Shiina Okamoto

Shiina Okamoto opted to fire a second bullet and re-entered the field, quickly finding a spot to get her chips in the middle. Anna Antimony started the action with an under-the-gun raise to 2,000. Okamoto moved all-in for her remaining 1,800 chips from the hijack position, and Sangsang He made the call from the big blind.

The flop came down ace-king-deuce with two hearts, and both remaining active players checked. When a three of spade hit the turn, He led out with a bet of 2,000, prompting Antimony to fold her cards and leave Okamoto at risk.

Okamoto revealed king-five of spades, holding top pair with a five kicker. She was temporarily ahead but needed to fade He’s tournament-ending outs.

He turned over king-three of diamonds, having paired her three on the turn to make a superior two pair. A seven of hearts on the river changed nothing, officially ending Okamoto’s historic quest for three consecutive victories.

Although her remarkable reign in the 2026 WSOP Ladies Championship has come to an end, Okamoto’s place in WSOP history is already firmly established. Reaching three straight finals and winning back-to-back titles from 2024 to 2025 remains one of the most impressive runs ever seen in the event.

With her quest for an unprecedented third consecutive championship officially over, the poker world will now turn its attention to who emerges as the next WSOP Ladies Championship winner, while Okamoto shifts her focus to the rest of the 2026 WSOP schedule in pursuit of more success.

All photos courtesy of WSOP.