Tiffany Williamson - WSOP Cinderella Story

July 13, 2005

Tiffany Williamson - WSOP Cinderella Story

Posted at July 13, 2005 7:46 PM

So far at this year's World Series of Poker, the big cinderella story is Tiffany Williamson, a tournament rookie who has come out of nowhere to vie for the final table.

Yesterday Tiffany became the first African-American woman to reach a million chips in the WSOP, and then doubled up to two million in one fell swoop, the biggest hand of the tournament so far.

Tiffany Williamson is a 26 year old Columbia grad who now practices law in London (see her firm's web page here), and reportedly earned her WSOP seat through an internet qualifier that cost 40 pounds to enter.

For more info check gutshot.com, whom she is representing at the tourney.

EDIT: more details from launchpoker.com

Tiffany Williamson doesn't fit the profile of the typical poker player; she's British, she's black and she's a woman. But her budding accomplishments at the poker table are being admired by both amateurs and professionals alike. Williamson is a corporate attorney working in London for the top-ranked international firm of Davis, Polk and Wardwell. Her work has included transactions for some of the most well known financial companies in the world, including Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley. American-born, Williamson went to school at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia; graduating in 1992. She went on to earn her M.A. from the University of South Carolina and her J.D. from Columbia Law School in New York. She has lived in London since joining Davis Polk in 1999 but still holds a license to practice in New York. It is perhaps this background that makes her comfortable with money. Her 2005 15th place win at the 36 th Annual World Series of Poker's No Limit Hold 'Em Championship yielded her $400,000, the highest cash prize ever paid to a female in a main event. She came to the World Series of Poker by winning a trip to Vegas during a freeroll at the London club "Gutshot," which she frequents. She then won a $10 satellite tournament to enter the World Series of Poker No Limit Hold 'Em Championship and the chance to beat out some of the top players in the world. She came as close to winning the event as any woman ever has, beating out 202 other female participants. Not bad for a newcomer. In fact, Williamson is currently ranked 99 on the 2005 Money List and 10th on the Women's "All-Time" Money List. Her win has made her the 15th highest money finisher ever for a female in the United Kingdom.