Poker player becomes first female winner on UK tour

A poker player has become the first woman to win a major event on a UK tour.

Renee Xie, from Northamptonshire, won the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Luton Main Event on 6 September, beating 396 other entrants.

The GUKPT is a poker series which hosts events across the UK and Xie is the first woman to win one of its main events in its 20-year history.

She told Annabel Amos on BBC Radio Northampton: "I couldn't believe I won. I was at a loss for words."

According to poker website 888Poker, women make up approximately 4% of the global poker player pool, a number that has grown steadily since the early 2000s.

Xie 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," Xie 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."

Xie 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'."

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