This years Last Woman Standing distinction has an added aspect never before seen at the World Series of Poker. Ericka Moutinho outlasted Claudia Crawford and Amanda Musumeci, who both busted on Day 6 with healthy six figure cashes, to become the Last Woman Standing at the 2011 WSOP.
Moutinho is the girlfriend, for over five years now, of top online tournament pro David "Doc Sands" Sands. Sands taught Moutinho to play poker and they both remain in contention with only 57 players left out of 6865 players in the Main Event.
“I’m not embarrassed [being the Last Woman Standing], but I just came here to play and do well,” said Moutinho. “It is obviously great that I outlasted the other women, but I am not really good with spotlight and pressure.”
Moutinho currently sits in 40th place with 2,075,000 chips, equivalent to 34 big blinds. Sands who trailed Moutinho for much of the tournament is in 29th place currently with 2,765,000, good for 46 big blinds.Never before has a couple collectively gone so far in the Main Event. They have outlasted over 6800 other players and for the first time on Day 6 were seated at the same table, the featured TV table.
“When he walked through that tunnel, I was very surprised. It was nice to have him at the table, but I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’,” said Moutinho. “I think it is kind of inevitable with a short field that we are going to run into each other again”
They won't be at the same table to start Day 7, but with tables breaking, that could happen again.They are each guaranteed a minimum of $130,997 for making it this far. The eventual winner of the event will walk away with $8,711,956, while the runner-up will take home $5,430,928.
Moutinho is playing in her first Main Event, having played one $1,000 NLHE event earlier in the series and cashing for $1,800. Sands, on the other hand, has 13 WSOP cashes with a pair of final tables. He took third place in this summer’s $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event for $113,383 and finished eighth in a $1,500 No Limit Hold ‘em event in 2010.
When asked about playing with Moutinho by ESPN's Kara Scott, Sands said “I was excited to be there. It was a great experience and I think it’s a really unique accomplishment for both of us individually and collectively. She played great and I’m really proud of her efforts and my efforts. It was fun to be able to celebrate that at the end of the day.”
