As millions of viewers tune in to watch the World Series of Poker Main Event on ESPN, many are hoping that the broadcasts continue to do what they have done for generations: inspiring the next generation of poker players to dream big.
When Skye Chen captured the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship earlier this summer for $194,630 and her first career gold bracelet, her victory offered everyone a reminder that the classic WSOP dream is still very much alive.
How to Watch the 2026 WSOP Main Event on ESPN
“It Feels Surreal”
Moments after her victory, speaking with PokerNews, Chen called her victory “surreal” and recalled how she first got into poker and the inspiration that came from watching the game on television.
“It feels surreal. I mean, this was a dream of mine. Ever since I saw the WSOP on ESPN back when I was a kid, and I learned how to play poker. I definitely wasn’t very good [back then], and honestly, I don’t even know if I would say that I am very good at poker now.”
“Ever since I saw the WSOP on ESPN back when I was a kid, and I learned how to play poker”
“I mean, compared to the rest of the field, I’m sure there are plenty of better pros out there than I am. I’m no professional player; you sort of thought that the era of the amateur player coming and winning a bracelet was kind of over. I wouldn’t have ever believed that I would be able to come in and do the same thing again.”
2026 WSOP Event #68: $1,000 Ladies Championship
- Field Size: 1,475 entries
- Prize Pool: $1,298,000
- Winner: Skye Chen ($194,630)
- Runner-Up: Aubrey Williams ($129,692)
“At the Start of My Poker Journey”
“I wouldn’t necessarily have been surprised,” says Chen, when asked how a younger version of herself would have reacted to hearing she’d win a bracelet. “But I would be very surprised to learn that I hadn’t committed to it.
“I feel like I’m the kind of person where if I really wanted to do something, I can put a lot of time and effort and I can grind it and I can learn it really fast, right, and pick something up.”
“I really just showed up and won”
Chen’s path to victory on the biggest stage in poker didn’t involve much poker, and certainly not the high-stakes online tournament grind that many have gone through.
“It’s going to sound completely unbelievable, but I just do not have some crazy story of having years of experience studying and, you know, mastering online or anything. I really just showed up and won.”
A UC Berkeley graduate, Chen spent over a decade in Silicon Valley working as a software engineer, and only recently got into poker.
“After I graduated, I worked at LinkedIn and Airbnb for about 11 years or so in total. I actually recently quit my job last year to take a break from tech. And I’ve just been traveling around and doing things, and poker is one of my hobbies.
“I would not have imagined coming here and just suddenly winning a bracelet on my first try, basically.”
Having started out playing $1/$3 cash games, Chen wouldn’t say she’s an “amazing crusher,” but after starting to study, she’s moved up to $2/$5 and $5/$10 — signs of progress in her poker journey.
“But I actually don’t really play poker when I’m back home very often. I try to keep it to a minimum, just so that I’m not spending all of my time doing this.
“Maybe this will change. To me, this is more like the start of my poker journey as opposed to something that I’ve been building up to. I definitely think I got very, very lucky in this tournament to be able to pick it up so fast.”
The luck was on Chen’s side. Now, with viewers glued to their TV screens and the Main Event broadcast, the final nine players in the 2026 WSOP Main Event are hoping that luck is on theirs as well, in the pursuit of their poker dreams.
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor