Nadya Magnus Defends Accepting $10,000 WSOP Ticket from Bryn Kenney

Professional poker player Nadya Magnus, the 2021 GPI Female Player of the Year, has found herself in the midst of controversy after accepting a $10,000 WSOP Main Event ticket from Bryn Kenney. The move has sparked criticism from some in the poker community, with critics like David K. Lappin calling it tone-deaf and potentially indicative of something shady.

Matt Berkey was another critic, stating that accepting the ticket was a pitiful attempt by Bryn Kenney to improve his reputation. Magnus, however, has defended her decision, stating that she plans to give the ticket to an unknown female player. She questioned why her critics were not complaining to the WSOP or PokerGO tour about Bryn Kenney instead of attacking her.

Support for Magnus came from poker reporter BJ Nemeth, who stated that she was doing fantastic things and giving the ticket to someone else. The two Main Event seats were won by Shelby Wells and Kristen Lapari, both of whom are anticipating their first-ever WSOP Main Event.