Tiffany Michelle Objects to 'Cinderella' Reference for Last Standing Female Poker Players

Written by:
Ace King
Published on:
Jul/14/2024

  • Shundan Xiao was this year's WSOP "Cinderella" but Tiffany Michelle says that's an inappropriate reference.
  • Michelle was among the first women poker players to be characterized in this way.
  • "Cinderella was a mistreated maid who rose to royalty because a magic fairy helped her get the attention of a powerful prince."

While poker player and pro sports bettor Sean Perry is taking on everyone from "one of the biggest scumbags in poker", Daniel Negreanu, to "criminal" Jason Mercier (his words, not ours), beloved poker pro Tiffany Michelle is taking on.....poker player Shundan Xiao?

Well, not really taking her on in terms of criticizing her, but instead criticizing the concept surrounding "the last woman standing at the World Series of Poker main event".

Michelle can certainly speak on this subject.  She was once that last woman standing.

And what does Michelle object to exactly?

The reference to Cinderella.

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Last Woman Standing at This Year's WSOP Main Event Bows Out

First off, congrats to Xiao, who finished a respectable 28th at this year's World Series of Poker main event.  She walks away with $300,000.

Xiao, who is openly gay software engineer, credits her wife, poker player Yongqing Yuan, for getting her involved in the game.

"We never really talked too much until two years ago. I started playing home games, and we reconnected. She's really obsessed with poker. She took me to the casino, and she really just wanted me to try to play tournaments."

"It's a probability game. It's a strategy game. And it's about deception. I love having to adjust according to your opponent's style. My job is definitely logic-focused, but poker has even more. It's talking to people, it's observing people - just using every sense to try and make the right decision."

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Her first cash came in last year's WSOP Ladies Championship (Yuan finished 18th in this year's event), but she says that the poker journey she has been on has seen her learn more about herself while at the tables.

Xiao is so proud of the representation of women in poker today.

"It feels really good when you trust yourself and make a good decision. I tend to be indecisive, so it's also helping me to trust my instincts more. Even if it's wrong, I can summarize later and try to find out which part was wrong."

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The True Origin of Cinderella

The earliest recorded version of the Cinderella story comes from Egypt. The oral tale of Rhodopis and Her Little Gilded Sandals depicts a Greek slave girl who eventually marries the king of Egypt. It was first recorded by a Greek geographer (Strabo) in the first century BCE.  Source: Pook Press

Tiffany Michelle Hates the Term "Cinderella"

Michelle wants more respect towards today's female players. 

"Alright, I’m gonna do it… I’m gonna be the one to start some sh*t here

"Let it be stated that I am a proponent of “comments/posts should be taken with the INTENT given”, and the point of this is all well and good, but I am inspired to sidebar a convo:

"Why does she have to be 'Cinderella'? People used this term on me back during my @WSOP Last Woman Standing run and it kinda hits my gag reflex.

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"I get the reference, but isn’t it sooooo archaic and irrelevant? Aren’t they SO MANY other strong female literary characters we can liken a f*cking INTELLIGENT & BADASS poker player to?

"Cinderella was a mistreated maid who rose to royalty because a magic fairy helped her get the attention of a powerful prince. Like, what were Cinderella’s talents - house chores and being ignorantly submissive to abusive “family” members? What did Cinderella ever do to help herself???

"Can’t we do better than a 'Cinderella' reference here?"

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