WSOP Event 15 - Ladies' Poker Championship

Mary Jones Meyer Wins 2006 Ladies World Poker Championship

by Nolan Dalla

Number of Entries: 1,128
Total Prize Money: $1,026,480
Defending Champion (2005): Jennifer Tilly

Official Results:
1. Mary Jones Meyer, Henderson, NV, $236,094
2. Shawnee Barton, Chicago, IL, $123,178
3. Beatrice Stranzinger, Vienna, Austria, $71,340
4. Reka Hallgato, W. Hollywood, CA, $51,324
5. Sue Luckenbaugh, Saratoga Springs, NY, $41,059
6. Julie Allen, St. Clair Shores, MI, $35,927
7. Devi Ortega, Tulsa, OK, $30,794
8., Laurie Scott, Antelope, CA, $25,662
9 Ellie Ahlgren, Las Vegas, NV, $23,096
10 Debbie Lynn Talosi, Torrance, CA, $20,530
11 Nan Wang, Las Vegas, NV, $18,990
12 Patricia Abram, Wellington, FL, $17,450
13 Kiersten Kolbu, Aurora, CO, $15,910
14 Debra A. Pechac, Phoenix, AZ, $14,371
15 Donita Fey, Clinton, OK, $12,831
16 Anne Montgomery, Louisville, KY, $11,291
17 Stacy Berinsky, Round Rock, TX, $9,752
18 Lisa Spain, Denver, CO, $8,212
19 Anjela Brunson, Las Vegas, NV, $6,672
20 Irene Kristal, San Ramon, CA, $6,672
21 Elizabeth Madrid, Thornton, CO, $6,672
22. Kimberly Chermock, Apple Valley, CA, $6,672
23. La Sengphet, Carrollton, TX, $6,672
24. Rebecca James, Arlington, TX, $6,672
25. Cynthia Patterson, Chatsworth, GA, $6,672
26. Kelly Snider, Denver, CO, $6,672
27. Patt Beadles, Oakland, CA, $6,672
28. Janice Goodman, Houston, TX, $5,132
29. Maria Sanabria, Orlando, FL, $5,132
30. Casandra Nix, Chatsworth, GA, $5,132
31. Ann Escobedo, Las Vegas, NV, $5,132
32. Natalie Christiansen, Bullfrog, UT, $5,132
33. Mimi Rogers, Los Angeles, CA, $5,132
34. Lindsey Hartley, San Diego, CA, $5,132
35. Ruth Graham, Denver, CO, $5,132
36. Denise Goldsein, Los Angeles, CA, $5,132
37. Mandy Baumgarten, Gilbert, AZ, $4,106
38. Jane Pak, Coral Gables, FL, $4,106
39. Melissa Elavin, Woodstock, IL, $4,106
40. Lora Garnett, Los Angeles, CA, $4,106
41. Gyla Kay, Houston, TX, $4,106
42. Carmela Werth, Taylor, MI, $4,106
43. Kalee Tan, Victoria, B.C. $4,106
44. Jessica Ngan, Las Vegas, NV, $4,106
45. Tracy Galla, Schaumburg, IL, $4,106
46. Monica Champa, Camas, WA, $3,079
47. Susana Maria Maros, San Francisco, CA, $3,079
48. Vickie Morley, Hooper, UT, $3,079
49. Ellen Royston-Ing, Mount Barker, WA, $3,079
50. Emelyne Barnard, Las Vegas, NV, $3,079
51. Sirli Quinn, Chandler, AZ, $3,079
52. Sara Gardner, Cillicothe, MO, $3,079
53. Joann Pham Bene, Oklahoma City, OK, $3,079
54. Heather Escuin, Las Vegas, NV, $3,079
55. Jodi Lynn Cook, Titusville, FL, $2,566
56. Chantel McNulty, Lake Dallas, TX, $2,566
57. Kristi Smith, Palmer, AK, $2,566
58. Patricia Uribe, Mexico City, Mexico, $2,566
59. Kelli Griggs, Folson, CA, $2,566
60. Yueqi Lisa Wang, Chicago, IL, $2,566
61. Victoria Regina, Goteborg, SW, $2,566
62. Kimberly Henderson, Franktown, CO, $2,566
63. Susan Ear, Santa Ana, CA, $2,566
64. karen Ketron Moore, Dallas, TX, $2,053
65. Kazue Kubo, Oxnard, CA, $2,053
66. Christine Miller, Nashua, NH, $2,053
67. Shannon Easton, Scottsdale, AZ, $2,053
68. Sun Young Yoon, Houston, TX, $2,053
69. Lisa Jean Barnes, Salem, OR, $2,053
70. Julie Nhien Thi Dang, Montclair, CA, $2,053
71. Stardust Anne Wunch, Norman, OK, $2,053
72. Victoria Pratt, Los Angeles, CA, $2,053
73. Esther Cora Taylor, Vancouver, WA, $2,053
74. Criselda Turner, Seattle, WA, $2,053
75. Lacey Jones, Las Vegas, NV, $2,053
76. Regelette E. Bechara, Sunrise, FL, $2,053
77. Tana Lenette Washington, Watts, OK, $2,053
78. Su Ya Chen, Salem, OR, $2,053
79. Maria Feterman, Las Vegas, NV, $2,053
80. Janine A. Oneill, New Plila, OH, $2,053
81. Suzanne Thompson, Prescott Valley, AZ, $2,053
82. Connie Louisse Kelsey, Broken Arrow, OK, $1,540
83. Sherri Simpson, Ewa Beach, $1,540
84. Kimiyo Takeya, Long Beach, CA, $1,540
85. Linda Sue Ott, Lonita, CA, $1,540
86. Avelyn Navarro, San Diego, CA, $1,540
87. Kelli Mix, Carrollton, GA, $1,540
88. Randi Calabro, Harmony, FL, $1,540
89. Ngoc Hoang, Westminster, CA, $1,540
90. Rebekah Johnston, Hamilton, Ont. CA, $1,540
91. Genella Benjamin, Lawrence, KS, $1,540
92. Suzanne Mead, Las Vegas, NV, $1,540
93. Malissia Zapata, Greenville, TX, $1,540
94. Barbara Hausman, Delray Beach, FL, $1,540
95. Tara Lynne Mahoney, Colorado Springs, CO, $1,540
96. Jean Harlan, Las Vegas, NV, $1,540
97. Kimberly Kusa, Phoenix, AZ, $924
98. Sharon A Hron, Fountain Hills, AZ, $924
99. Qin Lee, Alhambra, CA, $924
100. Korina Archuleta, Centenial, CO, $924
101. Louise Quintana, Thornton, CO, $924, ,

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – All good people inevitably come to realize that there is more joy in seeing a loved one accomplish something big than succeeding for oneself. When Bob Meyer proudly watched his wife Mary Jones Meyer win the 2006 Ladies World Poker Championship late on a Monday night at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas, it was as though he personally had won poker’s world championship. Meyer rushed to the stage and hugged his wife in a whirlwind dance immediately after witnessing her first major poker tournament win and $236,094 in prize money in the most dramatic fashion.

“I definitely owe this tournament to my husband and his training,” Mary Jones Meyer said immediately following her victory. “He taught me many things about poker and we play together all the time. It was definitely a team win.”

All Mary Jones Meyer did was win the biggest and richest women’s poker tournament in history. A whopping 1,128 players – nearly twice as many participants as last year – competed in the Ladies World Poker Championship at the World Series of Poker. Last year’s ladies event was most memorable having been won by former Academy Award-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly.

Unfortunately, the defending champ and several other major Hollywood and television stars went out earlier in the event, along with 1,119 others. That left a final table of nine players that was no less short on talent or enthusiasm. A huge crowd flooded into the ESPN arena to witness the championship finale, which lasted four very exciting hours.

The final table was comprised of women of all ages and backgrounds. Ages ranged from 24 to 50. Players were from Nevada, Texas, New York, Michigan, Oklahoma, California, Illinois, and Austria. Two of the players admitted to being expectant mothers (very likely a WSOP first).

After blitzing through 18 players in the initial hours of Day Two, play at the final table started-off cautiously, as each player wanted to maximize her stay in the big game.

Then, Elle Ahlgren, a fashion designed from Las Vegas, went out in ninth place and received $23,096.

Next, Laurie Scott went out with pocket threes against ace-seven after an ace hit the board. Scott, a data analyst from Austin, earned $25,662 for eighth place.

Devi Ortega, a Bronx, NY-born professional pool player now living in Oklahoma, could not catch a break when she moved all-in with pocket tens, which was broken by two hearts which completed a flush. Ortega pocketed $30,794 for seventh place.

Julie Allen, who is finishing up a Masters Degree in education, has been playing poker for two years. She went all-in on her final hand with king-queen suited, but the royal couple could not conceive. A set of eights put Allen out in sixth place, which paid $35,927.

Sue Luckenbaugh wasn’t very lucky. The horse trainer from Saratoga, New York was eliminated holding two-pair versus a full-house. Luckenbaugh managed to win her way into the event by paying only $26, and then won a satellite tournament. Fifth place paid $41,059.

Reka Hallgato went out next when her pocket fours were cracked by a straight. Hallgato, originally from Budapest, Hungary and now residing in Hollywood, California – received $51,324.

Just when it seemed that Shawnee Barton might run away with the top prize, she started taking some beats. Barton was up to a 3 to 1 chip lead when play was three handed. But, each time Barton seemed to have the edge in a big hand, disaster would strike. This only added to the tension and excitement of the final table match, which produced countless exciting hands and dramatic moments.

Barton did win one big hand which eliminated the next player. Beatrice Stranzinger was getting low on chips and tried to make a move with a weak ace. But Barton called her opponent’s all-in move with queen-jack suited and then caught a queen. That put the Austrian poker player out in third place, which paid $71,340.

There were four all-in hands which miraculously did not produce a winner (two were split pots) before the final extraordinary ending. Exhausted from playing all day and much of the night, the clock showed 1:00 am when the biggest hand of the tournament was dealt out. Barton started off with king-nine versus Mary Jones Meyer’s ace-ten. After the flop came 9-7-2, May Jones Meyer made a bluff bet of 200,000 (holding nothing but two naked overcards) and Barton raised all-in for 700,000 more with top pair (nines). Incredibly, Mary Jones Meyer called the huge raise and then spiked an ace on the river. The crowd loved every minute of it and roared loudly. Barton could not stand to watch as most of her chips were pushed across the table to her opponent.

A few hands later the Ladies World Poker Championship ended when Barton started off with the best hand once again (holding ace-four) and raised with her last 170,000 in chips before the flop. Mary Jones Meyer had more than enough chips in her huge stack with which to make the call, even holding the less than stellar queen-six. Four blanks were dealt. Then, the captivating card fell from the dealer’s hand, hitting the green felt softly, bringing a bizarre concoction of both elation and grief. A six crushed Shawnee Barton’s dreams of victory and made a poker champion out of Mary Jones Meyer.

As the runner up, Shawnee Barton, an artist from Chicago, collected $123,178 in prize money. Barton could certainly be proud of her performance in this tournament and although she did not win, she had much the best of it in key situations when all of her chips were at risk. For any poker player, that is all one can ask.

Mary Jones Meyer won nearly a quarter of a million dollars for her first place finish. Perhaps more momentous to any serious poker player, she received the coveted WSOP gold bracelet. WSOP sponsor Corum Watches also contributed to making the event memorable by donating a stunning diamond-studded ladies wristwatch, exclusively-designed for this special championship event.

The money, the gold bracelet, and the diamond watch didn’t seem to matter much to Bob Meyer. He was proud of his wife, the champion. “We play together in a home game all the time,” Meyers said later. “Now, when I play against her from now on, I have to remember that I’m playing against a world champion – and when she raises me I’ll have to fold my hand.”

Mary Jones Meyer was even more ecstatic. Visibly shaking and unable to speak in the moments immediately following her stunning victory, the 2006 Ladies World Champion finally caught her breath. “This is the second-happiest moment of my life,” she said.

To know and appreciate what the happiest moment of Mary Jones Meyer’s life has been so far, all one had to do was glance across the arena at a smiling, joyful husband with an unmistakable twinkle in his eye.

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #15):
Total Entries to Date: 16,476
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 26,710,492