Early Saturday morning I called Tina Tellone, a close friend of mine, to see about her joining me in Daytona Beach Kennel Club for a day of poker action.  Tina arrived 45 minutes late and on her 4^th hand found herself on the button with pocket kings.  Five women limped in to the hand with her and the blinds to go, she announced, “this is NOT a button raise I just happen to be sitting where it is located.”  With a raise of $600 everyone called including the blinds.  The flop came with an Ace, as if there would be any doubt.  The small blind let out with $600 and everyone folded to Tina you could see the steam shooting out of her ears and she called the bet.  Later I asked why and she said, “I had to see what Ace was so valuable on a 50/100 blind level with a pre-flop raise of $600“.  They checked it down from the flop and the woman turned over Ace/Eight off-suit.

After the hand I hear from the table where she was, “just so you know my chips have GPS tracking in them and I will be getting them back”.  Sure enough Tina did just that. The very next level got them all back and then some!  She did it by limping in with pocket 8’s and spiking a set on the flop! The poker gods were smiling as she boated against the woman’s nut flush at the river.  Tina doubled up through the very woman who cracked her Kings.

She was definitely on her game correctly calling hole cards hand after hand, she was unstoppable.  Accurately assessing the final table Tina offered the woman expected to make it to heads up a chop.  No thanks! Final table action lasted 45 minutes and it was Tina vs. the reluctant chopper. This woman wasn’t willing to concede the trophy or title even though Tina had the chip advantage.  Tina laughingly said, “That’s fine, I’ll win it outright” and it only took 14 hands.

I am reminded of a similar reluctant chopper story from my background.  It was the 2008 WSOP Ladies circuit event at Harrah’s New Orleans.  First place was $16,700 with $9,185 for second.  After clearing most of the final table I ended heads up.  I offered my opponent very generous even money deal with me retaining the title and the gold WSOP Circuit pendant necklace. She declined even though I had 85% of the chips. I won the tournament two hands later.

Tina was on Cloud 9 with her win and decided pickup some extra funds from the cash game.  I think she was more excited about winning the trophy than the cash.  Trophies are tangible reminders allowing  us bragging rights and reminiscent feelings of triumph.  Congratulations, Tina!  Love you!

Copied from http://preventcancer.org/newsroom2c.aspx?id=4560#tourney

On May 4, a record 130 poker players from across the country brought their best poker faces to the nation’s capital to support cancer prevention. The Prevent Cancer Foundation raised $215,000 at its Sixth Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. After an exciting evening of tournament play, Jeremy Coon took the grand prize donated by Harrah’s Entertainment—a $10,000 seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament.

The event was attended by top professional poker players Andy Bloch, Lee Childs, Annie Duke, Rafe Furst, Jena Delk and Howard Lederer, members of Congress and players from corporate and poker communities. Professional poker champion and Foundation board member Phil Gordon—renowned for his commentary on televised poker matches such as Celebrity Poker Showdown and the World Series of Poker—served as the master of ceremonies for the evening.

The tournament, sponsored by 1-800-Contacts®, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, General Dynamics, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Legacy, and the Poker Players Alliance, featured 10 players at each of the 13 tables vying to win a seat at the final table where they competed for fabulous prizes, each of which had been generously donated to the Foundation. Prior to the tournament, Gordon and the other professional poker stars in attendance held a poker clinic for first-time players and for those in need of a refresher course before the games began.

“Poker is an exciting way to bring people together to beat cancer. Most of our guests recognize the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s mission is important and they are more than happy to help fulfill it,” said Jan Bresch Mahrer, the Foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Since its inception at the World Series of Poker in 2003, the Bad Beat on Cancer initiative has raised more than $3.2 million to support the Foundation’s mission.

Learn about the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s other signature events.

Today was Event #3 -$500 + $50 No Limit Hold ‘em (6-handed) at Harrah’s in New Orleans. I did not last very long in the event. My table mates were all good players who seemed able to read my cards before I could. I probably should have stayed in bed, which is something I strongly considered.

I stopped by the poker room after my early exit from Event #3. I sat down to a very sick $1/$2 game. Every hand had 4-5 limpers and then someone would bump it up. Nearly all the limpers would call a raise up to $20. There was just no folding pre-flop at this game.

Even though the table was a bit wild, they seemed to respect my game a bit too much (i.e. no action on my good hands) I knew I needed to mix up my game a bit if I was ever going to make some money. So when I peeked down to QQ from middle position, I limped, making me the third limper in the hand. I fully prepared to call the expected raise and fold if an ace or king arrived on the flop. Two more limp after me and the big blind bumps it up to $20. The UTG player calls. I call. The rest of the players uncharacteristically fold. We see a flop of J 7 8 rainbow. The big blind bets $55 and the UTG player min-raised to $110. I respond with an all in bet of $360. The big blind folds and the UTG calls. The turn is a 4 and river is a 3. The UTG player had A J, hitting top pair, top kicker. Whew!

Oh, by the way, have you ever seen a stack of blackies (20 – $100 chips) in a $300 capped $1/2 game? Come to New Orleans to play and you will! Crazy stuff.

C.P.A. From Florida Takes First Place at Harrahs New Orleans by Staff filed under World Series of Poker on 2008-05-19 [Originally appeared in the July 28, 2003 issue of Poker Player]

The “Cajun Queen Classic,” which is the fourteenth event on the 2008 Bayou Poker Challenge schedule, concluded today. Jena Delk won the $200 buy-in Ladies Only No-Limit Hold’em competition. The tournament was hosted by the Harrahs New Orleans Casino and Resort. First place paid $16,700. Ms. Delk was also presented with a gold ladies pendant, presented annually to each female champion at the World Series of Poker Circuit here in New Orleans.

World Series of Poker Circuit

2007-2008 Season

Harrah’s New Orleans

The Fifth Annual Bayou Poker Challenge

Cajun Queen Classic

Event #14

No-Limit Hold’em

Buy-In: $200 + $30

Number of Entries: 269

Total Prize Money: $52,186

May 18, 2008

Official Results:

1 Jena Delk Merrit Island, FL $16,700

2 Rae Payne Mandeville, LA 9,185

3 Elizabeth “Lizzie G” Germann LaFayette, LA 4,697

4 Carol Bollinger Mandeville, LA 3,653

5 Kimberly Zobrist Dunedin, FL 3,131

6 Sherrie Aiken Biloxi, MS 2,609

7 Sue Grisham Houston, TX 2,087

8 Sherri Maycroft Killen, TX 1,566

9 Dr. Tricia A. Gardner Round Rock, TX 1,044

10 Rene Gaston 626

11 Rhonda Schroeder 626

12 Elizabeth McDaniel 626

13 Sandy Sims 522

14 Tonic Williams 522

15 Tabatha Michel 522

16 Sheila Leleaux 417

17 Michelle Baxter 417

18 Paula Halata 417

19 Judy LeBlanc 313

20 Rachel Boudreaux 313

21 Tina Koxfong 313

22 Sheila Gattes 313

23 Lindsey Breaud 313

24 Terry Howard 313

25 Tammi Walkup 313

26 Kristin Weeks 313

27 Jerianne Ranieri 313

For more information, please contact:

Nolan Dalla — WSOP Media Director at (702) 358-4642

Or visit the official website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com

Harrah’s New Orleans Poker Room Manager – Rick Korte

Bayou Poker Challenge Tournament Director – Raymond Gasser

Jeffrey Pollack – Commissioner, WSOP

Ty Stewart – Director, Sponsorship and Licensing, WSOP

Craig Abrahams – Director, Broadcasting and New Media, WSOP

Seth Palansky – Director of Communications, WSOP

I arrived in New Orleans yesterday morning at 9:30 am.  Too tired to play the noon event in the New Orleans WSOP circuit event.  So, I checked into the Hilton Riverfront and went straight to bed.  I woke up at 4 pm!  Exhausted for sure.   Thank goodness for these wonderful pillows and room darkening curtains.

I went to Harrah’s last night to check out the action around 8 pm.  The poker room is packed with a huge waiting list.  I play $1/2 NLH for an hour, making $72.  Not too bad.  Went card dead and getting really bored, which is a bad combination for  me.    At the dealer change the calling station picked up his stack, so I got up too.  No reason to pay time if my target is leaving and I am on the verge of playing bad. 

Then I went to the Theater to see what is going on with the prelims and SNG’s. I am happy to see a line for the SNG’s and a full room of players.  I get in line for the $120, and am seated in less than 10 minutes.  I didn’t cash in this one.  It’s now about 11 pm, so I decide to go back to my room.  Gotta get some rest to play the noon event.

I am preparing to play the $550 NLH event today by listening to Tips From The Bear.  Really good stuff!  Thanks Barry.