Linda Tucker Beats Champion Kelley Kiser To Win Circuit Ladies Event at Hammond

Linda Tucker, a public relations professional from Chicago, overcame what she described as a very tough final table to win the first WSOP Circuit tour ladies tournament to be staged at Horseshoe Casino Hammond. The $200 event drew 227 entrants who generated a prize pool of $44,038. For finishing first, she earned $10,196, along with a strikingly attractive pendant trophy as a keepsake. Until now Tucker, who's been playing for nine years, has had only some small wins at other local casinos, plus a $25,000 bad-beat jackpot.

Tucker, who says her style is being aggressive, until now has played mainly cash games, favoring $10-$20 hold'em, but now plans to play more tourneys. She was in good shape throughout the event, quickly building her stacks into the lead or close to it. She still had a slight lead coming to the final table, and was in good shape from there on. 

The win was especially gratifying for two reasons. First, her final opponent at the table was Kelley "Sandy Cheeks" Kiser, who had won a ladies Circuit event at Caesars Indiana (now Horseshoe Southern Indiana)l, last April. When the two got heads-up, Tucker was out-chipped roughly 2-1. Had Kiser won this event, she would be the first woman to win two ladies Circuit victories. (Also at the final table was Nesli Ohare, who as well had won a pendant at Caesars Indiana.) Second, because of the structure -- 40 minute rounds and an unprecedented 5,000 in starting chips -- Tucker felt that her victory could be credited to outplaying her opponents, rather than from the luck factor which would come much more into play in the typical small starting chips ladies event. "I've played in a lot of tournaments and this was absolutely the best," she enthused. .

"No other ladies event in the world gives the women this much play, but we wanted to treat them equally with the men," noted tournament director Charlie Ceresi. Plaudits came from the other women as well. "I loved the structure and starting chips and the 40-minute rounds," Kiser said. "It gave us lots of time to play. And the staff bent over backwards for us. They were fabulous."

"This was a blast," chimed in Carol Jacobson. "I never had so much fun."  And so, it seemed, did all the ladies    

As a result of the deep stacks along with fairly tight play, the women didn't get down to 10 players until 5 a.m., and it was decided to bring everyone back the next day at 4 p.m., rather than try to play through as originally scheduled. When play resumed, blinds were still just 3,000-6,000 with just 500 antes, so it looked like there was still a long way to go. Nearly tied for the lead were Tucker with 218,000 chips and Kiser with 210,000. 

Here were the final table chip counts: 

In early action, Olga Pavlovitch was left short-chipped when she called with pocket queens after Karin Hakimian moved in after pairing her ace on the flop. Right after blinds went to 4,000-8,000 with 1,000 antes, Pavlovitch pushed in her remaining chips with A-10 and was called by Kiser with A-Q. When the flop came Q-9-3, she was drawing nearly dead and couldn't catch up. Tenth spot paid $736. Pavlovitch, 33, originally from Moscow, now lives in Chicago where she is a homemaker. This is her poker highlight.

Next to get down to the cloth with 3,000 was Diane Pavlik. She called with K-9 after a board of Q-9-6-Q gave Leah Albritton queens full. On the next hand she was all in with A-6, losing to Carol Jacobson's K-6 when the board came 10-6-5-K-J. Ninth was worth  $1,051. Pavlik, 31, is an account manager/insurance rep

Soon after, another lady was down to a few chips. This time it was Maria "Black Widow" DiPaulo, who lost with A-J against Albritton's A-K. All in from the big blind, she survived one time, but on the next hand, all in again from the small bind with Qc-7c, she was blown out by Leslie Ohare's pocket aces when a board of 10-8-6-3-5 couldn't rescue her. She took home $1,366 for eighth. DiPaulo, 36, is an account manager from Lake in the Hills, Illinois, and has been playing since age 10. This is her first Circuit, and her poker highlights are making a royal flush in a home game and a straight flush in a charity tournament. She described herself as a determined woman who, once she sets her mind to something, goes for it 110 percent.

The ladies returned from break to blinds of 5,000-10,000 and 1,000 antes. Suddenly there was three-way action. Jacobson was all in with K-Q and Ohare with Ad-6d. Kiser had them covered holding A-J. Jacobson took the lead when the flop came Q-5-4. A meaningless 7 turned, but when Kiser called for an ace on the river, it obediently came, giving her the winner with aces and a higher kicker. Lower-chipped, Jacobson finished seventh, worth $1,682, while Ohare got $2,102 for sixth.

Jacobson, 65, is from Whiting, Indiana and retired. She learned poker 35 years ago playing in Vegas. Jacobson, a grandmother, has played many local tournaments, "always managing to wind up in 11th place," though she once hit a bad beat jackpot for $26,000.     

Ohare, from Indianapolis, Indiana is a director of sales and marketing. She played in the Womens Professional Billiard Association for 10 years, and was ranked in the top 10. She gave it up eight years ago because there was "no money in it."' In April 2007 she won $12,817 for first place in the ladies Circuit event at Caesars Indiana.

Next out was Hakimian. The flop was 7-4-7. Tucker bet all in, Hakimian called with Q-4 and Tucker turned up 8-7 for trips. A 9 and king came, and Hakimian was out in fifth place, worth $2,627. Hakimian (nicknamed Hakim the Dream) is 41 and a graphic designer from Chicago. She learned poker five years ago from her brother, and also enjoys rock climbing, salsa dancing and travel. The high point in her life was summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro

Soon after blinds rose to 6,000-12,000 with 1,000 antes, we lost another player. Albritton moved in with Kc-Ks and Allison "Boss Lady" Kaulen called with 10d-8c. The flop came Qc-Jc-4c, and then an Ac on the turn gave both women a flush, but Albritton's was the nut flush. Kaulen was out in fourth place, taking home $3,258. Kaulen, 25, is a charitable games manager in Auroa, Illinois.  She's been playing three years, and her highlight until now has been beating her brothers in poker. She also golfs.

Blinds went to 8,000-16,000 with 2,000 antes, and a couple of hands later we were heads-up. Albritton was all in with much the better hand, A-Q against Kiser's 5-4. Then the board came 10-7-4-3-3 and Kiser's paired 4 left Albritton in third place, which paid $3,994.

Heads-up, Kiser enjoyed roughly a 2-1 chip lead. After Tucker picked up some chips, the big turnaround hand came down. Kiser moved in holding 10s-8s. She later explained that Tucker was extremely aggressive, playing very many hands, so she figured that heads-up her hand was relatively strong. "Woo, I've got a nice hand," Tucker said, finally deciding to call with Ad-5h, not that much of a favorite. The board came 9-9-2-7-4, and suddenly Tucker had jumped into a big lead.

Kiser was now down to about 200,000. She had a brief survival, winning with 5c-3c when she flopped trip treys. But on the next hand it was all over. Kiser moved in with Kc-10s and Tucker called with Jc-2s. The flop came Js-Ac-6d giving Tucker the lead. Kiser still had an overcard and an inside straight draw, but a 5 and 9 didn't help, and the ladies crown belonged to Tucker.

Kiser is a special ed teacher and counselor working with mentally disturbed children and lives in South Bloomfield, Ohio. She won $12,876 for her ladies win last April. Raised in Vegas, she prefers stud, but plays hold'em "out of necessity." Her prior cashes include a seventh in British Columbia, an eighth in a Circuit second chance event, and a 17th in a LIPS tourney at the Wildhorse in Pendleton, Oregon, along with some regional wins.