Tournament Details

The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles once again played host to the WPT with a return engagement of one of its most popular events, WPT Ladies' Night. Defending champion, the lovely and ever-popular Clonie Gowen, along with four other top female poker players and one newcomer squared off in a No-Limit Texas Hold'Em shootout to stake a claim to the winner's bounty - a coveted $25,000 seat at the season-ending WPT World Championship at Bellagio.

Joining Clonie at the final felt were 5 extremely dangerous and capable players: in Seat 1, local favorite and two time money winner in 2004, Sharon Goldman. In Seat 2, seasoned pro and WSOP bracelet winner from Atlantic City, Cyndy Violette. In Seat 3, the aggressive Parisian transplant and Gus Hansen protege, Isabelle Mercier. In Seat 4, in her first tournament, the newcomer who beat 352 women to make the final table, Lavinna Zhang. In Seat 6, New York business consultant and the first woman to cash in the history of the WSOP, Wendeen Eolis.

Last year as a newcomer, Cycalona "Clonie" Gowen roared out of Texan obscurity when she won the inaugural WPT Ladies' Night event, leading her to a successful 2004 season. This night, though, Clonie was surprised by the immediately aggressive tone set by her fellow players. With her stack quickly and nearly halved, she found 5h-5s, when Isabelle Mercier led into her with Ad-8s for 42,000. Deciding to make a stand with her small pocket pair, Clonie pushed all-in, making it just another 42,000 for Isabelle, who called. The flop came 3s-3c-2h, helping neither, but when Isabelle spiked an Ac on the turn, a Jc on the river sent the defending champion, home in 6th place. This set the tone for the night.

Isabelle, emboldened by knocking out the champ, started splashing around in a lot of pots, particularly against Lavinna in the seat directly to her left. But even though she'd been playing for less than a year, Lavinna stood up to the challenge with some extremely sophisticated plays - at one point check-raising Wendeen with nothing but an inside straight draw, and forcing her to muck the best hand. Then, when Cyndy (herself now short-stacked) found Kc-7c and pushed her remaining 28,000 into the middle, Lavinna barely hesitated. Getting good pot odds at about 2-1, she called the relatively small 12,000 raise, and was instantly rewarded with a Qs-Ts-6d flop, giving her top pair. A sour-faced Cyndy Violette watched her tourney hopes evaporate as the board offered no further assistance, going Td, 5c, and she joined Clonie on the rail in 5th place.

Now that the two favorites were sidelined, Isabelle and Lavinna took turns pushing around the competition. Until a brief flurry of good cards and smart play allowed Sharon Goldman to entertain the hopes of home fans. Particularly when she found Jh-Jd, and called Wendeen's all-in, 100,000 raise with A-T offsuit. When the board improved neither of them, going 8c-4c-2d, Qd, Kd, Sharon's chances looked good as she bumped Wendeen off, sending the classy, well-liked former political advisor of New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani back to the mean streets in 4th place.

But moments later, after Isabelle had sandbagged Sharon by checking the nut straight on the flop and turn, and then got her to pay it off with a big bet on the river, Sharon's own dreams were suddenly shimmering faintly. Looking down to find Ad-5d, she decided to stick her flag in the sand, and pushed her short stack all-in for 115,000. Unfortunately she ran into Isabelle once again, with a dominating Ah-Qh. When the board ran out a quiet Kc-7c-2s, 3s, Jh, Sharon was sent packing in 3rd place, to a rousing, home town ovation.

Down to two, a monster had been created in the Montreal native, who TV host Mike Sexton aptly began calling Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier, now holding a dominating chip lead of a million plus. It went relatively painlessly when Isabelle pushed all-in on Qd-8s, and Lavinna quickly called with Qs-7d. After the board went Ah-Ad-2h, 8c, 4s, Isabelle Mercier - former manager of the posh Aviation Club de France, Master in International Law, soon-to-be published poker writer, and full time poker pro - became the second WPT Ladies' Night champion. Lavinna Zhang, 26 year old accountant, just four years removed from her native China, acquitted herself tremendously in her first tournament, and her 2nd place finish promises great things for her future prospects.

But for now, to the victor go the spoils, and one thing is assured: whatever else happens in this exciting poker season, Isabelle Mercier will be sitting at her guaranteed $25,000 seat at the season-ending WPT World Championship tourney at the Bellagio.