Tournament Details

In one of the signature events of the World Poker Tour, it was Ladies Night at the Bicycle Casino. After the $1000 buy-in ladies tournament that benefited the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation for breast cancer research, Pam Brunson defeated 124 players to earn her seat at the WPT final table. She joined five of the best and brightest female players from the WPT’s past season to play for the title.

The players were seated as follows:

•      Seat 1: Melissa Hayden
•      Seat 2: JJ Liu
•      Seat 3: Pam Brunson
•      Seat 4: Mimi Tran
•      Seat 5: Kristy Gazes
•      Seat 6: Linda Johnson

All competitors began with 250,000 in chips with a 1,000 ante and blinds at the 3,000-6,000 level.

As soon as the cards were shuffled and dealt, there were fireworks on the very first hand. JJ Liu raised it up to 24,000 with AhKc, and Kristy Gazes was ready to play; she called with 10d10s. When the flop came Kh10c7h, Liu bet out 50,000 with top pair, and Gazes merely called with her set of tens to set the trap. On a turn of 8d, both players checked. As the 8c peeled off on the river, Liu bet 50,000, Gazes raised All-In with her full house, and Liu called. Gazes won the hand, and Liu was out before she even got comfortable. The new mother, who only gave birth to a baby girl nine days prior to the match, was sent home in sixth place.

Gazes jumped to an early chip lead with 511,000, and the others tried to chip away at her. Pam Brunson, Mimi Tran, Linda Johnson, and Melissa Hayden all took small pots from Gazes as she folded her chips away.

Soon, Johnson decided to gamble, and Hayden couldn’t help herself. Hayden made an initial raise of 20,000 with QhQd, and Johnson called with Jc8c. After seeing the flop of 9c7c5s, Johnson checked her flush and straight draws, but Hayden bet 40,000 at her. Johnson raised All-In for 211,000, and Hayden called. The turn and river came 5d and 2c to give Johnson the flush, the pot, and the chip lead. Hayden was eliminated in fifth place.

It became clear that Gazes wanted that chip lead back, but Johnson was prepared to defend it. After Gazes took two hands from Tran by reraising her initial pre-flop raises and causing her to fold, others began to doubt the quality of her hands. In a key hand, Gazes limped with Kd9c, and Johnson checked her option with Kh7s. When the flop of KcKsJd gave each player trips, they both checked. The 7d on the turn brought another check from Gazes, a small bet from Johnson, a small raise from Gazes, and a call from Johnson with her full house. On the river of 10h, Gazes bet, Johnson raised, and Gazes called to see that her trips were beat. Johnson scooped the large pot and sat at nearly 700,000 atop the leader board.

Gazes then became more aggressive. She eventually doubled through Johnson when her K-10 found two pair on the turn and Johnson’s A-8 and top pair weren’t enough. Gazes took that chip lead back and had almost 800,000 at that point.

Tran wasn’t getting cards that could hold up through most of the action, so when she finally looked down at Ad10d, she was there to stay. She raised to 45,000, but Johnson woke up to QsQh and reraised to 155,000. Tran made another raise All-In for a total of 266,000, and Johnson called. The board produced 4h3h3d4d7c, and Barry Greenstein’s student was out in fourth place.

Brunson was getting pushed around and decided to take a stand. On a hand when Gazes pushed All-In pre-flop for 396,000 after having lost some key hands, Brunson called with Ah10d. It would be a race against Gazes’ pocket 4’s. The cards came Ks5d2d6s5h, and the pocket pair held up to double up Gazes and cripple Brunson.

The short stack soon pushed and doubled through Johnson, then got a walk in the big blind to get back up to 225,000, but she was still quite low. She moved All-In with Ks5h, and Gazes took the bait and called with Ah9c. The cards were dealt 6c6s3sQc2s, and the daughter of the legendary Doyle Brunson was felted in third place.

Heads-up action began with a 3,000 ante, blinds of 12,000 and 24,000, and chip counts as follows:

•      Kristy Gazes 1,067,000
•      Linda Johnson 433,000

Johnson moved All-In on the first hand with J-8, and Gazes folded 9-3. When Gazes tried to limp into the next pot with 9-8, Johnson raised with pocket Q’s and caused Gazes to fold.

It would be both players with monster hands that would decide the match. Johnson raised pre-flop with JhJd, but Gazes looked down at KhKc and reraised All-In. Johnson called. The board ran out Ac4s3d5c4h, and the Kings held up.

Linda Johnson, the First Lady of Poker, was eliminated in second place.

Kristy Gazes, the part-time stock trader and long-time poker player, won her first WPT title. She was awarded a pink chip set and a $25,000 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in April.