ST. LOUIS, MO. – Felcia Johnico is the winner of event #11, the $240 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Ladies Championship.
The WSOPC first-ever ladies event at Harrah’s St. Louis drew a field of 150 women for a total prize pool of $29,100. The one-day event began at 4:00 pm and ended around 2:00 am.
The final table was a steamroll for Johnico, who eliminated seven opponents within two hours for the win, worth $7.975 and a diamond-encrusted gold pendant.
The final nine players began play just before midnight.
Name
|
Hometown
|
Seat
|
Chip Count
|
Jessica Meyer
|
O’Fallon, MO
|
1
|
65,500
|
Lynn Asher
|
Billings, MO
|
2
|
95,500
|
Tina Tellone
|
Sunrise, FL
|
3
|
72,000
|
Yun Zhou
|
Chesterfield
|
4
|
34,500
|
Felicia Johnico
|
Sherman, TX
|
5
|
91,500
|
Kristy Campbell
|
Contralia, IL
|
6
|
165,000
|
Barb Hunsel
|
St. Charles, MO
|
7
|
122,000
|
Julie McDonald
|
Wentzville, MO
|
8
|
79,500
|
Julie Gregg
|
O’Fallon, MO
|
9
|
36,500
|
Ninth Place
Tina Tellone came to the final table looking for some redemption. The marketing director for the High Heels Poker Tour made the final table in event #8, but was eliminated after flat-calling a small raise preflop from an opponent’s Q5 with pocket jacks. Her opponent would go on to flop a set of fives and eliminate after an all-in.
Instead of redemption, Tellone suffered an unfortunate early exit. After doubling her up ten-handed, Tellone was eliminated on an all-in vs. Johnico with AQ vs. Johnico’s AK.
Tellone has had a strong showing at Harrah’s St. Louis with three cashes and two final tables. Ninth place paid $707.
Eighth Place
Yun Zhou was one of the larger stacks that suffered a flurry of double ups by the short stacks. After doubling an opponent, Zhou called a raise from Johnico for her remaining chips with . Johnico tabled pocket kings which held through the river. Zhou, an engineer from Chesterfield, MO earned $835 for eighth.
Seventh Place
Johnico’s good run continued after again being dealt pocket kings. She eliminated Julie Gregg in seventh place after Gregg was all-in against her with pocket tens. The kings held and Gregg, an HR generalist from nearby O’Fallon was left to collect $1,027 for seventh.
Sixth Place
Hunsel raised preflop to 25,000 after a limp from Johnico. Jessica Meyer moved all-in from the button for her remaining 35,000. Johnico and Hunsel made the call and the two live players checked a board to the river.
Meyer would have tripled up with J9 but her two opponents both had a queen. Hunsel had the 10-high kicker to take pot and send Meyer to the rail in sixth. Meyer is an RN also from O’Fallon. She pocketed $1,542 for sixth place.
Fifth Place
The fifth place finisher was Kristy Campbell. The interior design company owner was eliminated by none other than Johnico with Kc8d vs. Johnico’s A7 suited. Fifth place paid $2,057.
Fourth Place
Julie McDonald was the fourth place finisher after moving all-in with pocket nines. Amazingly, Johnico, who a short time earlier, tabled pocket kings twice, called and turned over pocket aces. No help came on the board for McDonald and the first grade teacher from Wentzville, MO was sent to the payout table to collect $2,572 for fourth place.
Third Place
With play down to three, Johnico made it 40,000 to go from the button before Lynn Asher moved all-in. Johnico made the call with vs. Asher’s A4 and took the lead after a flop. A turn and river were not enough for Asher, ending her tournament run. Third place paid $3,600.
Second Place
Heads up play began at 1:35 am with blinds and antes at 8,000/16,000/2,000. After taking a significant pot from Hunsel, the final hand saw Johnico move all-in with after Hunsel called from the button.
Hunsel obliged the all-in raise and showed . A finale hurrah for Johnico’s streak came by way of a flop. Hunsel bricked the turn and river, making her the runner up. Hunsel is a real estate agent from St. Charles, MO. She earned $5,398.
“I feel great, I’m really excited,” said Johnico, a blackjack dealer from Sherman, TX.
“I had no fear, I was Johnny-go-luckbox,” she said about her good run of cards at the final table
However, the Oklahoma State ladies champion and now Harrah’s St. Louis ladies champ said that it was skill that kept her alive in the tournament until good fortune kicked in.
“Earlier in the tournament, it was a grind, but luck finally got on my side.”
Still to come are 2 more events. The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s St. Louis runs through April 15th