Event #53: $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship

We caught the very end of a pretty sick hand between Maria "Maridu" Mayrinck and her opponent. The board read out      , and Mayrinck had put out a bet of around 2,000, which would put her opponent all in. She took a few moments, before making the call in what appeared to be a tough position for her. Mayrinck confidently turned up   , saying "I didn't hit the river i hit the flop." However, her opponent flipped over    for a better full house, and the table erupted in shock and laughter. Despite the loss, Mayrinck is still doing fine, sitting at 4,200 from her starting stack of 3,000.

There was a huge commotion coming from one of the tables in the middle of the Black section and we rushed over to see a massive three-way all-in pot between Michelle Hinojosa and two other players, just as the cards were being tabled:

Hinojosa:   
Opponent 1:   
Opponent 2:   

Hinojosa pumped her fists after the dealer spread the flop of     and the other ladies were drawing dead by the time the   fell on the turn. The river   was only there to make it official.

With the double KO, Hinojosa is up to more than 20,000 in chips!

We missed the exact preflop action, however, a short-stacked player ended up getting it all-in against Kristy Gazes, who had her covered.

Gazes:   
Opponent:   

The       board left Gazes with an inferior full house and her opponent doubled through her.

However, Gazes has chipped up nicely since beginning the day and is currently sitting with 8,000 in spite of the small hit.

Christina Lindley raised to 500 from early position and found one caller in the form of the small blind. When the flop fell    , action checked to Lindley and she bet 750. It was enough to take down the pot as the small blind simply mucked.

Lindley is off to a good start in the Ladies Championship as she is now up to 7,000.

From under the gun, Alexandra Petitjean raised to 350 before Joy Kenworthy snap-shoved for just over 2,100 from middle position. The action folded back around to Petitjean and she insta-called with   , flipping against the    of Kenworthy.

The flop of     put Petitjean further ahead, but despite both players making two pair on the turn of the repeat  , Petitjean held when the   bricked out on the river, sending Kenworthy to the rail.

On flop reading    , the player in the small blind checked to her lone opponent, Liv Boeree, who bet 275 from the cutoff. Boeree's opponent cut out 600 and pushed it into the middle for a check-raise. Boeree made the call.

The turn came the   and the player in the small blind led out for 1,000. Boeree re-checked her cards and tanked for a bit, but decided to fold.

Boeree is currently sitting with 4,000.

Maria Ho's stack has been left by itself and has been blinding down since the last break. We checked her twitter, and for the first time in her career she is attempting to live double table, as she is still in Day 2 of the Mixed Hold'em. We will be sure to post when Ho is back in her seat over here in the Pavilion room.

While the Ladies Championship is considered a non-open event, it doesn't mean that woman haven't succeeded in other events. Here is a look at the women who've managed to claim a bracelet in open events throughout the years:

Vanessa Selbst (2008 PLO)
Annette Obrestad (2007 WSOP-Europe Main Event)
Katja Thater (2007 Razz)
Kathy Liebert (2004 Limit Hold'em Shootout)
Cyndy Violette (2004 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Split 8 or Better)
Annie Duke (2004 Omaha Hi Lo Split 8 or Better)
Jennifer Harman (2002 Limit Hold'em & 2000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball)
Nani Dollison (2001 Limit Hold'em), Jerri Thomas (2000 Limit Seven Card Stud)
Maria Stern (1997 Limit Seven Card Stud)
Linda Johnson (1997 Limit Razz)
Barbara Enright (1996 Pot Limit Hold'em)
Vera Richmond (1982 Limit Ace to Five Draw)

We came to Elissa Harwood's table to see that her and two other players were in a hand on the turn with the board reading     . The small blind bet 400, and Harwood called, along with the other player as well. The river came the  , and the small blind checked as did Harwood. Their opponent bet out 400, and both players called. The better showed   , which beat the small blind, but not Harwood, who had   . She scooped the pot, and boosted her stack to 4,700.

We're not sure how it happened, but Nadya Magnus has been eliminated from the tournament. Many may recognize Magnus as the woman who appeared on The Big Game as a "Loose Cannon." Unfortunately for her, she won't be adding the 2011 Ladies Championship to her résumé.