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Ladies No Limit Hold'em
World Championship
$1,000 buy-in
2006 World Series of Poker
(WSOP)
Final Results
2006 World Series of Poker        
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Results and Report

Event #15
Ladies World Poker Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In:  $1,000
Number of Entries:  1,128
Total Prize Money:  $1,026,480
Defending Champion (2005):  
Jennifer Tilly

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Mary Jones Meyer
Shawnee Barton
Beatrice Stranzinger
Reka Hallgato
Sue Luckenbaugh
Julie Allen
Devi Ortega
Laurie Scott
Ellie Ahlgren
Debbie Lynn Talosi
Nan Wang
Patricia Abram
Kiersten Kolbu
Debra A. Pechac
Donita Fey
Anne Montgomery
Stacy Berinsky
Lisa Spain
Anjela Brunson
Irene Kristal
Elizabeth Madrid
Kimberly Chermock
La Sengphet
Rebecca James
Cynthia Patterson
Kelly Snider
Patt Beadles
Janice Goodman
Maria Sanabria
Casandra Nix
Ann Escobedo
Natalie Christiansen
Mimi Rogers
Lindsey Hartley
Ruth Graham
Denise Goldsein
Mandy Baumgarten
Jane Pak
Melissa Elavin
Lora Garnett
Gyla Kay
Carmela Werth
Kalee Tan
Jessica Ngan
Tracy Galla
Monica Champa
Susana Maria Marrs
Vickie Morley
Ellen Royston-Ing
Emelyne Barnard
Sirli Quinn
Sara Gardner
Joann Pham Bene
Heather Escuin
Jodi Lynn Cook
Chantel McNulty
Kristi Smith
Patricia Uribe
Kelli Griggs
Yueqi Lisa Wang
Victoria Regina
Kimberly Henderson
Susan Ear
karen Ketron Moore
Kazue Kubo
Christine Miller
Shannon Easton
Sun Young Yoon
Lisa Jean Barnes
Julie Nhien Thi Dang
Stardust Anne Wunch
Victoria Pratt
Esther Cora Taylor
Criselda Turner
Lacey Jones
Regelette E. Bechara
Tana Lenette Washington
Su Ya Chen
Maria Feterman
Janine A. Oneill
Suzanne Thompson
Connie Louisse Kelsey
Sherri Simpson
Kimiyo Takeya
Linda Sue Ott
Avelyn Navarro
Kelli Mix
Randi Calabro
Ngoc Hoang
Rebekah Johnston
Genella Benjamin
Suzanne Mead
Malissia Zapata
Barbara Hausman
Tara Lynne Mahoney
Jean Harlan
Kimberly Kusa
Sharon A Hron
Qin Lee
Korina Archuleta
Louise Quintana
Henderson, NV
Chicago, IL
Vienna, Austria
W. Hollywood, CA
Saratoga Springs, NY
St. Clair Shores, MI
Tulsa, OK
Antelope, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Torrance, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Wellington, FL
Aurora, CO
Phoenix, AZ
Clinton, OK
Louisville, KY
Round Rock, TX
Denver, CO
Las Vegas, NV
San Ramon, CA
Thornton, CO
Apple Valley, CA
Carrollton, TX
Arlington, TX
Chatsworth, GA
Denver, CO
Oakland, CA
Houston, TX
Orlando, FL
Chatsworth, GA
Las Vegas, NV
Bullfrog, UT
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
Denver, CO
Los Angeles, CA
Gilbert, AZ
Coral Gables, FL
Woodstock, IL
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
Taylor, MI
Victoria, B.C.
Las Vegas, NV
Schaumburg, IL
Camas, WA
San Francisco, CA
Hooper, UT
Mount Barker, WA
Las Vegas, NV
Chandler, AZ
Cillicothe, MO
Oklahoma City, OK
Las Vegas, NV
Titusville, FL
Lake Dallas, TX
Palmer, AK
Mexico City, Mexico
Folson, CA
Chicago, IL
Goteborg, SW
Franktown, CO
Santa Ana, CA
Dallas, TX
Oxnard, CA
Nashua, NH
Scottsdale, AZ
Houston, TX
Salem, OR
Montclair, CA
Norman, OK
Los Angeles, CA
Vancouver, WA
Seattle, WA
Las Vegas, NV
Sunrise, FL
Watts, OK
Salem, OR
Las Vegas, NV
New Plila, OH
Prescott Valley, AZ
Broken Arrow, OK
Ewa Beach
Long Beach, CA
Lonita, CA
San Diego, CA
Carrollton, GA
Harmony, FL
Westminster, CA
Hamilton, ONT, CA
Lawrence, KS
Las Vegas, NV
Greenville, TX
Delray Beach, FL
Colorado Springs, CO
Las Vegas, NV
Phoenix, AZ
Fountain Hills, AZ
Alhambra, CA
Centenial, CO
Thornton, CO
$236,094
$123,178
$71,340
$51,324
$41,059
$35,927
$30,794
$25,662
$23,096
$20,530
$18,990
$17,450
$15,910
$14,371
$12,831
$11,291
$9,752
$8,212
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$6,672
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$5,132
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$4,106
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$3,079
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,566
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$2,053
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$1,540
$924
$924
$924
$924
$924
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Tournament Report

The Look of Love

Mary Jones Meyer Wins 2006 Ladies World Poker Championship

Local Henderson woman plays poker for fun, decides to enter WSOP
ladies championship, and wins $236,094


Las Vegas, NV – All good people inevitably come to realize that there is more
joy in seeing a loved one accomplish something big than succeeding for
oneself.  When Bob Meyer proudly watched his wife Mary Jones Meyer win
the 2006 Ladies World Poker Championship late on a Monday night at the Rio
Casino in Las Vegas, it was as though he personally had won poker’s world
championship.  Meyer rushed to the stage and hugged his wife in a whirlwind
dance immediately after witnessing her first major poker tournament win and
$236,094 in prize money in the most dramatic fashion.

“I definitely owe this tournament to my husband and his training,” Mary
Jones Meyer said immediately following her victory.  “He taught me many
things about poker and we play together all the time.  It was definitely a
team win.”

All Mary Jones Meyer did was win the biggest and richest women’s poker
tournament in history.  A whopping 1,128 players – nearly twice as many
participants as last year – competed in the Ladies World Poker Championship
at the World Series of Poker.  Last year’s ladies event was most memorable
having been won by former Academy Award-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly.
Unfortunately, the defending champ and several other major Hollywood and
television stars went out earlier in the event, along with 1,119 others.  That
left a final table of nine players that was no less short on talent or
enthusiasm.  A huge crowd flooded into the ESPN arena to witness the
championship finale, which lasted four very exciting hours.

The final table was comprised of women of all ages and backgrounds.  Ages
ranged from 24 to 50.  Players were from Nevada, Texas, New York, Michigan,
Oklahoma, California, Illinois, and Austria.  Two of the players admitted to
being expectant mothers (very likely a WSOP first).     

After blitzing through 18 players in the initial hours of Day Two, play at the
final table started-off cautiously, as each player wanted to maximize her stay
in the big game.  

Then, Elle Ahlgren, a fashion designed from Las Vegas, went out in ninth
place and received $23,096

Next, Laurie Scott went out with pocket threes against ace-seven after an
ace hit the board.  Scott, a data analyst from Austin, earned $25,662 for
eighth place.

Devi Ortega, a Bronx, NY-born professional pool player now living in
Oklahoma, could not catch a break when she moved all-in with pocket tens,
which was broken by two hearts which completed a flush.  Ortega pocketed
$30,794 for seventh place.

Julie Allen, who is finishing up a Masters Degree in education, has been
playing poker for two years.  She went all-in on her final hand with king-
queen suited, but the royal couple could not conceive.  A set of eights put
Allen out in sixth place, which paid $35,927.

Sue Luckenbaugh wasn’t very lucky.  The horse trainer from Saratoga, New
York was eliminated holding two-pair versus a full-house.  Luckenbaugh
managed to win her way into the event by paying only $26, and then won a
satellite tournament.  Fifth place paid $41,059.

Reka Hallgato went out next when her pocket fours were cracked by a
straight.  Hallgato, originally from Budapest, Hungary and now residing in
Hollywood, California – received $51,324.

Just when it seemed that Shawnee Barton might run away with the top prize,
she started taking some beats.  Barton was up to a 3 to 1 chip lead when
play was three handed.  But, each time Barton seemed to have the edge in a
big hand, disaster would strike.  This only added to the tension and
excitement of the final table match, which produced countless exciting hands
and dramatic moments.  

Barton did win one big hand which eliminated the next player.  Beatrice
Stranzinger was getting low on chips and tried to make a move with a weak
ace.  But Barton called her opponent’s all-in move with queen-jack suited and
then caught a queen.  That put the Austrian poker player out in third place,
which paid $71,340.

There were four all-in hands which miraculously did not produce a winner
(two were split pots) before the final extraordinary ending.  Exhausted from
playing all day and much of the night, the clock showed 1:00 am when the
biggest hand of the tournament was dealt out.  Barton started off with king-
nine versus Mary Jones Meyer’s ace-ten.  After the flop came 9-7-2, May
Jones Meyer made a bluff bet of 200,000 (holding nothing but two naked
overcards) and Barton raised all-in for 700,000 more with top pair (nines).  
Incredibly, Mary Jones Meyer called the huge raise and then spiked an ace on
the river.  The crowd loved every minute of it and roared loudly.  Barton could
not stand to watch as most of her chips were pushed across the table to her
opponent.

A few hands later the Ladies World Poker Championship ended when Barton
started off with the best hand once again (holding ace-four) and raised with
her last 170,000 in chips before the flop.  Mary Jones Meyer had more than
enough chips in her huge stack with which to make the call, even holding the
less than stellar queen-six.  Four blanks were dealt.  Then, the captivating
card fell from the dealer’s hand, hitting the green felt softly, bringing a bizarre
concoction of both elation and grief.  A six crushed Shawnee Barton’s dreams
of victory and made a poker champion out of Mary Jones Meyer.

As the runner up, Shawnee Barton, an artist from Chicago, collected
$123,178 in prize money.  Barton could certainly be proud of her performance
in this tournament and although she did not win, she had much the best of it
in key situations when all of her chips were at risk.  For any poker player,
that is all one can ask.

Mary Jones Meyer won nearly a quarter of a million dollars for her first place
finish.  Perhaps more momentous to any serious poker player, she received
the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.  WSOP sponsor Corum Watches also
contributed to making the event memorable by donating a stunning diamond-
studded ladies wristwatch, exclusively-designed for this special championship
event.  

The money, the gold bracelet, and the diamond watch didn’t seem to matter
much to Bob Meyer.  He was proud of his wife, the champion.  “We play
together in a home game all the time,” Meyers said later.  “Now, when I play
against her from now on, I have to remember that I’m playing against a
world champion – and when she raises me I’ll have to fold my hand.”
Mary Jones Meyer was even more ecstatic.  Visibly shaking and unable to
speak in the moments immediately following her stunning victory, the 2006
Ladies World Champion finally caught her breath.  “This is the second-
happiest moment of my life,” she said.

To know and appreciate what the happiest moment of Mary Jones Meyer’s life
has been so far, all one had to do was glance across the arena at a smiling,
joyful husband with an unmistakable twinkle in his eye.   


Report by Nolan Dalla

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #15):

Total Entries to Date:  16,476

Total Prize Money Distributed:  $ 26,710,492

World Series of Poker Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Director, Sponsorship and Licensing -- Ty Stewart

Director, Communications and Operations – Gary Thompson

Director, Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

Vice President of Specialty Gaming -- Howard Greenbaum

WSOP Tournament Director – Robert Daily

WSOP Tournament Director/Director of Poker Operations for Harrah’s
Entertainment – Jack Effel
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