Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open Event 3: $250 Ladies Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) December 7, 2014
Entries: 18 Total Buy-In: $4,500
Dani Mae – Winner
RECAP
The Ladies event turned into a one woman show and it’s Dani Mae (St. Petersburg, FL) who is the queen of the tournament.
Mae dominated the final table of this Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open event to win $1,932, the custom guitar trophy and a $560 entry into Event 5.
“It always feels good to get a win,” said Mae who got off to a fast start early in the tournament.
Mae doubled-up early with quad 6s against Diane Rossi (Orlando, FL) who had a full house and was crippled on the hand.
“I was hoping she had an Ace or Ten for the boat,” said Mae who held on the board. It turned out Rossi had both.
“That was definitely a turning point,” said Rossi who held on the hand. “I hit the boat, then the bigger boat.”
Rossi managed to regroup and make it to the final three where she and Denise Tuck (Bradenton, FL) were dominated by Mae’s monster chip lead.
“I did very well because I was down early,” said Tuck and added. “I had the nut flush against a straight flush.” The hand, as detailed here, knocked Tuck down to 3,500, before she bounced back.
When Terri-Anne Crawford (Lakeland, FL) went out in fourth place with AK vs Mae’s KK, Mae held 2/3 of the chips in play. Tuck and & Rossi negotiated a deal and the tournament was over with Mae declared the winner.
Tuck officially finished in second place, while Rossi picked up some of the prize pool for finishing in third.
“I woke up on the right side of the bed because I felt like this was in the bag before I sat down,” said Mae who is a yoga instructor and a $2/$5 cash player who is starting play more tournament poker.
“I love it here,” said Mae, “the dealers are awesome and this place is spectacular.”
A dominating performance by Dani Mae gives her the Ladies Event win. Along with the $1,932 first place prize and custom guitar trophy, Mae also earns a $560 entry into Event 5.
“It feels great,” says Mae, who is a yoga instructor and plays at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa on a regular basis. “I love it here.”
Because Mae had most of the chips three-handed there was a lot of table talk between the two short stacks.
Denise Tuck and Diane Rossi worked out a second place deal that has Tuck officially in the money and Rossi listed in third place.
1st Place – Dani Mae (St. Petersburg, FL) $1,932 (+$560 Entry into Event 5) 2nd Place – Denise Tuck (Bradenton, FL) $1,288 3rd Place – Diane Rossi (Orlando, FL)
$250 Ladies Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Blinds 1k/2k/300 ante 3 Players Remaining, 90k avg (45 bb)
Terri-Anne Crawford 2 Spots from $$$
It’s crunch time in the Ladies event and Terri-Anne Crawford is crowned by Cowboys.
After an opening raise by Dani Mae, Crawford moves all in and Mae snap calls.
Mae: Crawford:
“Good game,” says Crawford as she watches the run out of .
“I can never hit a three-outer,” and then jokes to the dealer, “you have it give her Kings when I have Ace-King? “You didn’t give me anything the entire down.”
Crawford is out in fourth place and is the double-bubble, two spots from the money.
Mae has a commanding chip lead with more than 2/3 of the chips in play.
The Ladies event is the second trophy event here in the Poker Room and LaVonne Joyce (San Francisco, CA) is the life of the party.
“This game is all about having fun,” says Joyce who is visiting the area unexpectedly to attend to family matters.
“If a bad beat poker is what you have to complain about in life, it’s a pretty good life,” says Joyce who is entertaining the table with her stories and witty one-liners.
A late start to this event has extended the registration deadline to ~2:50 pm.
Susan MacPherson (Riverview, FL) is off to a good start in the Ladies event.
While holding she hits a Jack-high straight flush on a board of .
“I had to double-check,” says MacPherson who can’t believe her luck. MacPherson flops the heart flush and hits the OE straight flush on the river to take a healthy pot.
The hand crippled Denise Tuck (Bradenton, FL) who held the for the nut flush.