$600 Ladies No-Limit Karen Goncalves Claims the
Championship and $32,018!
The 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic WPT Ladies No-Limit Championship was a hotly contested affair with 204
entrants generating a prize pool of $103,286! In addition to the prize pool, the first place winner would receive a $1590 entry
into the WPT Ladies Championship in Las Vegas in April. At the final table it was a comeback victory for Karen Goncalves
of Abington, MA, who started the final table as one of the short stacks. Karen overcame pro Kathy Leibert, who finished 2nd,
and the rest of the field to take home the WPT entry, the Championship Trophy, commemorative leather jacket and $32,018!!
The final table began shortly after Noon and it took two hands for Karen to double up. Her pocket 10's held against
Heather Turcotte's AQ and Karen was on her way to the championship. Kathy Liebert was responsible for eliminating 4 players
and the first was Cheryl Sloane of Braintree, MA. Cheryl was all-in for 113K with A10 but Kathy had AK which held and
Cheryl was the 10th place winner of $1,342. Soon thereafter Keiko Tawarazako Lim pushed in her last 25K with KJ. Kathy
called from the BB with Q3 and a Q on the turn left Keiko in 9th place with $1,559 to take home to the Bronx, NY. Manchester,
NH, resident, Jennifer Marchant had just over 100K and called Justine Schiavo-Hunt's 75K all-in with AK. Justine had AJ
and a J on the flop crippled Jennifer. Jennifer pushed her last 33K with pocket 10's but Karen had pocket Q's to place Jennifer
in 8th with $1,859. Heather Turcotte was all-in with her last 30K with KQ. She could not catch up to Mary Beth Dale's AQ
and Heather would return home to Lewiston, ME with 7th place money of $2,272.
With the blinds at 4K/8K, Karen solidified her position at the table when she called Jennifer Cason's all-in with
AQ; Jennifer had A6 and, with no help from the board, she was left with 5K. The next hand her K2 could not catch up to
Kathy's A7 and Jennifer, a resident of Rocky Hill, CT, was the 6th place winner of $3,305. Justine Schiavo-Hunt of
Abington, MA, claimed fifth place. Justine had pocket 7's but Kathy turned over pocket K's and Justine took home $4,855.
Kathy was now the chip leader but just before the end of the level she gave up two hands to Karen worth over 200K
which left the two ladies almost dead even. Suzanne Dines of Quincy, MA, who finished 59th in the $300 Shoot-out, was the
4th place winner today. She had 75K remaining and went all-in with A3; but Mary Beth had A7 and, with a 7 on the turn,
Suzanne was the winner of $6,403. Mary Beth Dale of Valhalla, NY, could not improve on her 2nd place finish in the Ladies
event at the 2007 World Poker Finals when she finished 3rd today. She was all-in with AK for 350K after Karen's 50K bet;
Karen turned over pocket 8's. An A on the flop gave hope to Mary Beth but an 8 on the turn gave Karen a set. Mary Beth had
$8,986 for her efforts.
Karen had earlier taken 125K from Kathy Liebert when she turned over Q's full. After the hand with Mary Beth,
Karen now was the chip leader by 2 to 1. Kathy tried to battle back but she was down to her last 150K when she called Karen's
all-in with pocket 3's. Karen turned over AJ and an A on the flop left Kathy with $17,869 to take home to Las Vegas, NV.
And Karen Goncalves, was now the WPT Ladies Champion of the 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic!
Reported by Jeffrey
A. Toth for Foxwoods Resort Casino |
