1. Mary Jones Meyer Henderson, NV $236,094 2. Shawnee Barton Chicago, IL $123,178 3. Beatrice Stranzinger Vienna, Austria $71,340 4. Reka Hallgato W. Hollywood, CA $51,324 5. Sue Luckenbaugh Saratoga Springs, NY $41,059 6. Julie Allen St. Clair Shores, MI $35,927 7. Devi Ortega Tulsa, OK $30,794 8. Laurie Scott Antelope, CA $25,662 9. Ellie Ahlgren Las Vegas, NV $23,096 10. Debbie Lynn Talosi Torrance, CA $20,530 11. Nan Wang Las Vegas, NV $18,990 12. Patricia Abram Wellington, FL $17,450 13. Kiersten Kolbu Aurora, CO $15,910 14. Debra A. Pechac Phoenix, AZ $14,371 15. Donita Fey Clinton, OK $12,831 16. Anne Montgomery Louisville, KY $11,291 17. Stacy Berinsky Round Rock, TX $9,752 18. Lisa Spain Denver, CO $8,212 19. Anjela Brunson Las Vegas, NV $6,672 20. Irene Kristal San Ramon, CA $6,672 21. Elizabeth Madrid Thornton, CO $6,672 22. Kimberly Chermock Apple Valley, CA $6,672 23. La Sengphet Carrollton, TX $6,672 24. Rebecca James Arlington, TX $6,672 25. Cynthia Patterson Chatsworth, GA $6,672 26. Kelly Snider Denver, CO $6,672 27. Patt Beadles Oakland, CA $6,672 28. Janice Goodman Houston, TX $5,132 29. Maria Sanabria Orlando, FL $5,132 30. Casandra Nix Chatsworth, GA $5,132 31. Ann Escobedo Las Vegas, NV $5,132 32. Natalie Christiansen Bullfrog, UT $5,132 33. Mimi Rogers Los Angeles, CA $5,132 34. Lyndsey Hartley San Diego, CA $5,132 35. Ruth Graham Denver, CO $5,132 36. Denise Goldstein Los Angeles, CA $5,132 37. Mandy Baumgarten Gilbert, AZ $4,106 38. Jane Pak Coral Gables, FL $4,106 39. Melissa Elavin Woodstock, IL $4,106 40. Lora Garnett Los Angeles, CA $4,106 41. Gyla Kay Houston, TX $4,106 42. Carmela Werth Taylor, MI $4,106 43. Kalee Tan Victoria, B.C. $4,106 44. Jessica Ngan Las Vegas, NV $4,106 45. Tracy Galla Schaumburg, IL $4,106 46. Monica Champa Camas, WA $3,079 47. Vickie Morley Hooper, UT $3,079 48. Susanna Maria Marrs San Francisco, CA $3,079 49. Ellen Royston-Ing Mount Barker, WA 50. Emelyne Barnard Las Vegas, NV $3,079 51. Shirli Quinn Chandler, AZ $3,079 52. Sarah Gardner Cillicothe, MO $3,079 53. Joann Pham Bene Oklahoma City, OK $3,079 54. Heather Esculn Las Vegas, NV $3,079 55. Jodi Lynn Cook Titusville, FL $2,566 56. Chantel McNulty Lake Dallas, TX $2,566 57. Kristi Smith Palmer, AK $2,566 58. Patricia Uribe Mexico City, Mexico $2,566 59. Kelli Griggs Folson, CA $2,566 60. Yueqi Lisa Wang Chicago, IL $2,566 61. Victoria Regina Goteborg, SW $2,566 62. Kimberly Henderson Franktown, CO $2,566 63. Susan Ear Santa Ana, CA $2,566 64. Karen Ketron Moore Dallas, TX $2,053 65. Kazue Kubo Oxnard, CA $2,053 66. Christine Miller Nashua, NH $2,053 67. Shannon Eastin Scottsdale, AZ $2,053 68. Sun Young Yoon Houston, TX $2,053 69. Lisa Jean Barnes Salem, OR $2,053 70. Julie Nhien Thi Dang Montclair, CA $2,053 71. Stardust Anne Wunch Norman, OK $2,053 72. Victoria Pratt Los Angeles, CA $2,053 73. Esther Cora Taylor Vancouver, WA $2,053 74. Criselda Turner Seattle, WA $2,053 75. Lacey Jones Las Vegas, NV $2,053 76. Regette E. Bechara Sunrise, FL $2,053 77. Tana Lenette Washington Watts, OK $2,053 78. Su Ya Chen Salem, OR $2,053 79. Maria Feterman Las Vegas, NV $2,053 80. Janine A. O’Neill New Plila, OH $2,053 81. Suzanne Thompson Prescott Valley, AZ $2,053 82. Connie Louise Kelsey Broken Arrow, OK $1,540 83. Sherri Simpson Ewa Beach $1,540 84. Kimiyo Takeya Long Beach, CA $1,540 85. Linda Sue Ott Lonita, CA $1,540 86. Avelyn Navarro San Diego, CA $1,540 87. Kelli Mix Carrollton, GA $1,540 88. Randi Calabro Harmony, FL $1,540 89. Ngoc Hoang Westminster, CA $1,540 90. Rebekah Johnston Hamilton, Ont. CA $1,540 91. Genella Benjamin Lawrence, KS $1,540 92. Suzanne Mead Las Vegas, NV $1,540 93. Malissia Zapata Greenville, TX $1,540 94. Barbara Hausman Delray Beach, FL $1,540 95. Tara Lynne Mahoney Colorado Springs, CO $1,540 96. Jean Harlan Las Vegas, NV $1,540 97. Kimberly Kusa Phoenix, AZ $924 98. Sharon A Hron Fountain Hills, AZ $924 99. Qin Lee Alhambra, CA $924 100. Korina Archuleta Centennial, CO $924 101. Louise Quintana Thornton, CO $924

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.

By Nolan Dalla

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

Total Entries to Date: 16,476

Total Prize Money Distributed: $26,710,492

2006 World Series of Poker