1. Clare Miller Alamogordo, NM $247,814 2. Mike Nargi Maumelle, AR $129,293 3. Jake “Doc” Wells Cibolo, TX $74,882 4. Judy Carlson Blackhawk, CO $53,872 5. David Claiborne Twin Falls, ID $43,098 6. Ron Rose Dayton, OH $37,710 7. Doug Schuller Fresno, CA $32,323 8. Stan Schirer Las Vegas, NV $26,936 9. John “JV” Vorhaus Monrovia, CA $24,242 10. Scott McClellan Henderson, NV $21,549 11. Louis Adams Marina Del Rey, CA $19,933 12. Salah Levy Las Vegas, NV $18,316 13. Steven Smith Wichita Falls, TX $16,700 14. Dennis Richardson Louisville, KY $15,084 15. Thomas Thieneman Louisville, KY $13,468 16. Robert McClintock Las Vegas, NV $11,852 17. James Colombo New York, NY $10,236 18. Timothy Bullard Houston, TX $8,620 19. Raymond Abels, Jr. Danville, CA $7,003 20. James Brown Bradenton, FL $7,003 21. Bob Miller Sioux Falls, SD $7,003 22. Gary Ship Mississauga, Ontario, Canada $7,003 23. Richard Chavez Santa Barbara, CA $7,003 24. Dennis Horton Las Vegas, NV $7,003 25. Kenneth Piez Kemmerer, WY $7,003 26. Arthur Molloy La Jolla, CA $7,003 27. Bruce Corman Nottingham, UK $7,003 28. Richard Bell New York, NY $5,387 29. Paul Tassopoulos Fairhaven, MA $5,387 30. Robert Toft Yardley, PA $5,387 31. Dane Christensen Whitewood, SD $5,387 32. B.B. Thompson Bismark, ND $5,387 33. Charles Wholers Duchess, Alberta, Canada $5,387 34. Steven Rassi Morton, IL $5,387 35. Arlan Levitan Las Vegas, NV $5,387 36. Robert Bright Las Vegas, NV $5,387 37. Thomas Vinas Houston, TX $4,310 38. Jay Heimowitz Bethel, NY $4,310 39. Jaquim Correia Tulare, CA $4,310 40. Shelby Miller Alamogordo, NM $4,310 41. Frank Vandal Bullhead City, AZ $4,310 42. Louise Rocchio Culver City, CA $4,310 43. Max Stern Las Vegas, NV $4,310 44. Chris Platt Las Vegas, NV $4,310 45. Eric Dalby Wimbledon, UK $4,310 46. Denis Ethier Durham, NC $3,232 47. Mike Downing Las Vegas, NV $3,232 48. Larry Satterwhite Houston, TX $3,232 49. Dave Fancher Eagle Point, OR $3,232 50. Larry Bass Tamarac, FL $3,232 51. Ken Kaltschnee Las Vegas, NV $3,232 52. Gordon Rubbo Salinas, CA $3,232 53. Joseph Baldwin Palo Alto, CA $3,232 54. Terry Myers Yuma, AZ $3,232 55. Terry Moore Yorktown, IN $2,694 56. Joseph Diperri Boca Raton, FL $2,694 57. Rex Parsons Tillamook, OR $2,694 58. Dennis Savelkoul Minot, ND $2,694 59. John Scibelli Las Vegas, NV $2,694 60. Rober Fasting Las Vegas, NV $2,694 61. Herald Waite Wichita, KS $2,694 62. William Ballew Pleasanton, CA $2,694 63. Michael Gwyn Woodstock, VA $2,694 64. Edward Pellegrini $2,155 65. Gregg Goldberg Orland Park, IL $2,155 66. Thomas Ralph Sioux Falls, SD $2,155 67. Floyd Cohen Las Vegas, NV $2,155 68. John Bonetti Houston, TX $2,155 69. Toshio Nanad Las Vegas, NV $2,155 70. James Hopperstead Cookeville, TN $2,155 71. Richard Joel Conyers, GA $2,155 72. Joe Pharo Scottsdale, AZ $2,155 73. Gary Eirhart Laughlin, NV $2,155 74. Charles Barker Richardson, TX $2,155 75. Edgar Gardner Redmond, OR $2,155 76. Mark Smith Lafayette, LA $2,155 77. Randall Holland Minnetka, CA $2,155 78. Daniel Stotts Browns Summit, NC $2,155 79. Leonard Martino Las Vegas, NV $2,155 80. Phillip Wade Conyers, GA $2,155 81. Shirley Williams Fort Worth, TX $2,155 82. Ron Burke La Selva Bch, CA $1,616 83. Charles Lochridge Laughlin, NV $1,616 84. Donald Geiger Boulder City, NV $1,616 85. Reno Williamson Mooresville, IN $1,616 86. Robert Zehnka Del Ray Beach, FL $1,616 87. Keith Burt Midwest City, OK $1,616 88. Carl Ballard Mohave Valley, AZ $1,616 89. William Brown Henderson, NV $1,616 90. Jeffery Lowenhar Las Vegas, NV $1,616 91. Richie W. Wong Las Vegas, NV $1,616 92. David Robinson Ipswich, UK $1,616 93. Heda Imani Layton, UT $1,616 94. Gene Devore La Porte, CO $1,616 95. Emile Couturier Las Vegas, NV $1,616 96. William Carlton Chula Vista, CA $1,616 97. Jeffery Ridenour Apache Junction, AZ $1,616 98. David Feder Tempe, AZ $538 99. Elaine Schweigert Laurel, MT $538 100. Norris Reynolds Morgan Hill, CA $538 101. Larry Nerenberg Henderson, NV $538 102. Gerald D. Thomas Windsor, IL $538 103. Quentin Correll Sunnydale, CA $538

“Deal the Cards, We’re Playin’!”

61-Year-Old Clare Miller Wins Seniors World Poker Championship

New Mexico grandmother is first woman to ever win seniors event, during week of her 41st wedding anniversary

Las Vegas, NV – There was a point very late in the 2006 Seniors World Poker Championship when tournament officials approached the surviving players and offered them the option of calling it a night and returning the next day. The seniors had played two lengthy, grueling days during which more than a thousand players had been eliminated. Amongst the nine exhausted survivors, there were some weary faces. When the tournament director approached 61-year old Clare Miller, her answer was uncompromising and to the point.

“Deal the cards, we’re playin’!” she snapped.

Poker is a natural pastime for all seniors. It very well may be the only competitive game which allows persons 50, 60, 70, or even 80-years and older to compete on an equal playing field with younger players in their 20s and 30s. Where else but a poker table could a 61-year-old grandmother become a “world champion?”

Poker not only affords opportunities for seniors to compete and win. More important, poker brings people of all walks of life together in a friendly social atmosphere. Many friendships are built around poker tables. Kuei Chi Chang, an 80-year-old woman from Las Vegas, who competed in her first-ever poker tournament at the World Series of Poker last week, said it best: “Poker makes me feel young again.”

This year’s Seniors World Poker Championship was the largest such competition ever in poker history. In a World Series which continues to shatter every conceivable record ever posted in poker, 1,184 players flooded into the Rio Las Vegas to compete for over a million dollars in prize money, including first place -- $247,814 in cash.

The event began with a solemn moment. The roll call of names from poker’s glorious past were called out over a silent room packed to full capacity. Poker’s proud pioneers were remembered -- including Benny Binion, Johnny Moss, and Puggy Pearson who passed away only a few months ago. “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale was the perfect host for the proceedings. As the event’s Grand Marshall, Hale inducted two new members into the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. Mike “the Mad Genius” Caro and Paul McKinney were introduced in a brief ceremony.

With that, the senior’s event began. The competition was open to persons aged 50 and older. The event attracted an eclectic mix of poker players. Paul McKinney, last year’s 82-year-old seniors champion (and the latest inductee into the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame) was on hand to defend his title. Jan Fisher, the popular writer and columnist for Card Player magazine entered, along with her father, Dr. Peter Fisher. The Fisher’s participation likely marked the first time that a father and daughter played together in the seniors championship. Also, a husband and wife from Alamogordo, New Mexico entered the tournament. Shelby Miller would outlast all but 39 players in this event. His wife, Clare Miller would ultimately fare much better.

The final table began with nine players, including one former winner, Ron Rose. The first player to exit was the well-known poker writer and commentator John Vorhaus, a.k.a. “JV.” The 50-year-old poker celebrity from Los Angeles, author of the highly-acclaimed “Killer Poker” book series, received $24,292 for ninth place.

Stan Schirer went out next. The 70-year-old Las Vegas retiree, originally from Nebraska, was the third-lace finisher in the WSOP main event back in 2001. This time he finished eighth, good for $26,936.

Doug Schuller, a concrete dispatcher from Fresno, California cemented a seventh-place finish. The 54-year-old said plays poker as a hobby. Not too many hobbies pay $32,323 in prize money – which is what Schuller took home.

Ron Rose arrived with most impressive poker resume – with several major tournament victories including a win in the Seniors World Poker Championship back in 2003. Rose’s bid to become the first two-time champion in this event’s history was foiled as the former Internet guru from Dayton, Ohio had to settle for a sixth-place finish. Rose earned $37,710.

David Claiborne was the next player to exit. The auto dealer from Twin Falls, Idaho drove off with $43,098 for fifth place. Claiborne also finished in the top five percent in last year’s main event.

Judy Carlson was one of two ladies at the final table. Carlson ended up as the fourth-place finisher. The Blackhawk, Colorado poker pro added $53,872 to her poker brankroll.

Third place went to Jake “Doc” Wells. The horse veterinarian from Texas galloped off the final table with $74,882 in prize money.

Clare Miller had the chip lead most of the way. There had been a point earlier in the night when Miller caught a big break. She won a race with ace-king versus pocket queens, which essentially gave her the chips that would propel her on to victory. “It was luck,” Miller modestly explained in a post-tournament interview. “You have to have a lot of luck to win.”

The final hand of the tournament came when Mike Nargi was dealt pocket threes and moved all-in. Miller, holding queen-eight suited, called. The final board showed 10-4-2-6-8. An eight on the river eliminated Nargi and gave Miller her victory.

The runner up, Mike Nargi is a 53-year-old former craps dealer from Arkansas, who now gambles professionally. Nargi had a nice run at the poker table before he finally sevened-out. Second-place paid $129,293.

Clare Miller was overjoyed with her victory. She broke into tears and her voice quivered as she experienced the thrill of a lifetime. Afterward, Miller told her own personal story that she and her husband had struggled in their earlier years together. Through a lot of hard work and love, the couple built a few businesses and eventually became quite successful. In their retirement years they turned to poker as an activity they could play and enjoy together. The fact that Mr. Shelby Miller finished 40th in the same tournament was clear evidence that this would be the Miller’s day. Fittingly, the happy couple is celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary this week.

Miller put everything into proper perspective when she was presented with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and prize money totaling nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars. “We are very lucky and live very comfortably now, so at this stage the bracelet is probably more important,” she said. “But they don’t mean anything compared to my 41-years with Shelby.”

By Nolan Dalla

Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #18):

Total Entries to Date: 18,686

Total Prize Money Distributed: $32,960,132

2006 World Series of Poker