‘Poker
Babe' Shirley Rosario Wins
Her First Event: No-Limit Shootout
Shirley
Rosario, a former cocktail waitress at
the Bicycle Casino who now props $100
and $200 buy-in no-limit games there and
also founded and operates her "Poker-Babes.com
website, scored her first live tournament
win tonight in the 10th event of Hustler
Casino's Grand Slam of Poker Tournament
III.
The
fetching Rosario arrived with a chip lead
of $15,075 and ran it up to about $30,000
before being cut down in two consecutive
hands by runner-up Chris Karagulleyan.
But she still had the lead when the five
remaining players made a chip-count deal.
This may have been the first time in history
where the outcome of a tournament was
decided by a bystander. Toward the end,
Jenny Kang had gone on a rush, knocking
out the last two players, and was anxious
for more action. After tournament coordinator
Warren Karp had made the chip count calculations,
she was not inclined to cut into her winnings
to sweeten the deal for the lowest-chipped
player, Freddy Legaspi. "I'm giving up
nothing," she declared firmly.
"I'll
give him $200 more out of my own pocket!"
an onlooker who turned out to be her partner
kept shouting. That was the decider. "He
doesn't have enough confidence in me,"
a disappointed Kang grumbled. "That's
why I don't like to go partners."
Ah,
well, a new chapter in poker tournament
history.
Rosario,
who's kept busy propping four days a week,
doesn't have much time for tournaments,
but manages to play three or four a month
in local casinos. She's a student of Omaha
guru Steve Badger, and Omaha/8 has been
her favorite game, but no-limit is catching
up fast for her. She also plays online,
and has some wins there. She said in tonight's
tournament she had to fight hard in the
beginning just to stay in action.
Incidentally, guys, if you go to the Poker-Babes
website looking for girly pictures, you'll
be disappointed. It's a serious, informative
poker site with lots of player profiles,
journals and tournament results.
The
format for tonight's shootout event called
for the 14 final players, all in the money,
to play down at two tables. When both
tables of seven had gotten down to five,
the 10 finalists sat down at the final
table. One table met its quota at about
9:30, but it took an hour and a half longer
for the other second table so lose its
last player.
The
final table started with $100-$200 blinds
and 3:04 remaining. In addition to Rosario
and Kang, there was a third lady at the
table, Betsy Superfon.
After
$25 antes kicked in, with the same blinds,
there were several early all-in survivors.
First Kang prevailed with aces against
Eric Jami's A-K suited. Next, Emad Rayyan
hung in with pocket queens against Daniel
Adelson's pocket 10s. And then Adelson,
holding pocket fives, beat Legaspi's A-J.
Finally,
on hand 17, we had our first casualty.
Superfon moved in for $2,475 with pocket
8s and Dahan Yarony called with Ad-4d.
It was not a superflop for Superfon. Two
aces came, and Yarony filled on the river
to leave her in 10th place.
Three
hands later, Rosario opened for $1,200
and Yarony called. The flop of K-Q-4 was
a disaster for him because he had a king
with a jack kicker while Rosario had a
king with an ace kicker. He shoved in
a messy pile of chips, maybe $10,000,
and Rosario called and left him in ninth
place when he couldn't improve. Poker
Babe now had a big lead with about $30,000.
After
blinds went to $150-$300 with $50 antes,
Michael Mizrachi busted out in one of
those made-for-TV hands. After Karagulleyan
opened for $2,500, Mizrachi went all in
for $25 more and asked Karagulleyan if
he would call. Suprisingly, Chris did.
Mizrachi had the lead with A-Q to Kd-6d
for Karagulleyan. Chris took the lead
when a king flopped, Mizrachi took it
back when an ace turned, and Karagulleyan
took it for the final time with another
king on the river as Mizrachi finished
eighth.
Adelson,
a realtor, was all in again with just
A-5, but it was better than Jami's 5-4
suited, and he was still in action. Rayyan
then cut down Legaspi's stacks when he
went all in with Q-Q and prevailed against
Legaspi's A-9.
As
play continued, Rosario had the bad luck
to raise twice, both times running into
pocket kings held by Karagullayan, winner
of a Legends of Poker championship event,
and she had to fold when he moved in.
Jami
finished seventh. He was in the big blind
with just 3-2 off and decided to gamble,
calling all with his last chips when Kang
raised from the small blind with 9d-5d.
The board came K-K-7-A-J, and he was out
on hand number 40.
Four
hands later Kang defeated Adelson in the
last hand of the tournament. He was all
in with A-Q to her A-K and a board of
10-9-8-5-3 failed to help him.
A
chip count was taken. Rosario had $22,800
to Karagulleyan's $21,000. Kang had $13,800;
Rayyan, making his third final table in
this series, had $7,700; and Legaspi,
$4.600. And that, along with the $200
gift, ended it.
Max Shapiro
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