Kings Need Queens!

(Photo: Elena Chadaeva)

Although there are a few females scattered around the WSOP Circuit Main Event tables here in the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, the ‘Ladies Only’ event was a very welcome part of the schedule. Although officially open to all, as Shaun Deeb and friends found out back in the 2010 WSOP in Las Vegas, wearing a dress and calling yourself ‘Shauna’ is unlikely to help you to win friends and influence people!

In any case, there was nothing ‘drag queen’ about the females who turned up here in the Czech Republic, the €220 buy-in attracting an intimate field of 28 - co-incidentally situated less than 10 feet from your writer! It’s a thankless job sometimes, but hey – someone has to do the dirty work!

The Champagne lifestyle

Four tables, 28 ladies, and again a cross-section of the poker scene – with Russia, Germany, Netherlands and the USA among others all represented. And they started off at a rare old pace – laughing, joking and sharing champagne toasts, perhaps to celebrate getting away from the mass of masculinity which had turned up en masse for the Main Event!

It was well after midnight when the final table got underway, the action picking up as German-resident Elena Litvinyuk from Volgodonsk tried to make it a double, having taken down the ring event last year.

It wasn’t to be, however, the talented young player making the money but busting out in 5th spot, good for €632 and leaving Desiree Burgers from Arnhem as the only challenger to the Prague-based trio of Veisova, Tragerova and Simordova.

Come 3am and the rail had grown as the table dwindled, Burgers big stack looking likely to topple the red-headed Simordova when they finally reached heads-up. But nothing is certain in poker and a couple of big pots swung the advantage back to the part-time poker dealer, and when the end came it was both brutal and fitting.

Straight over straight

Burgers flopped the straight, but unfortunately it turned out to be the idiot end of it when the turn filled Simordova’s higher straight. There was no stopping all the chips ending up in the middle and Simordova screamed with delight - the ace on the river merely confirming matters - as she realised the ring and €2460 was hers, her close friends rushing to embrace her as she danced around the hall!

The ring ceremony, as befits a 4am finish, was a fun and messy affair, Simordova’s wine-tasting pose mixed with shy smiles and over-the-top pouting! It was a great event to follow - as skill and beauty often are - and a fantastic advert for both women in poker and how to enjoy the game to the max!

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