Breakfast Club Poker

Maureen Feduniak (and Phil) Just Miss Bracelet

While the WSOP Championship final table has yet to play, technically the last WSOP event concluded with Maureen Feduniak finishing in second place, taking home $108, 564. 

Event #45, a $1500 NLHE, was the last event on the long WSOP schedule - and the last chance for Phil Hellmuth to win his 11th WSOP bracelet this year.  Currently Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson are all tied with 10th bracelets a piece.  And you know Hellmuth would prefer not to share top honors.  Hellmuth came close - he finished in third place, winning $53,945, behind bracelet winner Anders Hedriksson and Feduniak.  It was not a bad little payday for Phil, but at this point, I'm guessing the money wasn't his goal.  All in all, Hellmuth has logged in a stunning performance this year; winning bracelet #10 and cashing in 8 WSOP events.  Including his bracelet event, Phil made 4 final tables this year. 

Together the Feduniaks haven't had a bad run either.  Maureen also cashed in another WSOP $1500 NLHE event.  And Maureen's husband Bob cashed in the main event and the $2000 Omaha hi/lo this year. 

Suzan "Sabyl" Cohen out in 56th

Suzan "Sabyl" Cohen fought the good fight, but just recently finished in 56th place, taking home $123,699 for her superb effort. 

Sabyl was the last remaining woman from the 2006 WSOP Championship Event's record starting field of 8773 players after Annie Duke finished in 88th place. 

Sabyl Stands Alone: Duke Out

They'll be no waiting in the ladies room when the Main Event goes on break.  Suzan "Sybal" Cohen is the last woman standing..er sitting...in the WSOP Championship now.

Annie Duke has finished in 88th place, taking home $51,129.

Sybal's current chip stack is reported as 905,000. 

Women's Update: And Then There Were Two

WSOP Day Five started with three women still in contention; Annie Duke, Suzan "Sabyl" Cohen, and Debra Lalor.

WSOP bracelet holder Annie Duke had a great Day Four, growing her 180,000 stack to the 918,000 chips she started with today.  It seemed like Annie would see nothing but smooth ride, but then that wouldn't be poker.  Duke ran into some tough terrain at about the one and a half hour mark today.  She had to let go of a hand that she re-raised pre-flop when her opponent check raised her on the flop.  This has taken her down to about 250,000 chips.

Suzan "Sabyl" Cohen is currently enjoying the wild ride that has defined the last 24 hours of play for her.  She started yesterday with 309,500 chips and ended the day with 398,000, which seems straight forward enough.  In between that, however, Sabyl had built up to 1.6 million chips.  Yesterday's rocky road didn't seem to phase her.  She wrote in her livejournal last night, "I'm still in reasonable shape and plan to kick butt tomorrow."  And kick butt she has.  Sabyl is now reported to have 960,000 chips at after getting it all in with AA vs an opponent's AK.

Debra Lalor started Day Four with 555,000 chips yesterday, but saw that dwindle to 373,000 by day's end.  Lalor found little traction today and finished in 117th place and taking home $51,119 for her superb effort.

Suzan Cohen AKA Sabyl: WSOP Day Four

To most of the poker world here at the Rio, Suzan Cohen is just a gal with a lot of chips at the beginning of the WSOP's Day Four - which is no small feat unto itself.  But if you've traveled at all in the world of rec.gambling.poker, you have seen "Sabyl" work over a table of opponents many times.

It amazes me that rgp still has some mystery and cult status left, with the public's recent onslaught into poker's every orafice.  With their now high profile tournament participants like Raymer, Bloch, Ferguson, Gordon, Smith, Chen et al, it's almost a miracle. 

Few of the press will find her "regular" tournament track record.  But fewer will devine the talented Ms Cohen's rgp tournament scores.  But here's a taste:

2006 EsCARGOT: 4th in Pot Limit Omaha
2005 BARGE: 7th in Draw Lowball, 1st in Stud Shootout, 3rd in TOC, and 2nd Best All Around Player
2005 FARGO: 5th in the Bill Hafey Memorial NLHE event
2004 BARGE: 3rd in Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball, 2nd in Stud Shootout, Best All Around Player

Suzan Cohen AKA Sabyl started today with 309,500 chips.

Update:  At 5:20 pm PDT Sabyl was reported to have 682,000 chips, moving into 12th position overall.

Update:  At 6:40 pm PDT Sabyl was reported to have 820,000 chips.  She's keeping a nice pace for the field today.

Updates are also being posted for Sabyl at her livejournal.

         

Debra Lalor Starts in 10th Today

Debra Lalor has never cashed in a major NLHE tournament, but that's about to change.  Lalor, from Sacremento Ca, is starting Day Four of the WSOP in 10th place with 555,000 chips.  Lalor has three recorded money finishes to her credit.  She had a 17th place in the 2003 WPO Ladies Limit Hold'em event.  And she's had two final table appearances at tournaments hosted by Garden City Casino; one in Omaha hi/lo event and one in a mixed Limit Hold'em/Omaha event.

It has looked like a pretty steady climb for Lalor who ended her Day One well above average at 65,325 chips.  On Day Two, Lalor grew her stack to 156,000.  On Day Three, she did have one set back when she held AK on an ace high flop.  The money went in only for Lalor to discover that her opponent had pocket rockets.  She had her opponent well covered, but some damage had been done.  In retrospect, this was a temporary set back as Lalor not only replenished the loss, but continued to amass her current and enviable chip stack.

The payouts for the remaining 481 players start at $26,384 today; already representing a best money finish for Lalor.  But with her stack, the potential for a much larger payday is real and within reach.

Go get 'em Debra!      

Women to Watch: Susie Isaacs

Susie Isaacs made history when she won back-to-back WSOP bracelets in the Ladies event in 1996 and 1997.  She followed up her stunning performance by finishing 10th in the 1998 WSOP Championship Event.

Susie has a new book out called, 1000 Best Poker Strategies and Secrets.  I'm also looking forward to another book she has coming out at the end of this year entitled, Queens Can Beat Kings: A Woman's Guide to Poker.    

Isaacs made it past her Day One and is currently playing in today's Day Two Flight B.   

One for the Ladies: A Photo Essay

I was standing near table 141 when I saw a woman tormented by her decision. She was in seat 10 with her cards covered, there was already 5k+ in the pot pre-flop. She was up against seat 2.

Women to Watch: Melissa Hayden

As the WSOP main event progress, BCP will continue to profile some of the talented women to watch in the field.

With eleven years on the felt, Melissa Hayden can be considered one of the "veteran" women in the field.  And by grossing almost $600,000 in tournament play, she also stands out as one of the most consistent earners in the field. 

Hayden has cashed ten times in the WSOP, including three final table appearances.  She just missed out on a final table this year when she finished 14th in the $2500 NLHE event.

Melissa Hayden sucessfully made it through her Day One and will start Day Two on Wednesday with 28,175 chips.

   

Women to Watch: Annie Duke

As the main event begins, BCP will continue to profile some of the talented women to watch in the field.

Annie Duke probably needs no introduction to the poker public.  This sister of Howard Lederer and mother of four has built up an enviable poker portfolio.  Annie has cashed in over two dozen WSOP events and grossed over $3 million in tournament play. 

In 2004, Duke not only won her first WSOP bracelet in the $2K Omaha hi/lo but she also took down the Tournament of Champions, delivering a heads-up defeat to Phil Hellmuth.

Duke is one of those players that seems to thrive with a lot of irons in the fire.  Annie dedicates much of her time actively consulting for the online site, UltimateBet.  She also recently penned her candid autobiography, Annie Duke: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed and Won Millions at the World Series of Poker.

Annie successfully negotiated her way past Day One of the main event and will be playing her Day Two on Tuesday.