EVENT #205/11/97
WORLD SERIES OF POKER
WOMEN'S SEVEN CARD STUD $1,000
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY - $95,000 PRIZE MONEY TO DATE - $9,139,000
ENTRIES IN THIS EVENT - 95 TOTAL ENTRIES TO DATE - 3,741
Daily Report Final Table
1stSusie IsaacsLas Vegas, NV $38,000
2ndKaren WolfsonLas Vegas, NV$21,850
3rdVictoria TaglePlacerville, CA$11,400
4thLeah MazzolaAbsecon, NJ$6,650
5thMaureen PangLas Vegas, NV$5,700
6thEllen MinieroCary, NC $4,750
7thCyndi GraflundLas Vegas, NV$3,800
8thCindy ByrdGrand Bay, AL$2,850

Ladies' Firsts!

To date this year fifteen women have won a total of $502,928 -- a record.

Two ladies won open event titles -- a first in World Series history.

Three women had two finishes in the money in open events -- a record.

And Susie Isaacs made WSOP history with back-to-back victories in the Womenıs Championship.

Daily Report
Las Vegas, May 11, 1997. The $5,000 Limit Holdem Event #19 was held earlier this evening, to give us our second double header Final Table of the 1997 WSOP.

Most of the Daily Report information for today will be found in the Event #19 report.

Susie Isaacs successfully defended her title, but had to catch a winning river card on several occasions to avoid being eliminated.
After Leah Mazzolla looked at her river card that made her an all-in flush, she pleaded with the dealer to "Please don't give her (Susie) a full house" as Susie Isaacs was drawing to two pair. The Poker God and the dealer apparently heard Leah's prayer, and her flush stood up to win the hand.
At the start of her heads-up play with Karen Wolfson for the title, Susie Isaacs quiped that "whatever happens, I'll make enough to pay off my Visa Card".
Smoking Survey: Smokers Karen Wolfson, Leah Mazzolla and Cindy Byrd combined to give the Ladies Final Table the highest percentage of smokers that I recall for any WSOP Final Table this year.
The Ladies Final Table ended a little after 1:00 AM, but I stayed at the Horseshoe until almost 2:00 AM to help a group of rec.gamblers sweat Rob Fagen in the last Super Satellite. Rob was our last live TARGET winner, and he made it to either 19th or 20th place out of a starting field of 21 tables. Eleven $10,000 seats were on the line, and 18 places were being paid. As far as I know, this is the closest that any TARGET winner ever got to a seat in a Super Satellite.
I checked out the Single Table Satellite area on the way out the door, and they had run, or had in progress about 12 tables for a $10,000 seat, since the shift change at 10:00 PM.

The satellites will continue running all night, and tomorrow morning they will really start gambling with accelerated blinds. The last one is going to start at around noon, and will be structured so that it is almost a showdown for a $10,000 seat.

The Final Table
Card by Card and Bet by Bet
WSOP Event #20: Women's $1,000 7 Card Stud
95 Entries, $95,000 Total Prize Pool and chips in play

Final Table chip position:
1.[V] Victoria Tagle - Placerville, CA$24,9007
2.[K] Karen Wolfson - Las Vegas13,6001
3.[M] Maureen Pang - Las Vegas12,5008
4.[E] Ellen Miniero - Cary, NC11,1002
5.[C] Cyndi Grayflund - Las Vegas9,7004
6.[L] Leah Mazzolla - Absecon, NJ8,7003
7.[S] Susie Isaacs - Las Vegas7,5005
8.[B] Cindy Byrd - Grand Bay, CA.7,0006

Standard Abbreviations:
Bet [b]Big Blind [bb]
Bring in [bi]Call [c]
Check [ck]Fifth Street [5:]
First In [fi]Flop [fl]
Fold [f]Fourth Street [4:]
River [rv]Seventh Street [7:]
Sixth Street [6:]Small Blind [sb]
Show Down [sd]Third Street [3:]
Turn [t]Winner [w]
    Standard Flop Game Notations

    [K] Kevin Song Seat #1
    [Y] Yvan Lanvin Seat #2

    96. sb K - c K - ck Y - fl 9s 5h 7h - ck Y - b K - f Y - w K

    Interpretation: On hand #96 in heads-up play, Kevin Song had the small blind on the button, Kevin called and Yvan checked. The flop was the 9s 5h 7h. Yvan checked, Kevin bet and Yvan folded. Kevin won the hand.

    Standard Stud Notations

    [B] Peter Brownstein Seat #1
    [L] Linda Johnson Seat #2

    170. 3: 4h 9s - bi L 9s - c B 4h - 4: Ad Kc - b B - f L - w B

    Interpretation: On hand #170 in heads-up Razz play, the doorcards on third street in seat order were the 4h for Peter and the 9s for Linda. Linda's 9s made the bring-in bet and Peter called. On 4th street Peter got the Ad and Linda got the Kc. Peter Bet. Linda folded. Peter won the hand.

    I had postponed doing the play-by-play for the Ladies 7 Card Stud Championship, but had carefully set aside and labled the tape I had recorded it on. About half of the Event was on one side of the tape, and about half on the other. When I started transcribing the data, for some unknown reason, the first part of the data was gone.

    My play-by-play data begins with four players remaining (K - L - S - V), with a $200 ante, $500 bring-in, and $1,500/3,000 Limits.

  1. 3: Ks 5h 7c 2c - bi r1500 V - all fold - w V
  2. 3: Kd 6h Ah Ad - bi L 6h - r S Ah - all fold - w S
  3. 3: Ad 3s 3h As - bi S 3h - r K Ad - all fold - w K
  4. 3: 3d 7d 7h 9h - bi K 3d - r V 9h - f K - w V
  5. 3: Th 8d 3c Qs - bi S 3c - r V Qs - all fold - w V
  6. 3: 8c Tc 2h 3h - bi S 2h - r K 8c - all fold - w K
  7. 3: Th 5h 6c 5c - bi V 5c - all fold - w V
  8. 3: 7c 7s Jc 9d - bi K 7c - r S Jc - all fold - w S
  9. 3: Ah 4h Qd 6d - bi L 4h - r V 6d - all fold - w V
  10. 3: 8c 8s Qc Kh - bi K 8c - r V Kh - c K - 4: 9d Ah - b V - f K - w V
  11. 3: 5d Kd Jd Qc - bi K 5d - r V Qc - f K - w V
  12. 3: 8s Qd Kh 4s - bi V 4s - r L Qd - all fold - w L
  13. 3: 5h 8h 4h Th - bi S 4h - r K 5h - r L 8h - f S - c K - 4: 2c 3c - b L - f K - w L shows J J
  14. 3: 2s Ks 7s 4s - bi K 2s - r L Ks - all fold - w L
  15. 3: 3d 8d 6c 9c - bi K 3d - r V 9c - f K - w V
  16. 3: Qd 6h 3d Ac - bi S 3d - r K Qd - r S - f K - w S
  17. 3: Kc Ac 5s Jh - bi S 5s - r V Jh - all fold - w V
  18. 3: 3s 8s 5s Js - bi r1500 K - all fold - w K
  19. 3: Qh 7h 7s 9d - bi L 7h - r K Qh - f L - w K
  20. 3: Qd Jd Qc Kc - bi L Jd - r V Kc - all fold - w V
  21. 3: 8d 9d 6c Tc - bi S 6c - r V Tc - c S - 4: 3s Qd - b V - c S - 5: 5: 4d 2h - ck V - b S - c V - 6: Qs 4s - ck V - b S - c V - 7: both ck - S shows Ah Ac 8s - V shows Jc 6c Ts - w S
  22. 3: 9d Ks 8d 5h - bi V 5h - r L Ks - all fold - w L
  23. 3: 5h 2c 3c Ks - bi L 2c - r V Ks - all fold - w V
  24. 3: 3d Ac 6s As - bi K 3d - r S 6s - r V As - f K - f S shows 6h - w V shows Ad 2d
  25. 3: 5c 3d Kh 5h - bi L 3d - r S Kh - all fold - w S
  26. 3: Kh 6h Js 8h - bi L 6h - r K Kh - f L - w K
  27. 3: 9d Jh Tc 3c - bi V 3c - r L Jh - all fold - w L
  28. 3: 5d 6c 9s Js - bi K 5d - all fold - w K
  29. 3: 3d 8h Td 7d - bi K 3d - r V 7d - f K - w V
  30. 3: Qh Ts Qd 2h - bi V 2h - r S Qd - f V - w S
  31. 3: 4h Jc As 8s - bi K 4h - r S As - all fold - w S
  32. 3: 5s 5d Jc Jd - bi L 5d - r K 5s - f L - w K
  33. 3: Ad Kc 4s 3h - bi V 3h - all fold - w V
  34. 3: 6h 6d Js Jc - bi L 6d - r V Jc - all fold - w V

    *** Approx chip count: K 10K L 10K S 55K V 20K

  35. 3: 3c Qd Ah 6s - bi K 3c - r S Ah - all fold - w S
  36. 3: Qs 4h Ks 5h - bi L 4h - r K Qs - f L - w K
  37. 3: Ad Ac Qc Kh - bi S Qc - r V Kh - all fold - w V
  38. 3: 4d 9c 3s As - bi S 3s - r V As - all fold - w V

    *** Break from 12:07 AM until 12:17 AM

    Ante is now $300 with a $500 bi and $2,000/4,000 Limits.

  39. 3: Qd Td 6h Ah - bi S 6h - r V Ah - all fold - w V
  40. 3: 8c 8h 6c 7c - bi S 6c - all fold - w S
  41. 3: 8d 5d 7c Ad - bi L 5d - r K 8d - f L - w K
  42. 3: 3c 9c 2h 2d - bi V 2d - r K 3c - r L 9c - f V - c K - 4: 6s 7d - both ck - 5: Jh 3h - b K - f L - w K
  43. 3: 6h Td 9h 5h - bi V 5h - r L Td - r S 9h - f V - c L - 4: Ah 4c - b700 L all in - c S - L shows Tc 6d - S shows 8c 8s - 5: 3h 6c - 6: Jd 4h - 7: Kh Th - w S

    *** Leah Mazzola finishes 4th at 12:23 AM.

  44. 3: 2h Jd Js - bi K 2h - all fold - w K
  45. 3: Tc 7h 4s - bi V 4s - r K Tc - all fold - w K
  46. 3: 6s Ks Kh - bi K 6s - r V Kh - f K - w V

    *** Approx chip count: K 15K S 60K V 20K

  47. 3: Ks Th 8h - bi V 8h - r K Ks - r S Th - f V - c K - 4: 5s Jc - ck K - b S - c K - 5: 2c 6c - ck K - b S - c K - 6: 2d 3d - both ck - 7: both ck - S shows Ts 4c 4h - K mucks - w S
  48. 3: Ad Ah 2c - bi V 2c - r S Ah - f V - w S
  49. 3: 9c 9d 5d - bi V 5d - r S 9d - f V - w S
  50. 3: Tc 3s Kh - bi S 3s - r V Kh - r K Tc - f S - c V - 4: 4c 6d - ck V - b K - c V - 5: 5s 4s - ck V - b2200 K all in - c V - K shows Th Kc - V shows Td Jc - 6: 5h 6s - 7: 8h 5c - w K
  51. 3: Qc 6s 8d - bi S 6s - all fold - w S
  52. 3: Qs Ah 8h - bi V 8h - r S Ah - f V - w S
  53. 3: 4h Jh 9h - bi K 4h - c S Jh - 4: 6h Ad - both ck - 5: 4s 9c - ck K - b S - f K - w S
  54. 3: Td 9d Ks - bi S 9d - r K Td - f S - w K
  55. 3: 4h Qh Ac - bi K 4h - r V Ac - f K - w V
  56. 3: Td 8h 5c - bi V 5c - r K Td - all fold - w K
  57. 3: Td 5d 6h - bi S 5d - r K Td - c S - 4: Ts Js - b K - f S - w K
  58. 3: 5d 5h Qc - bi K 5d - r S 5h - all fold - w S
  59. 3: 6s 2h Qd - bi S 2h - r V Qd - c S - 4: 3s 9c - b V - c S - 5: 3h Ah - ck S - b1400 V all in - c S - S shows 2d Th - V shows Qs 6c - 6: 6h Ad - 7: 4d Kh - w V
  60. 3: Jd Js Qs - bi K Jd - all fold - w K
  61. 3: 4s 9c Qs - bi K 4s - r V Qs - r K - c V - 4: Ah 8d - b K - c V - 5: 3d 7s - b K - c V - 6: 6h Qc - b1100 V all in - c K - V shows 9h Js - K shows Kh Kd - 7: 5s 6d - w K

    *** Victoria Tagle finishes 3rd at 12:42 AM.

    Approx chip count: K 35K S 60K

  62. 3: Tc 4h - bi S - r K - c S - 4: As Td - b K - c S - 5s 5d - b K - f S - w K
  63. 3: Th 2d - bi S - r K - f S - w K
  64. 3: Ah Ts - bi S - r K - c S - 4: Ad 4d - b K - f S - w K
  65. 3: 2h 2c - bi S - f K - w S
  66. 3: Jd 7c - bi S - r K - f S - w K
  67. 3: 5c 8h - bi K - r S - f K - w S
  68. 3: 9s 8s - bi S - f K - w S
  69. 3: Ts 3d - bi S - r K - r S - c K - 4: 4s Kc - b S - f K - w S
  70. 3: Qh 9d - bi S - r K - f S - w K
  71. 3: 2c 9s - bi K - r S - f K - w S
  72. 3: 6s 2h - bi S - c K - 4: 4s 5c - b K - f S - w K
  73. 3: 2s Ks - bi K - r S - f K - w S
  74. 3: 8s Ts - bi K - r S - f K - w S
  75. 3: Ad 4d - bi S - r K - c S - 4: 8h 6s - ck K - b S - f K - w S
  76. 3: 8d 2d - bi S - r K - c S - 4: 5h Qh - ck S - b K - r S - c K - 5: 3h 9d - b S - f K - w S
  77. 3: 8d 5s - bi S - r K - f S - w K
  78. 3: Qs 3s - bi S - r K - f S - w K
  79. 3: 3h Td - bi K - r S - c K - 4: 5d Ah - b S - r K - c S - 5: 8c Kh - b S - f K - w S
  80. 3: 7s 7d - bi S - f K - w S
  81. 3: 3d 7s - bi K - c S - 4: 6d 2h - b S - r K - c S - 5: Js 3s - b K - r S - c K - 6: 5c 3c - b S - c K - 7: b S - c K - S shows Ah Ad Ac - K mucks - w S

    *** Chip count: K 900 S 94,100

  82. 3: 4c 8c - bi K - f S - w K
  83. 3: 7s Qs - bi K - c S - 4: Ks 5h - both ck - 8c Kh - b S - f K - w S
  84. 3: Qh 2h - bi S - c100 K all in - K shows 7s 5s - S shows Th Js - 4: Ah Qc - 5: 4c 3h - 6: Ac 4d - 7: 2s S mucks - w K
  85. 3: 2s 6d - bi K all in - c S - K shows 3h 9d - S shows Tc 5d - 4: 6s Qs - 5: Ah 7d - 6: 9h Ts - 7: 7c Ks - w S

    Karen Wolfson finishes 2nd and Susie Isaacs wins the $1,000 Ladies 7 Card Stud WSOP Championship at 1:06 AM.

Final Table Chip Standings - Seat Positions

Missing Picture
Taking advantage of some mind-boggling river cards, Card Player magazine columnist Susie Isaacs successfully defended her title of Ladies World Champion -- a WSOP first -- defeating 94 competitors in the $1,000 buy in Seven Card Stud event. With first-place prize money of $38,000, Isaacs was awarded her second gold winner's bracelet for her back-to-back championships. She has now won $97,265 in four ladies' title events since 1991, moving into 8th place on the Women's Top Money Winners list.

"It's just unbelievable, the thrill of thrills," said Isaacs. "It's better than deja vu. I've made history -- now I might get some attention outside the poker world. I hope in the next year to make enough noise to get people to pay attention to the world of poker." Isaacs, who is also a Card Player account executive, has just completed her first novel, which includes poker scenes.

When final table play began, Isaacs said, "I was delighted to have a payday. I didn't think I'd win it. I just kept playing the best I could. I got lucky at the right times."

Her most dramatic stroke of luck came four minutes into the action when she was all in with Q-7/Q-J-5-3 against Cindy Byrd who held K-K/9-2-4-2. Only a queen on the river could save her ("your basic two-outer with one to come," said Tournament Coordinator Jack McClelland at his microphone), and with a bit of squeezing,it did. "Show me the money!" Isaacs shouted in delight.

Five minutes later she dispatched Cyndi Graflund who was all in, leading through sixth street with A-Q/A-K-10-8. Isaacs held J-9/J-5-6-8. Graflund caught a river queen for aces up. Isaacs turned over a third jack.

Later Isaacs caught a river full house card to eliminate Maureen Pang before taking the chip lead with another river full house against Victoria Tagle.

Finally heads-up against 1984 Ladies Champion Karen Wolfson, Isaacs held a $60,000--$35,000 chip lead. It grew slowly until the pivotal hand which effectively decided the tournament, in which she began with pocket aces, paired threes on 5th and 6th street and looked down to find a third ace on the river. Moments later Isaacs had the title with a pair of kings against Wolfson's nines.

"I'm very happy I got second. Susie played very well,"said Wolfson, whose prize money of $21,850 moved her into 12th place on the Women's Top Money Winner's list with total earnings of $61,100. A former boxman at a Las Vegas Strip casino, Wolfson has played poker for 20 years during which she has won about a dozen tournaments. Like Isaacs, she said, "I love ladies' tournaments. I think I have a better chance of winning," although both women have had significant victories over men. "The World Series is great -- you can go from being poor to having a good bankroll," Wolfson said.

Third place went to Victoria Tagle, who works in hospital emergency room administration and gained entry through a Commerce Casino satellite. She collected $11,400 on her first trip to the World Series and said, "I'm thrilled to be in the money, but disappointed because I had some good hands beaten. There were a lot of tough ladies I've not played against." Tagle, the mother of two, said her husband plays no poker at all. She was eliminated with a pair of queens and a busted straight by Wolfson's pair of kings.

Leah Mazzola, a homemaker who has played poker socially for five years, took fourth place money of $6,650. "The tournament was tough for me -- I was all in six times," she said. "I'm disappointed I didn't win that hand." Holding unimproved starting tens, she was knocked out by Isaacs who made two smaller pair.

Maureen Pang, a retired hotel executive born in Britain, finished fifth, her first time in the money at the World Series. "I'm positively thrilled. I can't believe it," she said. "It's a dream come true. I won't sleep a wink tonight."

Sixth place went to Ellen Miniero, a student and "casual player" who had never before been in the money. She was eliminated holding two pair by Wolfson whose two higher pair became a full house on the river.

Cyndi Graflund, a Hawaiian-born "housewife and investor," took seventh, victim of Isaacs' third jack on the river. "It was a horrible beat," she said, a familiar lament at this extraordinary ladies' final table.

Eighth place went to Biloxi, Mississippi poker dealer Cindy Byrd who took her devastating loss to Isaacs' miracle queen with notably good grace. "I was so nervous in the tournament, but I really enjoyed it," she said.


Internet Coverage of the 1997 World Series of Poker is brought to you by Binion's Horseshoe and ConJelCo
©1997, Binion's Horseshoe. Some portions ©1997, ConJelCo. All Rights Reserved.
Next Event Previous Event
Page last modified: 5-21-97