Ladies Nite:Tilly Beats Lilly
Jennifer Tilly, the reigning World Series ladies champion, proved she is no one-shot wonder when she won the World Poker Tour's no-limit Ladies Night III invitational, the concluding event of the Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker 2005. Her prize is a $25,000 seat into the 2006 WPT championship at the Bellagio, along with a commemorative set of pink Breast Cancer Awareness poker chips.
Tilly is an Academy Award-nominate actress with numerous film credits, including Bullets Over Broadway and Monsters.
Her final opponent at the six-woman table was Aidiliy 'Lilly' Elviro, whose husband and coach is Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi. Elviro was hardly alone in having expert advice at her fingertips. Tilly's boyfriend is Phil 'Unabomber' Laak. Marsha Waggoner is married to Kenna James, who came in second in the WPT championship the day before. And Cecelia Mortensen is the wife of former WSOP champion Carlos Mortensen. All the boyfriends and mates were in the front row of spectators, ready for consultation when needed. Rounding out the field, and having to go it alone, were defending Ladies Night champion Isabelle 'No Mercy' Mercier and Teresa 'London' Gallagher, an accounts supervisor who won her seat by winning the Ladies Poker Party event the day before.
The event got underway at 5:30 p.m. with $1,000 antes and $3,000-$6,000 blinds, each lady starting with 250,000 in chips. Gallagher was the most challenged player. She was an amateur facing a tough table of pros and semi-pros who had played until 5:30 a.m. the day before in the Ladies Poker Party event.
Gallagher crippled herself on the first hand by losing more than100k to Waggoner. When she paired a 6 on the flop, bet 26k, then another 50k on the turn, losing to Waggoner, who held A-9 and flopped a 9.
As play continued, Waggoner picked up a couple more pots and moved into the lead with 360k. Elviro had 336k; Mortensen, Mercier and and Tilly about 225k each, while London trailed with 123k. Blinds were now $5,000-$10,000 with the same antes. By the time the blinds rose to $8,000-$16,000 with $2,000 antes, all six players were still in action, but Gallagher was down to 90k. On her final deal, Mortensen raised to 50k from the cut-off seat with pocket deuces, and Gallagher reraised all in from the cut-off seat for 38k more with K-Q. The deuces held up when the board came J-8-5-3-9, and Gallagher was first to leave the sound stage.
Mercier, a French Canadian former attorney turned pro, was next out on a bad beat. Waggoner raised to 71k with pocket 7s, and Mercier re-raised all in for 61k more with pocket queens. Waggoner proceeded to flop a set of 7s, and Mercier finished fifth when the board showed J-7-2-J-5, giving Waggoner 7s-full.
Waggoner then took a commanding lead in a three-way pot. After she, Tilly and Mortensen had put in 45k each pre-flop, Waggoner bet the flop and took it. She now had 560k to 360 for Elviro; 300 for Tilly; and 280 for Mortensen.
Blinds were now $12,000-$24,000 with $3,000 antes. Later, after they went to $20,000-$40,000, Elviro doubled up at the expense of Tilly. Elviro raised to 70k preflop and Tilly reraised all in with A-9. Elviro called with pocket aces, winning when Tilly missed a straight draw. Tilly still had about 200k left.
When blinds became $20,000-$40,000 with $5,000 antes, Elviro had the lead with 410k while the others had between 340 and 370k.
Mortensen finished fourth. She raised all in for about 400k with Qs-8s. Tilly called with A-3 and won when the board came Kh-5h-3h-5s-Ad. Tilly now was way in front with about 900,000 of the 1.5 million chips in play.
Elviro eliminated Waggoner in third place. After Wagoner moved in for about 220k, Elviro came over the top for 90k more and Tilly folded. Elviro was way ahead with A-K to Waggoner's A-6, and won when the board came 10-9-2-A-Q.
Heads-up, Tilly led with 960K to 540k for Elviro. playing with blinds of $30,000-$60,000 and $10,000 antes. There was a break while the prizes and trophy were brought out and 'money' cascaded from the ceiling.
By the times blinds went to $30,000-$60,000 with $10,000 antes, Tilly had moved up to 1.1 million while Elviro was down to 400k. On the final hand, Tilly had the button and opened for 200k. Elviro moved in for another 120k. Tilly, with Jc-7c, called and Elviro turned up 10s-7s. The board came Qs-5h-2h-Jh-Ac, and Tilly's paired jack gave her the pot and her second major tournament win. And this time she wasn't acting.
Vince Burgio/Max Shapiro
BIOGRAPHY
Actress/poker player Jennifer Tilly was born in Harbour City, CA and grew up in Victoria, B.C., where she went to school. She has been appearing in films since the 80s, and won an Academy Award nomination for best supporting role in Woody Allen's 1994 film, 'Bullets Over Broadway.' She began playing poker about 15 years ago in home games. 'Carzy Games,' she says. A year ago she got a call from WPT to appear on their Celebrity Poker show, and that really got her hooked on the game.
When she won the WSOP ladies championship this year, beating a field of 601 players and winning $158,335, she was quoted as saying it was better than an Oscar. She gives full credit to her boyfriend, Phil 'Unabomber' Laak, for giving her a poker education. He said he realized her potential one day when in four seconds she figured out the outs in a particular match-up hand.
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