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Nani Dollison
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”I needed the money, so I had to win,” commented Nani Dollison of Lake Commorant, Mississippi, whose determination and solid play enabled her to top a field of 161 players and capture first place in the $500 buy-in (with rebuys) Limit Hold’em competition. For her victory in the ninth event of the 2001 Jack Binion World Poker Open, the reigning Ladies World Champion of Poker was awarded $70,616 in prize money, plus a traditional WPO gold and diamond bracelet.
Besides her WPO and World Series of Poker titles, Dollison also boasts a title from the Mid-America Poker Classic. A poker dealer at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, she has played the game for more than a decade.
Though Dollison came to the final table as a chip underdog, she soon won a monster pot with quad sevens against Larry Mullins’ aces up, then dispatched two players in a row to seize the lead. She first took out Greg Wynn, who was short-stacked from the outset and made his final move when he reraised all in from the big blind with pocket nines. Dollison called with pocket queens, and when the final board showed A-3-2/10-10, Wynn was shot down in ninth place for $2,824.
Dollison next set her sights on Hung La, who had forfeited a couple of pots and saw an opportunity to rebuild his stack with A-10, raising before the flop. Dollison smooth-called from the button with pocket sixes, then bet the flop of 9-7-2. After a series of raises, La called all in, but he got no help on board and expired in eighth place for $3,530.
Though she arrived for the final showdown as the chip leader, Sandie Phillips lost a sizeable pot early on to Greg Abdulian’s pocket aces and couldn’t manage to recover. She soon met a quick demise when she raised before the flop with pocket sixes and was challenged by her nemesis, who three-bet with Q« Qª. Phillips called and saw the flop come Au 8ª 6ª, bringing her a set. But when running hearts fell on the turn and river, she was crushed in seventh place for $4,413.
After losing the huge pot to Nani Dollison’s quad fours, Larry Mullins was playing on short money. But he still survived several rounds before finally being eliminated when he took Q-9 up against Dollison, who held A-Q. The flop came Q-10-2, and when Mullins failed to help, he was outkicked and had to settle for sixth place and $6,178.
A few deals later, Nick Graphia forfeited a big pot to Dollison for a bet on the river and was left with only six chips. He put them all in on the next hand, raising before the flop with J-10. Gary ‘Wobbler” Arms called from the big blind with A-3, and when the board brought Q-4-2/K-5, Graphia was forced to exit in fifth place for $7,944.
On a chip roller-coaster ride throughout most of the final-table play, Jim Lester was brought to an abrupt halt when he took Q-J up against Dollison, who had raised before the flop with K-10. When 10-10-9 fell on the flop, Dollison bet out, Lester raised, she made it three bets, and he called all in. But running fours sealed his fate, and he was gone in fourth place for $10,592. Lester also cashed in the Pot-Limit Omaha event held March 26, finishing in sixth place for $6,264.
Meanwhile, Greg Abdulian had steadily built up his stack only to see it toppled when he reraised with pocket kings, making it four bets to go before the flop against Gary Arms, who called all in with A-K. On fourth street the board showed 8-8-8/Q, and Abdulian looked a sure winner. But the river brought another eight, Arms doubled through with his ace kicker, and Abdulian was left stunned and in peril. He was knocked out a few rounds later when he raised before the flop with A-5 and was challenged by Dollison, who called from the big blind with 10-9. The flop came 9-8-5, and when a second nine turned, Abdulian called all in. But he was drawing dead and went down for the count in third place for $17,654.
A 33-year-old freelance screenwriter from Toluca Lake, California, Abdulian has cashed in several other major competitions during the year he’s been playing tournament poker. ‘I’m still in shock about those four eights,” he commented. ‘You read about something like that and never think it will happen to you. But it did & and at the worst time.”
When heads-up play began, Nani Dollison held almost a 3-to-1 advantage over Gary Arms, and it was all over only a few deals into the match. The decisive hand came down when Dollison raised before the flop with A-10 and Arms called with J-6. On fourth street the board showed J-5-3/7, and Arms still had the lead. He called all in on the river, but Dollison had spiked an ace to win the pot and claim the title with a higher pair.
For his runner-up finish in only the third tournament he’s ever played, Arms pocketed $35,308. A 28-year-old competitor from Anderson, South Carolina, he is also the operations manager and chief technician for Great Games of Georgia.
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