WSOP Ladies Champ Wins!
By Max Shapiro
Mandy Thompson, a full-time player and winner of the Wordl Series of Poker Ladies Championship in 1998, took first place in $200 Omaha Hi-Lo, the final event of Winnin' O' the Green 2000 before the points play-off. Her final opponent was Charlie Sayles, vice-president of a travel agency.
There was high drama with 19 players left. Ralph Morton bet into a board of 4-8-J-Q-K. Phillip Luong pondered. The pot was big, but if he called all-in and lost, he'd be out of the money and, more importantly, lose a chance to move up from his fifth-place points slot. With points leader Robert Turner watching intently from the sidelines, Luong finally announced, "Might as well go out in style," and called. His paired king lost to Morton's aces, and Turner could breath again.
At the final table, Mike Ohashi was all-in for $700 on the first hand with A-7-8-10. The board came 3-10-4-K-6 and three spades, and Alex Papachatzakis, with an A-2 of spades, had a nut-nut scooper. Now Turner could really breathe easy because with the last challenger out, the old chip-burner had his $5,000 points championship locked up.
Six hands later, the pot of the night came down. Limits were $2,000-$4,000. In five-way action, Thompson bet into a board of 9-4-A with two spades. Ted Convington raised all-in for $2,400. Ralph Morton, Jamie Perez, John Inashima and Thompson all called. When a king turned, Morton bet out. Perez called, Inashima called all-in, and Thompson called. A queen of spades came on the river and Mandy bet. Both Covington and Inashima had two pair and missed nut low draw with 2-3. Morton, asking "Why couldn't the board pair?" apparently had trips. But Mandy, with a jack and eight of spades, scooped and knocked out the two players.
Morton went all-in a couple of times and split before finally getting eliminated by Sayles. Perez raised pre-flop and Morton re-raised all-in for $5,300, with Sayles calling. Morton had A-3-8-8 with diamonds and Sayles had A-3-9-Q. The board came 9-10-6-K-J and Sayles' straight sent Morton straight home. Bony Mam, a poker dealer at Hollywood Park, went all-in a couple of hands later against Perez and Thompson. When the board showed J-4-3-9-9, he took the main pot with A-J while Mandy took the side pot with K-J. On the next hand, Papachatzakis went all-in for his last $500 on the turn. Starting with A-2-6-8, he missed his low, made a 10-high straight but still lost to Perez' nut flush. Five players were now out in a half-hour.
Later, Mandy button raised pre-flop and everyone folded. "Put down that Mandy finally played a hand and everyone had to respect her," she says. Finally, Mam cashed out after he called Sayle's river bet for $2,100. The board showed 10-3-2-J-A. Mam, with a 2-5-7-8, had deuces and seven-low, no match for Sayles, with a straight and a six. Soon after, Perez, a construction worker, checked out. He had two tens in his hand and Sayles beat him with two kings.
Heads-up, Sayles has roughly $98,000 to Thompson's $32,000. After jousting a while, she makes a big hand. Going in with A-A-4-6, she flops a wheel and traps Sayles by checking, then makes him pay off on the turn and river. Finally, the two talk business and decide to end it with one hand. Charlie is dealt 2-3-5-6 and Mandy gets 2-3-3-7. A board of J-5-J-7-9 is dealt and Mandy's jacks and sevens takes it all.
Biography - Mandy Thompson
Mandy Thompson is 26 and looks closer to 16. Canadian, she has been living in this area and playing side games as much as she can -- "Seventy hours a week," says her boyfriend. She plays $20-$40 stud and stud high-low and would like to play Omaha at that level, but can't find many of those games. She's been playing poker for six or seven years, seriously for five years. The World Series of Poker ladies championship she won in '98 was the first major tournament she ever entered. She since also added an Orleans Omaha title to her credit.
The turning point for her in this tournament came when there were three tables left. She had aces and an opponent had a full house with another ace in her hand. The river brought the case ace, and her high filly gave her the boost she needed.
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