BELL GARDENS, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- One day after the World
Poker Tour wrapped its Legends of Poker main event, the culmination of a
month-long series of tournaments at the Bicycle Casino, the women of poker
took the WPT stage on Friday, August 31st to battle for the championship
title. Kristy Gazes outlasted some of the biggest names in poker to claim
victory!
The WPT Ladies Night tournament is a unique event set up as an
invitational for five of the highest ranking women from the WPT's previous
season, including the champion from last year's Ladies Night tournament and
adding one well-deserved seat for the winner of the Legends of Poker Ladies
No-Limit Hold'em tournament. That seat was awarded to Pamela Brunson,
daughter of 2004 Legends main event winner Doyle Brunson, on August 19th.
She joined Kristy Gazes, Mimi Tran, Melissa Hayden, 2006 Champion J.J. Liu,
and the "First Lady of Poker" WPT announcer Linda Johnson.
Under the lights and cameras of the WPT television set, six of the
brightest stars in poker took to the table to battle it out for the title.
Liu, who gave birth to a baby girl only nine days prior, was the first to
exit on the first hand of the night against Gazes. Hayden, partner of poker
pro Allen Cunningham, followed a short time later, then the Barry
Greenstein-tutored Tran left in fourth place. More than 130 hands into the
game, Brunson was eliminated by Gazes.
Heads-up action was exciting for the audience as well as WPT staff as
Gazes came face-to-face with Johnson, a WSOP bracelet holder and veteran
player who usually takes her place as the acclaimed announcer at all WPT
final tables but was thrilled to be seated at the table. Gazes was the chip
leader by a large margin, and in the course of six hands, Gazes was able to
emerge victorious.
Kristy Gazes won a $25,000 seat into the WPT World Championship in
April of 2008 and joins past champions Liu, Jennifer Tilly, Isabelle
Mercier, and Clonie Gowen in an elite group of poker players.
The 2007 WPT Ladies Night episode is set to be televised early spring
2008 on GSN; the World Poker Tour will announce the date soon.
CEO, Hashem Minaiy stated his pleasure in seeing such a phenomenal
table of prominent pros this year. "These ladies are truly legends in their
own right and to have them here at the Bike for Legends of Poker is
exceptional". Managing partner, Haig Kelegian agrees. "Beauty and brains at
the Bike is always the perfect combination."
The Bicycle Casino is a Los Angeles area favorite to players like Linda
Johnson and welcomes all players 24-hours a day, every day of the year.
There are numerous table games available at various limits, including
blackjack, pai gow, and three-card poker, in addition to the wide range of
poker games spread to accommodate all of the Bike's players.
The Bicycle Casino is located at 7301 Eastern Avenue, Bell Gardens, CA
90201, just off the 710 freeway and only minutes from the LAX and downtown
Los Angeles areas.
