Gertrude Giving the Ladies Event Another Go
Gertrude Schimmel limped in from middle position, and it folded around to the big blind who checked. Both checked the 
flop and 
turn. When the river brought the 
, the player in the big blind bet 300, and after holding up her cards to recheck them, Schimmel made the call.
Schimmel held 
for the straight, better than the 
of her opponent, and she claimed the small pot.
Schimmel held up her cards because her eyesight isn't so good. Nor is her hearing. But her poker skills are spot on, as the 94-year-old has been playing the game well over 50 years.
Schimmel is a retired deputy chief inspector of the New York Police Department who used to play at the WSOP regularly. She's cashed five times in the ladies event in the past, including final tabling in 1998 when she finished fourth.
Her niece is here assisting Schimmel a bit with reading the board and following the action. She told us how Schimmel hadn't played at the WSOP in a while, but this year had an idea she wanted to come back again and give it another go.
She also explained how her best game is seven-card stud — which used to be the game here in the ladies event up until 2000. But Schimmel seems to be holding her own just fine thus far in our no-limit hold'em tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,200 | 200 |