[user253757]
Chad Lepes, the Lone Wolf in the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open Ladies Event
The concept of restricted tournaments open only to certain groups of people has always been controversial in the poker world, but Seniors and Ladies events have become increasingly accepted as a tremendous outlet for recreational players to enjoy the game.
Of course, the modern American concept of enforced equality means that these tournaments are not truly exclusive, as casinos must allow men to compete against the ladies for fear of discrimination-based litigation.
With that in mind, spotting a man among the masses of women playing in Event 9 ($300 Ladies Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em) was not much of a surprise, but the sight is still a bit jarring to say the least.
Today, there is one outlier in the crowd, clad in a blue hooded sweatshirt as he tries to conceal the fact that he does not really belong. When asked for his name, the young man appeared agitated and shooed us away without divulging his identity, but that's to be expected. After all, crashing an invitation-only event is the ultimate party foul.
Four players saw the turn with the board reading . The first two players checked, and Barry Leventhal bet 7,500. The two players after him folded, and the last player made the call. The river brought a , and a check from Leventhal's opponent. Leventhal brought out the big guns: 67,000. His opponent couldn't muster a call, and Leventhal is up to around 225,000.
[user253757]
The Crowds Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open Are More Focused on Football Than Flops at the Moment
While most major poker tournaments like the Borgata Winter Poker Open are defined by intense concentration, as players stare silently ahead and say little more than "nice hand" or "so sick."
Today, however, the mood is different on the tournament floor, what with the National Football League's Conference Championship games being broadcast on massive projections screens in all corners of the room. The tournament staff has graciously allowed for the full sound to be turned up as well, drowning out the usual eclectic mix of radio-friendly tunes serenading us from above.
After the New England Patriots recent defeat at the hands of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, the mood in the room is a bit somber at the moment, what with the region's residents largely aligning itself with their neighbors to the north. The NFC Championship game is set to start at any minute now, and we expect to hear cheers, shouts and catcalls throughout the next few hours that have nothing to do with the action on the felt.
After spiking an ace with her on the board, Gina Saladino got it all in against another woman holding .
Saladino was fading the spade flush draw, and despite her opponent's desperate please for a fifth spade to fall, the river came to keep the big slick out in front.
With the win, Saladino now sits with around 106,000, good for nearly double the average stack at the moment.
Two players called for 3,000 from early and middle position, respectively, and Valerie Novak bumped it to 10,000 on the button. The first limper jammed, the next player folded, and Novak called.
Novak:
Early position:
We had a race on our hands, but nothing higher than a nine hit the board, and Novak now sits with around 210,000.
[user253757]
The Ladies in the House Today Can Be Forgiven for Avoiding Poker Faces Like This in the Seniors Event
While we've already covered the phenomenon of men playing in the Ladies event, and there are obviously plenty of Seniors competing in that tournament as well, we haven't seen a single woman competing in today's Senior event.
Nonetheless, the fact that few - if any - women sat down to try their hand against the boys club struck our eye, so we'd like to pass along that nugget of information to readers.
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. The first two players checked, and Barry Leventhal bet 7,500. The two players after him folded, and the last player made the call. The river brought a 
, and a check from Leventhal's opponent. Leventhal brought out the big guns: 67,000. His opponent couldn't muster a call, and Leventhal is up to around 225,000.
on the 
board, Gina Saladino got it all in against another woman holding 
.
to keep the big slick out in front.
