After nearly 15 hours of poker at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, a winner was crowned in the 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open Ladies Event; Sarah Wasch. Wasch is a Philadelphia native with a handful of previous wins on her résumé, including back-to-back wins in the 2008 and 2009 United States Poker Championship Ladies Event in Atlantic City.
Wasch earned $8,651 for the victory along with a shiny new trophy.
Wendy Rubin finished runner-up, earning $4,696, and Teresa Sexton exited in third place for $2,966. Sexton reached the final table of the Borgata Winter Poker Open Ladies Event a few months ago, as did fellow finalist Valerie Novak, who exited in seventh place on Sunday evening.
Also at the final table was Svetlana Gromenkova, winner of the 2008 World Series of Poker Ladies Event. The bracelet winner entered the final table second in chips, but lost several all-in pots, including a cooler where she ran the into Rubin's . Gromenkova was ultimately forced to move all in with a weak ace a level later, and again Rubin woke up with pocket queens.
Olga Petrovskaya entered the final table with a commanding chip lead, but was eliminated in fifth place when Sexton turned the wheel against Petrovskaya's flopped top pair.
All told, Event 6 attracted a total of 98 entrants, and some were male, but none of the men were able to reach the money and all of there eliminations were met with uproarious celebration. Like Nevada, casinos in New Jersey are unable to permit men from playing due to gender equality laws.
Each member of the final table earned a minimum of $741, but the lion's share of the wealth and the hardware went to Wasch.
The 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open continues on Monday with Day 1a of the Championship Event. Be sure to return to PokerNews for live coverage of that and every Main Event for the entire series!
Wendy Rubin was in great shape to double on one of the first hands of heads-up play, committing the rest of her stack with . Sarah Wasch was drawing with , and the flop smashed her right in the head.
It was all over when the turn brought the , giving her a full house, and the on the river was simply a formality. Wasch is the champion, earning $8,651, while Rubin will walk away with $4,696 for her efforts.
After Sarah Wasch took the chip lead, Teresa Sexton moved all in with . Wasch looked her up with , and flopped a pair when the dealer fanned , and Wasch held as the turn and river bricked , respectively.
Sexton, who reached the final table of this event in the winter, earned $2,966 for third place.
Olga Petrovskaya open-shoved from early position, and Valeria Novak called all-in out of the big blind.
Petrovskaya:
Novak:
Novak, who reached the final table of the Ladies Event in the winter as well, was eliminated as the board came , and she will earn $1,236 for seventh place.
Gina Saladino was all in for her last big blind or two with against Svetlana Gromenkov's . The latter ran down a straight on , and Saladino was eliminated.
Gina Saladino raised to 45,000 in middle position, Svetlana Gromenkova three-bet to 85,000 on her left, and Valerie Novak moved all in for 87,000 on the button. Saladino tank-folded, and Gromenkova called.