WSOP ACADEMY GRADUATE TAKES BOYS TO SCHOOL

Atlantic City, NJ (December 17, 2009) – Ashira Lavine of Rockville, MD endured a grueling 17-hour poker marathon to win event #13 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Events at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.

Lavine says the training she received from the WSOP training academy helped her to pick up her first WSOP Circuit Event ring.

“I’ve attended numerous academies, “said Lavine. “You learn something new every time and the things they teach are just awesome.”

She particularly notes her sessions with non-verbal communication expert, Joe Navarro.

“Navarro was awesome with me. He observed me for hours at the WSOP Academy in Las Vegas and gave me good advice about my own tells as I am a very expressive person.”

Lavine, herself a body language specialist by trade, says the training she received from the academy coupled with her own occupational skills helped her to make decisions when it was too difficult to do so based solely on the cards.

Celebrating her 34th birthday, Lavine was fully intent on receiving the one gift that only she could give, a WSOP Circuit Event Ring. By 12:58 am, eight players stood in her way.

Pereg was the first to be eliminated. The 53-year old entrepreneur from New York called the all-in raise of Bob Miller. Pereg was behind with A-9 off against Miller’s pocket jacks. Pereg failed to improve and was out. Ninth paid $3,032.

Throughout the night, Lavine held a commanding presence at the final table. She engaged her opponents, the audience and even the floor staff in comical and sometimes edgy dialogue. Her charm and wit garnered her the open support of nearly everyone in the Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City ballroom and perhaps even secretly from a few of the players around her. 

“You guys have no idea. I would do anything for this ring,” she said before turning and looking one of her opponents directly in the eye. “And I mean anything.”  It was all in fun however and her weary opponents seemed to appreciate the comic relief.

In a critical hand, Michael Haney raised to 100,000. Lavine appeared somber as she moved all-in for 160,000. Haney made the call with    , but was stunned to see Lavine turn over pocket aces. “Wow, give that girl an Oscar!” said someone from the rail. The board missed both players and Lavine was up to over 400,000 in chips.

Soon after doubling Lavine, Haney was crippled to a single ante after moving his stack all-in with     against David Weeks’    . A 7 and 9 on the flop and 6 turn on the river gave Weeks the straight while Haney was down to a lone gray chip. He was eliminated the next hand.  Eighth paid $4,043.

With blinds and antes at 5,000/25,000/50,000, Bob Miller was all-in with     against Weeks’ pocket threes. A 3 on the turn ended Miller’s run and the 39-year old real estate appraiser was escorted to the payout table to collect his $5,054 seventh place prize.

Weeks himself was soon crippled after taking a bad beat from Wooyang Lin. After calling Weeks’ A-K all-in pre-flop with Q-K, Lin caught a 9 on the turn to complete his straight after a J and 10 hit the flop.

Weeks was eliminated a few hands later by Adam “chip dr” Chipiuk after shoving all-in with A-J vs. Chipiuk’s Q-3. Weeks took another beat when after a 2-4-6 flop, a 5 hit the turn, giving Chipiuk the straight. Weeks took home $6,064 for sixth.

Lin soon dished out another bad beat. This time, the victim was Greg Kolo.  Kolo moved all-in preflop with A-K and Lin made the call, showing A-Q. Lin spiked his queen on the flop and remained ahead through the river. Floored, Kolo had no choice but to accept the outcome and settled for fifth place and $7,075.

Chipiuk was the fourth place finisher. The 32-year old dentist from Vancouver, BC got it in with    . Garrett Utt made the call with    .Chipiuk hit his seven on the flop, but saw it neutralized by an accompanying ace. An 8 turn and 10 river meant the end of Chipiuk’s run. He earned $8,086 for fourth.

Down to three, Lin called Utt’s all-in with    . Utt was far behind with    , but served Lin a bad beat of his own after a deuce hit the turn. Third place officially paid $9,097.

Heads up play began at 3:50 am with blinds and antes at 10,000/40,000/80,000. Utt, the son of former Indianapolis Colts guard, Ben Utt had with nearly a 2-1 chip lead over Lavine. Utt himself played two seasons as a tight end at Duke University.

 At one point in the matchup, Lavine fell to a 9-1 deficit, but picked up much needed chips with some aggressive play and eventually narrowed the margin to 3-1.

The hand of the night took place when Utt moved all-in on Lavine from the small blind with    . Lavine made the call with    . The board missed both players, swinging the 3-1 chip lead in Lavine’s favor.

The final hand came when Utt moved his remaining million all-in with    . Lavine called with    . Lavine flopped the set with       while an ace on the turn gave her the full house and the victory. First officially paid $21,226 while second paid $11,169.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Lavine about winning a Circuit Event ring. “This is a dream come true for me.”

The newest member of an elite sorority of women open Circuit Event winners, Lavine says she has no problems mixing it up with the guys.

“In my career and in poker, I’m around a lot of males so I have to become like one of the boys and tolerate the jokes and even dish it.”

Still to come are 4 more events and 6 nightly (single-day) satellites which begin at 3 pm and 7pm. 

The WSOP Circuit at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City continues through December 20th.