Event Two: Scarborough

MEL STARS IN SEASIDE SPECIAL

 

Mel Lofthouse shook off the flu to continue a successful run of form by winning the Betfred Ladies Poker Tour event in Scarborough, securing a place in the Grand Final.

 

The victory of the 38-year-old from Rotherham against 62 other players at the Opera House Casino came in the midst of a sequence during which she also won live tournaments in Sheffield and Leeds either side of her BLPT triumph.

 

As well as booking her seat in November’s Grand Final, for which a £20,000 sponsorship package for 2010 provided by Betfred will be claimed by the overall winner, Mel took home from the Yorkshire seaside resort the first prize of £2,240 and a special limited-edition iPod.

 

In one of the longest and most gruelling games in the tour’s three-year history, Mel dominated the final table but was only just ahead of Lauren Render on the chip count when it came to the heads-up.

 

The climax came just before 5am when Mel went all in with Ace-Queen to Lauren’s Ace-5. The flop gave no help to either player and so it was Mel who emerged triumphant at the end of a near 13-hour game.

 

“I was delighted to win, especially as I wasn’t feeling great and hadn’t been getting much sleep,” said Mel, former editor of the currently defunct Poker News magazine.

 

“I had been card-dead in the early stages but fought my way up to become chip leader with two tables left.

 

“It was also nice for the people who had shown faith in me by backing me to win the tournament at 12/1 with Betfred to get something back.”

 

Mel joins Leeds leg winner Emily Curzon as the first two qualifiers for the Grand Final and is relishing the chance to secure the top prize which would provide her with buy-ins to some of the poker world’s most prestigious events.

 

“I’ve played in televised tournaments 10 or 12 times and got down to the last two but been outdrawn,” said Mel. “I’d love the opportunity to go one better and win such a fantastic package.”

 

The winners of the six remaining legs will join Mel and Emily in the final, as will the player who tops the leaderboard for the most consistent non-winner and also the winner of an online satellite tournament.

 

Caroline Manson moved to the top of the leaderboard by recording a second successive final-table appearance in Scarborough, adding a seventh place to the sixth spot she occupied in Leeds.

 

Final table finishing order for leg two of the 2009 Betfred Ladies Poker Tour at the Opera House Casino, Scarborough:

 

1 Mel Lofthouse £2,240 + limited-edition iPod + seat in the Grand Final
2 Lauren Render £1,560
3 Kim Jagger £1,170
4 Shelly Postchild £780
5 Samantha Linacre £546
6 Juliette Jones £468
7 Caroline Manson £390
8 Somkhuan Harwood £234
9 Donna Bairstow £175
10 Marcella Cassisi £136