Barbara Enright

Posts: 2053 · Posted: 02.06.2006, 12:11

Barbara Enright, who captured the initial limit hold 'em event in Legends of Poker, made another appearance in the winner's circle by taking down the $300 lowball tournament tonight. This was yet another event to end abruptly as the five finalists agreed to a chip-count deal. Enright had the most, with the next three finishers closely bunched. She also managed to squeeze out an extra $2 because half-way through the tournament, when her pat six busted a player she knew, she insisted that the two $1 cash chips he had on the table played, and he obligingly handed them over.

The lady surged forward in the all-around points race, but still trails Brent Carter and Vince Burgio, both of whom have finished in the money regularly although neither has yet won an event. Enright is no stranger to lowball, having learned the game while she was still in diapers back in the old Gardena days. Her most formidable opponent was runner-up Vince Burgio, who for the past two years topped the lowball category in the annual rankings compiled by Nolan Dalla in Card Player magazine. Among Burgio's titles are the last lowball world championship event at Commerce Casino in 1998, a second in the 1992 World Series, and several other wins at Commerce and the Hall of Fame.

The smell of Ben-Gay and liniment filled the air as a crowd of old-timers gathered to have a good time playing this venerable, nostalgic old game. "When I sit down, they call me 'kid,'" a gray-bearded player named Tom Moore remarked. The event also drew a number of younger people who have rediscovered the game, as well as a bunch more who don't know much about lowball but wanted to pick up points. Interestingly, Casey Kastle, one of the points-race contenders, noticed that with 25 players left, six of the seven leaders were still in business.

With about four tables left, Enright signaled that this might be her night. She tried a button steal with 10-9-8-3-A. When Rusty Bagaygay re-raised she knew he was strong, so she dumped three cards... and made a six.

Close to the final table, points leader Carter raised some hackles while pondering a raise that would put him all in. He glanced back at the other table, saw another player about to go all in, called "time" and went into a stall. After about 20 seconds, Bagaygay indignantly called for a clock and Carter finally folded. Just missing the cut was Jim Bezayiff. He stood pat with an eight and bowed out when Burgio drew one and made a 6-4.

When the final eight sat down, they immediately began discussing a deal. Had everyone agreed, this would have been the shortest final table in history, with zero hands played, but one or two players held out and they continued. Ron Ryneal, who himself has a clutch of lowball trophies, was first out. Both he and Enright drew one. He caught a ten to his 7-6 draw while she made a 7-4.

Enright then went on a tear to take the chip lead from Burgio. First she took the blinds with an uncalled pre-draw raise. Then she raised again, stood pat and forced Roger Aielli to fold by betting out after he drew two. Aielli, a computer components broker who has been playing lowball since the old Bell Club days, made the mistake of challenging her again on the next hand. He called her raise, stood pat with a nine and lost again when she drew one and made an eight.

With limits at $2,000-$4,000, poker player Toto Leonidas, in only his third lowball event, called Bagaygay's raise all in. Both drew a card and Rusty edged him, 10-7-5-4-3 to J-7-6-4-3.

Shortly after, there's another deal discussion, but Kamer Ricakci, short-stacked, can't get the money he wants and says "no deal." It's a mistake. Two hands later, all his chips go in when Enright raises him. He draws one. She stands pat and looks happy. He must have a seven, because he begs her, "Don't tell me you have a six!" "No," she replies. "I have a wheel."

The chips are counted down. Enright has $23,700, Burgio has $18,900, Bagaygay has $18,800, Aielli, $18,200 and Ken Martin, a civil engineer playing his first lowball tournament, has $6,400. This time everyone is agreeable and once again it ends right for Enright.

Biography - Barbara Enright

Barbara Enright has more lowball titles than she can remember, but one of them was the ladies event at the first Diamond Jim Brady tournament in the 80s. They played lowball back then because stud and hold 'em had not yet been legalized. Though she's played lowball so well for so many years, she's not particularly fond of it because she feels it's a game that "went out with the dinosaurs." She prefers games that offer more play.

Tonight's event went smoothly for her. She was never all-in or crippled in chip standing. She felt she had a special advantage because a lot of players were inexperienced and simply playing for the points, and that was one reason she chose to enter this event. When players drew two, for example, she knew those were the ones to go up against. "In lowball," she added, "position is extremely critical. I was very careful not to play hands out of position."