Man Wins Women’s Only Poker Tournament in Atlantic City

The Borgata Casino in Atlantic City recently held a Ladies No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament which saw more than 260 women competing for the first place prize. one woman who really wanted to claim the first place prize was Nicole Rowe of New York. But her hopes would be dashed as one man was able to enter the tournament and he took the first place prize.

Each woman paid the $300 fee to compete in the tournament and Rowe was one of those women. She entered the tournament to try and win and use the winnings to help pay for her living expenses while she recovers from the mastectomy she is expected to have at the end of the month. Rowe was diagnosed with breast cancer and now must have the mastectomy to help fight the cancer.

Rowe would make it to heads up play but instead of facing off against another woman, she would face Abraham Korotki, age 65 of New Jersey, the only male in the competition. Korotki won the tournament taking home $20,982 for first place while Rowe won only $11,889.

Korokti stated that he entered the tournament after he was quickly eliminated from another more expensive tournament. He said he signed up for the women’s tournament because he ‘wanted to get back on the horse’ and that he had seen five to ten men in the registration line earlier in the day.

However, officials from the Borgata stated they were not aware of any other male participants in the tournament and no other men were pointed out by female players. Korotki stated that employees of the casino did not tell him he could not play in the tournament and he insisted that if he had been asked to stay out he would have not made a fuss about it.

He stated: “I have great respect for the people at Borgata. If someone had said, ‘Abe, you can play, but pleases don’t,’ I would have said, ‘Fine, ‘ and gone home and been bored until he next tournament. 

Korotki is a semi-retired real estate developer and he stated that he would be donating this winnings to three charities one of which is dedicated to breast cancer. He maintains that his motives to enter the tournament were purely innocent.

Joe Lupo, the gaming hall’s senior vice president, commented: “Borgata offers specialty tournaments, including the Ladies event. in the spirit of this event, it was out hope that only women would have participated, as has happened in the past…However, given legal requirements, we must allow anyone who is over the age of 21 the opportunity to participate.”

Rowe was angry with Korotki especially after he refused to chop the pot with her. She asked him for a chop and according to Rowe, Korotki stated: “The money is not important to me. The only way I will chop the pot is if I get the trophy.”

Rowe said she could have used the extra money but she could not cut the deal. She said she is a competitor and she was competing not only for herself but for every woman in the tournament. Korotki did not dispute Rowe’s statements.

Rowe also made comments during a phone interview in which she stated: “When you’re a woman and you play poker, 99 percent of the time you’re at a table with nine men.” She also commented that competing in an all women field is ‘something I look forward to’.

“Why did he have to ruin it for us? Why would he do this?”

In the end, both parties claimed there were no hard feelings and Korotki stated that Rowe was a lovely woman and he and his wife wish her the absolute best.

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