CHICAGO 3rd ANNUAL NO-LIMIT POKER CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL TABLE

June 14, 2009

Richard Lambert, 4th

Ross Ward, 8th

PLAYER PROFILES

On June 14, 2009, 90 of Chicago's top-ranked poker players competed in a double-elimination format for the 3rd Annual Chicago No-Limit Texas Holdem Championship. The final table was a mixture of ages, styles, and experience. As a measure of how challenging this event was, the Final Table featured no less than four players who had previously qualified for the 2010 Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament.

 "Nobody out there works any harder at the game than Kostas does", says Bishop "He's always reading something or watching tapes that can help him improve.... I think his greatest asset is attitudinal, win or lose he loves the action and players like that will eventually find a way to win."

Tournament Director Bishop says of Tsonis "It's just a matter of when he goes pro. This is a guy who learns fast, loves competition, and is always looking to improve."

Kostas Tsonis will have the opportunity to compete with the region's very best players at the Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament set for 2010.

Jamie's favorite game is No-Limit Holdem and it shows. "This is the first tournament I've seen Grenon play", said Tournament Director Bishop. "He's very even-tempered and difficult to read. His solid play is tough to beat... it really came down to one hand where he walked into the hidden straight Kostas was holding. Otherwise he very well could have won it all this year."

Grenon describes his style of play as "... patient. I watch and observe the table and look for opportunities. I don't worry too much about any given hand..."

Look for this great player at the 2010 Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament.

Tournament Director "Chicago Mike" Bishop is very familiar with Lewkowicz and gives her highest honors "Jennifer has a complete skill set. She plays good hands, has a great feel for where she's at, and keeps the opposition off balance. I don't think you can teach all that, some of it's a natural gift."

Omaha is Jennifer's favorite game because it offers the widest range of possibilities. "It's just more challenging", she says, "... Omaha forces you to read your hand right." One of Chicago's most respected veteran players, Jennifer has a trail of championship finishes that proves she's been reading her hands right. No player is more deserving of a seat at the 2010 Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament.

Richard accurately describes his game as "conservative... I'm a patient player and wait for the right opportunities. Today I saw that people were fairly loose with their calls so I decided to build a stack early and take it to the Final Table."

Tournament Director "Chicago Mike" Bishop notes, "...Richard Lambert has won and placed at numerous championships over the past 4 years and he'll be one of the favorites at the 2010 Player of the Decade Championship. He's as calm a player as you'll see in a tournament" said Bishop. "Perhaps that's because he avoids situations he shouldn't be in in the first place. He has a pro-level game, if he's in the hand with you, watch out."

Tournament Manager "Chicago Mike" Bishop noted that Davies has a talent shared by so many great players. "Jewel proved she can come back from scraping the felt... stay focused and figure out what she needs to do next... A lesser player goes on tilt, I was real impressed by her composure."  Next stop for Jewel Davies is the 2010 Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament

Given his outstanding efforts in this year's championship, Marvelli will be a force to be reckoned with at the 2010 Chicago Player of the Decade Tournament.

Given the quality of players at the table, Ramos said his strategy was "to play solid poker... I wanted to see alot of flops and wait for someone to overplay their hand."

For the Full Chicago Poker Tournaments Scoreboard Index, click here.