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Rhowena Colclough Wins First Poker Dome Challenge on FSN

Speed Poker Welcomes Live Audience Members

by Lisa Wheeler  |  Published: May 28, 2006

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May 29, 2006 (Las Vegas, Nevada) - Rhowena Colclough won the first MANSIONPOKER.net Poker Dome Challenge aired on Sunday night at 11 pm on Fox Sports Net, one day following the taping of the live event at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. She will take home $25,000 and join five other preliminary winners for the semi-final round, six weeks from Saturday.

"Mrs. 'C' is no longer a virgin." Said her husband, famous poker player David "El Blondie" Colclough on his forum. "Meanwhile, I am retiring to look after the kids," he added jokingly. Mr. "C" expressed his pride at her ability to overcome a 4-1 chip deficit to win the tournament and $25,000. Colclough was experiencing less luck during his trip to Barcelona while playing heads-up tournaments.

Matt Savage directed the Poker Dome Challenge tournament, while sportscasters Michael Konik and Barry Thompkins related the action for FSN television viewers. Meanwhile, Ali Nejad kept the studio audience entertained, and Lisa Dergan was there to interview players after their elimination.

The format is speed poker, where the betting is pot-limit pre-flop and no-limit after that. The players must act within 15 seconds or their hand is declared "dead" if time runs out while facing a bet. But players are allowed one 30-second time extension. However, when play reaches heads up, each player is given one more extension.

This was Colclough's first tournament and she faced some stiff competition. Paul Dreyer is a mathematician out of southern California, Brian Wilson won a gold bracelet last year in the $5,000 pot-limit hold'em event, Jonathan "Mr. Flush" Sullivan is a poker consultant, Frank Lacava is a restaurateur who qualified online at MASIONPOKER.net, and Peter Lawler is a television director.

Lawler went all in after the flop of Qclub-9heart-3club. Lacava and Wilson called.
Lawler had Aclub-Qspade, Wilson had Kclub-Jclub and Lacava had both players covered in chips, with Kheart-Qheart. The turn was the 8club giving Wilson the flush. But Lawler could still win with another club. The river was the 8diamond, awarding Wilson the pot.
Peter Lawler went out in 6th place.

Sullivan eliminated Wilson when Wilson's 9club-8heart ran into Sullivan's Adiamond-9spade and both players paired nines on the flop. Sullivan held the better kicker and Wilson's hand didn't improve.
Brian Wilson went out in 5th place.

Dryer with Aheart-Kheart called Sullivan with Kdiamond-9diamond before the flop. Both players paired their kings on a flop of Kclub-6club-2heart. Dryer, short stacked pushed all-in and Sullivan called, but Dryer had him dominated going into the turn. But the 9club double-paired Sullivan, and the river sealed his win. Paul Dryer went out in 4th place.

Sullivan, in the small blind with Kclub-6diamond, called Lacava in the big blind, with 9heart-2heart. Lacava checked his option. The flop came Kdiamond-Qspade-9diamond and Sullivan paired his king. Lacava went all in when he spiked a nine and Sullivan called. Lacava's hand never improved.
Frank Lacava went out in 3rd place.

Rhowena went into heads-up action with only 34,000 in chips, and then doubled twice through Sullivan, gaining the chip lead. When she woke up with Aclub-Kheart, she pushed after a flop of 6club-5club-10spade. Sullivan called all-in. The turn of Jdiamond, and the river, 8spade, sealed Colclough's win and sent Sullivan to the rail in second place.

Rhowena Colclough was stunned when she realized she'd won the hand and the event, and the cool beauty, whose heart rate rarely raised above the 80 mark, finally melted into tears. She was clearly moved by the experience of winning her first-ever live poker tournament. She advances to the $50,000 event and $1,000,000 qualifying match.

"Dave has really given me loads of tips and advice," said Mrs. Colclough about her husband. "He's been around a long time and I've always watched him."

Saturday night audience member tickets are available online through Tvtickets.com, where visitors and Las Vegas locals can reserve their seating. Taping will continue at the Tropicana until construction is complete at the downtown Neonopolis theater.
 
 
Tags: rhowena colclough,   michael konik,   paul dreyer,   dome challenge,   matt savage,   fox sports,   ali nejad,   lisa dergan,   pot limit,   challenge tournament,   poker player,   studio audience,   lacava,   sportscasters,   time extension,   fsn,   television viewers,   gold bracelet,   stiff competition,   restaurateur
 
 
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