Cha-ching: Linda Stockstill Cashes in on $20 Gardens Qualifier

By Sean Chaffin

The third day of action was a short one for Gardens qualifier Linda Stockstill. She entered the field of 31 remaining players with just 16,500 and was immediately in the big blind.

With blinds of 6,000/12,000 she virtually all in on the first hand and busted to David Roepke. There was no frown after being eliminated, however, and Stockstill was proud to be the last woman standing in the field.

She dressed the part on Monday with her LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series) patch as well as patches for the Women’s Poker Association and the Gardens and a blinged-out WPT cap. Stockstill is a major supporter of getting more women into the game.

“It was wonderful,” she says about the last few days at Choctaw Casino & Resort. “This is a great place and WPT did a great job. The tournament was run well, all the dealers were good, everything was great.”

A big fold on the big blind just before the end of Day 2 brought a significant pay ladder jump. She folded just as two other players were all in and eliminated. That move brought her an extra $1,595.

For her efforts, Stockstill takes home $11,350 for finishing 31st. She made her way into the WPT Choctaw via a $20 Satellite Spectacular at the Gardens – a nice return on investment. She has plans to use some of her winnings for more poker.

“I’m going to go to Vegas next month for ladies week,” she says. “I like to represent the ladies.”

The WPT has partnered with the WPA for the Purple Party on June 18 at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas. The activities feature a mixer, prizes, and kicks off a week of ladies tournaments around Sin City. There are several tournaments planned at the Rio, Planet Hollywood, Orleans, Wynn, Golden Nugget, and Aria.

For a complete list of ladies week events. click here.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.