Marsha Waggoner (born
July 18, 1948 in
Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia) is an American
professional poker player who
currently resides in Los Angeles, California
.
Waggoner has finished in the money at 19
World Series of Poker (WSOP) events as
of 2007. Her highest WSOP finish was 2nd place in the
23rd Annual WSOP tournament in
Limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, for which she won $52,500.
Poker career
Background
In 1976,
as a casino dealer in Sydney
, Waggoner
discovered a talent for stud poker, and
in 1977, moved to Reno
, Nevada
to pursue
poker professionally.
Most of her experience up until this point was in
cash games, however her interest in tournament
games was piqued when
Amarillo Slim
brought the
Second Annual Poker Classic to Reno in
1980.
Waggoner
stayed in Reno until the mid 1980s, at which point she moved to
Las
Vegas
, quickly demonstrating her ability at tournament
Texas Hold 'em and Seven-Card Stud events.
In 1987, Waggoner moved to California while continuing to play
professionally. It was around this time that Waggoner began to
establish herself as “a solid and patient tournament player whose
results continually proved she belonged in the game's upper
echelons”.
In 2008,
she was one of four inaugural inductees into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame at
Binion's
Gambling Hall and Hotel
in Las Vegas
.
Results
Waggoner’s best tournament placing was winning the 2003 National
Championship of Poker, playing in the Limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
event, a low limit buy in at Hollywood Park Casino.
In 2005, Waggoner was invited to play in the
World Poker Tour’s third annual Legends of
Poker Ladies Night tournament at the
Bicycle Casino, and finished third in one
event of the 2006
Ultimate
Poker Challenge.
As of 2008, her total live tournament winnings exceed
$800,000.
Personal life
Waggoner is currently single; in 2008 she separated from fellow
poker professional
Kenna James, who she
met at the Hollywood Park Casino in 1997. She has three children
from a previous marriage and five grandchildren, and enjoys playing
golf and dancing.
Although she has lived in America for more than 30 years, Waggoner
still visits her home country regularly to compete in poker
tournaments (such as the
Aussie Millions) and see
her extended family.
Waggoner's brother is noted former Australian
photojournalist,
Jim
Fenwick.
References
External links
Wikis
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