Joy in Glumville

	Champ Svetlana Gromenkova (ImageMasters)

It was battle of the death stares in an ice cold fight to the death. The comraderie that marked the beginning of the event and even most of the final table was long gone by the time Gromenkova and Le met each other heads up.

Gromenkova was furious after Le sucked out to double through her early in the heads-up match. Le was all in with A-5 suited and caught a 5 on the flop to beat Svetlana's A-K off. Gromenkova put her giant shades back on and steamed until the chips came back in her direction. Pot by pot, Svetlana took back the lead without showing a hand.

Gromenkova has the chip lead when Le makes it 100k to go, and Svetlana shoves. Le makes the call holding A-6 off, only to find herself well behind Gromenkova's K-K. The flop comes T 9 7, giving Anh a few extra outs with a straight draw. The King on the turn means that Le needs an 8 to survive, but the Ace that comes on the river is no longer good enough. Gromenkova's huge and vocal cheering section goes nuts, and I swear, Svetlana giggled.

Heads Up In a Blink

The action has been non-stop in the last hour. All ins all over the place. We are down to the final two in the ladies event now that Marla Crumpler was eliminated in fifth place, earning $60,101, Chris Priday finished in fourth for $73,637, and Patty Till busted in third for $87,715.

When Svetlana Gromenkova and Ahn Le return from a quick break, they will play heads up for the bracelet, the glory, and $224,702. But Le has her work cut out for her. Svetlana has the chip lead with 1,477,000 to Ahn's 890,000.

Marla Crumpled

Marla Crumpler raises to 73k, and Ahn Le moves all in for 438,000. Crumpler shows pocket Kings, but Le's A-9 catches an Ace on the flop. No help arrives for Marla, and she leaves to applause from the spectators. Fifth place is pretty impressive for Crumpler's first tournament cash.

Not Pretty for Priday

Priday is the chip leader with 920,000, leading Gromenkova by 220k. Svetlana shoves holding pocket Aces after a Q 7 3 flop. Chris calls with Q-T, allowing Gromenkova to double up. Crippled by Svetlana, Priday gets her last chips in the pot with A-7, but Ahn Le bests her with A-J. Bricks across the board, and Priday is gone in fourth place.

Patty Tilted

The ladies have barely finished the latest round of goodbye hugs (not Svetlana, of course) when Patty Till moves all in for 341k. Gromenkova comes over the top with all of her 1.1 million chip power to go one-on-one with Till. Patty has barely played a hand all day, so she must really have the nuts now. But to everyone's surprise, she flips over K-6 off. Svetlana's pair of 9s are ahead, and she flops a set to end Till's tournament run and chip up to face Ahn Le heads up.

Svetlana Smiles

The unthinkable happened. Svetlana Gromenkova actually smiled when she busted Debbie Mitchell in sixth and took back some of the chips she'd given her earlier. Mitchell earns $47,106 for her efforts.

SB Svetlana held J 7 when the flop was dealt J J 4. Holding trips and a flush draw, Gromenkova shoved. Bad time for Debbie Mitchell to make the call. Debbie was all in with A 9 but got no help from the T or the 6 that came next. Marla Crumpler got up to give Mitchell a hug on her way out, and Svetlana just stacked her chips and smiled.

Drawn and Quarto-d

It would have been fitting if Roz Quarto finished in 4th, but she didn't make it that far. Quarto has been ejected in seventh place for a payday of $36,277.

Quarto limps, Marla Crumpler raises, and Chris Priday shoves for 228,000. Roz Quarto calls all in for 157k. Crumpler mucks pocket Tens face up, and we're off to the races. Quarto's Q-Q starts out a percent or two ahead of Priday's A-K. But the flop pairs Priday's Ace, and the river brings her an extraneous King. Roz gets no help and is sent to pick up her first WSOP check. Before today, Quarto cashed three times in WSOP circuit events in Atlantic City.

Marla Crumpler and Svetlana Gromenkova showed down over a 9 8 5 Q 2 board, but neither held a , and they chopped the pot.

The ladies are currently taking a twenty-minute pause. At the break, Chris Priday has taken the chip lead with 574,000. Gromenkova is right behind her with 500,000. Debbie Mitchell has lost her edge and fallen to the middle of the pack, and Marla Crumpler is on the ropes with 146,000.

No for Yesenia

Yesenia Garcia has been eliminated in eighth place, earning $28,155.

Marla Crumpler raises to 38k, and Garcia raises all in with her last 59,000 showing A T. Crumpler flips up A J. The flop is a tricky one: J 9 8. Garcia has a straight draw and a flush draw, but Garcia is currently ahead with top pair. The 2 turn is a brick, and the T gives Yesenia a pair but not the win. This is Garcia's second WSOP cash. She finished 43rd in the ladies event last year.

Debbie Downer for Svetlana

Things have gone down hill for "Glum Girl" Sventlana Gromenkova. She doubled Debbi Mitchell's stack twice in the last hour to relinquish the chip lead. Gromenkova was the only aggressive player at the felt early on, but that has changed as Mitchell has the first lady of misery on the defensive.

First, Gromenkova raised to 48k pre-flop, and Mitchell shoved for 125k. Svetlana's 4-4 failed to improve against Debbi's pocket snowmen, doubling Mitchell to 280,000. A few hands later they played the game again. This time Mitchell was all in with a much more formidable stack and pocket Queens. Gromenkova had A-K, and again the board blanked. Glum Girl managed to supress her rage behind her sunglasses as her stack diminished to 260,000. Mitchell is now the chip leader with 547,000.

Sue-d For Negligence

Sue Porter is the first get up from the final table, finishing ninth for $20,034.

Roz Quarto raises to 42,000, and Marla Crumpler and Sue Porter both call.  It's check-check-check after the A K 5 flop.  Quarto shoves after seeing the 7 on the turn.  Crumpler folds, and Porter calls all in.  A risky call with two flush draws on the board, but Porter turns up A 7 for two pair.  Too bad Quarto has a higher two with A K.  Not a or a between them, but the 8 on the river sends Porter to the rail anyway.  No hard feelings, though. Quarto stopped Porter on her way out to share a hug.

Give 'Em Hell, Mary

ESPN 360 commentator Howard David said that Porter showed her inexperience and made several rookie mistakes.  But Mary Jones, also commentating, disagreed. Since play began, she has not allowed for the possibilty that these ladies could make mistakes.  Jones, who won the ladies event at the WSOP in 2006, is understandably sympathetic, but give it a rest already.   "They're just nervous," or "understandable with this kind of pressure" shouldn't be excuses here.  The commentators have had no problems ripping into the novice men at the last 14 final tables, and this one should be no exception.  If female poker players want respect, they have to be held to the same standards as male players.  And ladies, if you can't take the heat, go back to the kitchen.

The players have just left for the first break of the day.  At break time, Svetlana Gromenkova is dominating the table with 605,000 in chips, and Yesenia Garcia is on life support with only 85,000 remaining.

Ladies in the Hizzouse

The ladies have taken over the ESPN arena for the day, and boy is the feature table happy to have some fresh and showered occupants.  The stands are packed with family and friends, and the day promises to be full of drama.

Cards have been in the air for a few minutes now, and many of the players seem to have tightened up as they get used to the lights and the cameras.  Not Chris Priday, though.  She's raised pre-flop on well over half of the hands.  Marla Crumpler took advantage of Priday's strategy to double her stack.  Priday, second in chips, raised to 45k pre-flop.  Patty Till and SB Crumpler both called to see the flop fall K 4 3. Crumpler shoved holding A-K, and Priday made the call with pocket Jacks.  Till folded quickly.  A 2 on the turn and a 4 on the river doubled Crumpler to 369,000.

The ladies are midway through Round 18 with blinds of 6,000-12,000 and an ante of 1,000.