When the 88-year-old woman walked into the Beau Rivage to sign up for the local poker tournament, eyebrows were raised. This was going to be Linda Hammons’s first real tournament she played in-person, but before she could sit down at the green felt, she had a few skeptics to convince.
Great Grandmother Makes It in Top 15 of Thousands-Strong First Tournament
For starters, the Beau Rivage staff approached her and asked her if she really meant she wanted to participate. Hammons confirms. Not unkindly, the staff quickly quizzed her on her knowledge of the game and deemed her eligible to play.
She joined a field of 2,628 contestants and would soon prove that her knowledge of poker went beyond rote memorization, well into a deeper understanding of chance and probability.
By the end of the $1M GTD Mystery Bounty at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Mississippi, Hammons had won $8,400, finishing 14th and also scooping up $1,700 in bounties. Not too bad for a $500 buy-in.
The Senior Poker Player Doesn’t Give Up Easily
Hammons, who is from Alabama and a great-grandmother, quickly amassed an impressive following of defeated players who were keen to watch the woman press her way onto the next stages of the event.
The Beau Rivage was equally impressed and extended a $400 entry fee for Event 8 after she got knocked out, but decided to keep playing nevertheless. If you think it’s too late to pick up poker and make waves in the competitive scene, Hammons’ story is proof of the opposite.