RENTON — Winning a seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event — the premier Texas Hold’em event of the year — should be memorable.
But for Sequim resident Jackie Burnett, it’s as if her No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament victory at the Silver Dollar Casino in Renton against more than 600 players happened in a dream.
“It’s all a blur,” Burnett said. “I didn’t know where the time went.”
Perhaps it’s because she decided not to go to Las Vegas to participate in the tournament some people refer to as “The Big One.”
It could also be due to the fact Burnett’s win came during the course of an 11-hour, pressure-filled run in which she was down to only two chips on two different occasions, including dozens of “all-in” bets.
“I had to block it all out,” Burnett said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it through the first round.
“I just wanted to play for a while so I didn’t have to wait for my team.”
Her “team” consisted of her and five other members of the Peninsula League, which participates in the statewide “Win Your Way In” No Limit Texas Hold’em contest.’
The Peninsula League plays at five separate locations throughout the league every week and gain points that allow them to play in the bigger tourneys.
Burnett learned the game by watching tournaments on television and eventually playing poker at 7 Cedars Casino and “Win Your Way In” get-togethers during the last two years.
