Man wins ladies poker tournament

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A man who won the $20,982 first prize at an Atlantic City casino's ladies poker tournament has drawn the ire of his female competition.

Abraham Kortotki, 65, who said he entered the all-women, no-limit, Texas hold 'em poker tournament at the Borgata casino because he had been eliminated from another tournament and had seen other men register for it online, edged out second-place finisher Nicole Rowe, 40, a breast cancer sufferer who intended to use any winnings to help cover her living expenses while recovering from a mastectomy scheduled for this month, WPIX-TV, New York, reported Thursday.

Rowe said she was upset Kortotki refused to share his winnings with her. Kortotki said he plans to split the prize money among three charities, including a breast cancer charity.

Borgata officials said while the event was aimed at women, they are legally required to allow anyone over the age of 21 to participate.

"Borgata offers specialty tournaments, including the ladies event," said Joe Lupo, senior vice president of the hotel casino. "In the spirit of this event, it was our hope that only women would have participated, as has happened in the past ... . However, given legal requirements, we must allow anyone who is over the age of 21 the opportunity to participate."