BY TOM SOMACH

If World Series of Poker (WSOP) officials were to hold a poker tournament and declare that only men could play–no women were allowed–it would be a major brouhaha.

Women’s groups would picket, lawsuits would be filed and WSOP advertisers would face threats of boycotts.

But somehow, the WSOP is allowed to hold a women’s only tournament–no men allowed–and nobody says a word.

Of the 55 separate tournaments in this year’s WSOP, 54 are/were open to anyone, regardless of gender.

Only WSOP Event #17 was restricted–in that tourney, only women could participate.

The event was a $1,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em women’s tournament, with 1,286 female entrants and a total prize pool of $1,170,260.

Winning the women’s-only tourney was Sally Boyer of Midway, Ut., USA, who just days before the tourney, to sharpen her game, had attended a so-called “poker camp” run by Annie Duke and other top female poker pros.

Boyer brings home $262,077 for her winning effort.

Coming in second in the females’ tournament was Anne Heft of Washington, N.J., USA, who earned $166,177.

Earlier, in WSOP Event #16, a $2,500 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament, 382 entrants vied for pieces of the total prize pool of $878,600.

The event was won by James Richburg of Long Beach, Calif., USA, who is $239,503 richer for the victory.

It was Richburg’s second career WSOP victory.

In last year’s WSOP, he also earned a championship gold bracelet for winning a seven-card razz tournament.

The runnerup in the H.O.R.S.E. tourney was Walter Browne of Berkley, Calif., USA, who garnered $131,790.

In WSOP Event #18, a $5,000 buy-in, limit Texas hold ‘em tournament, there were 257 participants and a total prize pool of $1,207,900.

The event was won by Saro Getzoyan of Lexington, Mass., USA, who earned $333,379 for the victory.

Finishing second was Geoff Sanford of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, who took home $200,511.

In last year’s WSOP, Sanford finished 868th in the main event and still took home over $10,000.

WSOP Event #19 was a $2,500 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament with 1,013 entrants and a total prize pool of $2,329,900.

It was won by Francois Safieddine of Denver, Colo., USA, whose wallet is half a million bucks heavier for the win–$521,785 to be exact.

The runnerup was John “The Razor” Phan of Long Beach, Calif., USA, who wasn’t as sharp as he would’ve liked, but still didn’t refuse the second-place money of $330,846.

Coming in seventh in the competition was Humberto Brenes, the jovial Costa Rican poker pro who has a home in Florida.

He earned $55,918.

WSOP Event #20 was a $2,000 buy-in, seven-card stud, high-low eight or better tourney, with 340 entrants and a total prize pool of $618,800.

The winner was Ryan Hughes of Phoenix, Ariz., USA, who earned $176,385 for the victory.

Coming in second was Min Lee of Valencia, Calif., USA, who copped $97,451.

Finishing in fourth spot and earning $41,460 was Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, the Stongington, Conn., USA, lawyer who won the 2004 WSOP main event and who brings authentic dinosaur fossils to the poker table for luck.

He also has a home in North Carolina.

WSOP Event #21 was a $1,500 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em shootout, with 900 registrants and a total prize pool of $1,228,500.

The event was won by Dan Baruch of Tampa, Fla., USA, who earned $264,107.

Baruch came in 229th in last year’s WSOP main event and won $42,882 for that effort.

Finishing second in Event #21 was Jared Davis of Midland, Tex., USA, who bagged $149,263.

Finishing third was Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu, who also has a home in Las Vegas.

He earned $101,351.

WSOP Event #22, a $5,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em tourney, had 640 entrants and a total prize pool of $3,012,700.

The winner was Dustin Dirksen, home city unknown, who earned $379,100.

Finishing second was John “Tex”Barch of McKinney, Tex., USA, who took home $240,000.

Top poker pro T.J. Cloutier of Richardson, Tex., USA, finished in 15th place and walked off with $107,700.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)