Tic-tac-toe winner gets more than chicken feed

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

A Las Vegas woman beat a chicken at a game of tic-tac-toe Tuesday night and ended up with more than a little scratch.

Barbara Howell of Las Vegas beat Ginger, a chicken specially trained to play the game, Tuesday night at the Tropicana hotel in the "$10,000 Chicken Challenge."

Howell, who lined up three Xs diagonally to walk off with $10,000, is the first person to beat a chicken at the game since it started at the Tropicana in May.

About 500 people play the game a day, said Tropicana spokeswoman Lisa Keim, and all but Howell have lost. It is possible to beat the chicken, she said. It's all in the timing.

"You have to catch the chicken on a bad day," she said.

The game began in Atlantic City in 2001 and was an instant success, Keim said.

"It was so successful we decided to move it here," she said.

The Tropicana is the only hotel on the Strip to offer such a game.

Beating the chicken is more difficult than most people realize, Keim said. There have only been a five winners in Atlantic City. Comedian Phyllis Diller was beaten by Ginger on a national television special in June.

The animal, one of 15 in the Tropicana's Las Vegas coop, was trained in Arkansas by chicken trainer Bunky Boger, who trains chickens for the Tropicana hotels in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Keim said.

Ginger's performances are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and a free Winner's Club membership is required. Play is limited to one play per day, Keim said.