The LAPC and the Bay 101 Shooting Star.
Well, I may not get to play them this year, but I will certainly be at both this year doing some coverage for
Life's A Bluff. In fact, you can already see some of the LAPC "Random Questions" live interviews posted there right now. I apologize in advance for some of the crappy light and sound, but its a "one man and a cam" operation and we are still working the kinks out.
The LAPC had a huge field that was packed with pros and arguably some of the best local players in the world. When I walked in on day one, I think I saw possibly 2 tables out of 63 that were "weak". That would mean they only had one named pro...but you never know just what that means. Phil Ivy battled a final table that included 11 WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, WPT Champ Nam Le and another WPT final table veteran to make the final 6 one hell of a final table and no walk in the park for the 8 time final tablist (but yet to win) Phil Ivy. He outlasted them all though and finally pulled down that WPT trophy at one of the biggest events on the circuit.
Just a couple of weeks later comes the Bay 101 Shooting Star. This unique event features a $5k bounty on all the "Shooting Star" pro's heads as well as a $1 million dollar guaranteed first prize and awards for chip leaders at the end of Days One and Two. Many pros mark this as their favorite stop on the tour due to the very fan friendly nature of it and the change up it gives to the standard tournament format. I like it, because I played it last year. This year, my move to the peninsula as well as personal commitments and bankroll issues during the juicer qualifiers appears to have knocked me out of the running for the cool million this year, but "I'll be back."
What I will be doing this weekend is more coverage of the
2nd Annual Coyote Creek Golf Tournament hosted and founded by tournament director Matt Savage. Hopefully, we'll get some fun coverage of pros on the links and some interview footage away from the felt. (I wonder if I can ride along with the beer girls?) Immediately following that I'll be making a quick run up the road to cover the
Leo Brien Foundation Charity Poker Tournament in Santa Clara hosted by the 'Silent One' Todd Brunson. Now this should be a blast. Typically, these events feature wild play, drinks and hilarious situations and its all made even more fun by the fact that it goes to a great charity. (see link for details) Its already selling to the rafters and many of the pros are still trying to confirm their seats so look for this to be a charity blockbuster! I'll have to get
Greasie Wheels Productions to do my next charity tournament!! (They also handle the Jen Harmon Nevada ASPCA No Kill Shelter tournament that LaB did artwork for and have a hell of a year of new projects in front of them from what I hear.)
Hopefully I'll have a ton of new photos and stories for you after this event to match some of the ones over the last year or so. Man, its hard to believe I have been blogging everything for almost two years now. Who'd have thunk it?
