A Brit in Vegas » Commerce

Not a Manic Monday

Steve — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:31:21 +0000

I like the way Matt Savage schedules these events. The weeks start off nice and gentle then build up to a full room at the weekends. Maybe a final table and two tournaments isn’t that gentle but Matt + Sam were on cruise control this afternoon. The action started with a 2pm NLHE with no guarantees. Patrick McMillan(17th), Lizette Acoba, Vanna Tea and the DeputySD(FT) all played .Jeff Minster has 38% of the chips going into the FT. 4pm saw the FT of the Omaha8 followed by the $335 Stud8 at 5pm. Less than a hundred for this event including Dr Jerry Buss who I was able to have a conversation with about the Breeders Cup.

Omaha8 result:

1) Mike Simhai $11k
2) Dave Wijuhamer
3) Yong Man Chapman
4) Mike Ruggles
5) Chris Tryba

Of course the Dream Team event at the Bike tonight probably took away 100 players.

Commerce off to a flyer

Steve — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:39:52 +0000

It may be consuming too much of my time but poker players headed off to the Commerce in large numbers today for Day1a, of three, the $200 buy in where Matt Savage guarantees you almost enough winnings to buy a racehorse.

.Lizette Acoba picked up a $600 payoff for beating all but 55 of the 1075 entries.Saturday produced the new chip leader.

1) Kevin La Monica 405k

2) jim Jeong 340k
3) George Panagakis $287k
4) Pat Bonilla 283k
5) Robert Pisano 266k
6) Chad Viall 264k
7)Felix McNulty 257k
8) John Hodge 236k

Day 1b attracted a very similar field size.Will the Breeders Cup affect Saturday? The tournament runs thru the 22nd and is not all Hold Em. Schedule here

L.A. on a Friday

Steve — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:20:51 +0000

A reminder that you have two options at the Bike tomorrow. A 3pm Eight or better tournament with a $500 buy in and also at 3pm (oops) a $300 NLHE with a gurantee of $200k that concludes on Sunday. For confused players tomorrow if you are dealt four cards then you are in the Omaha8.

At the Commerce , with its new elevators (but are they faster?), a $210 buy in $50k guarantee at 6pm which includes a food voucher. Your receipt from the Bike is also a green light to the food servers,btw.

$1k Final table LAPC

Steve — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:20:17 +0000

Just twelve returned from yesterdays $1k event. Actually Grinder did not return , at 4pm, as he was playing a heads up match against John Phan. After emerging victorius from that match he had his chips waiting at the final table.
12) Karl Tretter
11) Jason Kasprzycki
10) Howard Appledorf
Each receives $3391

Karl told me how he had 40k in chips but his full house ran into quads leaving him with just 11k.

9) Erica Schoenberg
8 Andrew Z
7) Rollo Johnson
6) Duane Remington
5) Michael Mizrachi

Chip counts for the remaining quartet: Sam Stein 780k, Sammy J 300k, Raz Mael 250k + Randy Sim 180k.

4) Sammy Hussain
3) Randy Sim

Downstairs a mixed game between Lyle Berman, Mike Matusow and Ralph Perry. Upstairs a huge crowd watching Michael Mizrachi play his unknown opponent, who must be intimidated by the crowd.

Todays $500 tournament attracted 502. they are already in the money. That includes Roy Winston, Nancy Todd, Morgan Machina, Young Phan + Cindy Dang.

Finally a winner in the $1k. Raz Mael made it third time lucky after two other in the money finishes at this LAPC.
1) Raz Mael
2) Sam Stein

Cindy Dang cashed today

No Horses but $300 coverage

Steve — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:49:54 +0000

Yesterdays $300 Presidents Day NLHE at the Commerce had 1362 entries, a massive field. I haven’t seen a field like this since the $1500 tournies at the WSOP. Truth is I didn’t see it until today as I was at Santa Anita yesterday. 41 returned today and only poker forum addict, LA cop, Scott Diamond registers on my extensive poker radar. First prize is $92746 and I will keep you posted as far as eliminations are concerned.
41) Trung Tran
40) Adam Gregory
39) Rick Sherrill
38) Eric Reta
37) Larry Vance
Each receives $1784.

A trip, not literally fortunately, down the 40 steep steps to the high limit cash area reveals a big deuce to seven game. Barry Greenstein, Sheiky Sheikram, Johnny Chan, Bill Baxter and John Hennigan are the participants.

The Boatman brothers, Ross and Barny, have arrived safely. Thanks to Virgin airways. They will probably be disappointed that the Commerce area makes Hendon look good.

36) Mark Jun
35) Joe Dorotik
34) Scott Muckey
33) Eric Pratt
32) Mike Porter
31) James Maltz
30) Amir Ghazvinian
29) Lionel Johnson
28) Paul Var Kleef

Each receives $2101

three tables remain and three ladies: Patricia Mikesell, Liz Hagensick and Marla Schwartz.

304 in todays $1k NLHE.

More eliminations from the $330. Two tables now.
27) Ulises Sandoval
26) Emil Somogyl
25) Jeremy Hunt
24) Mike Rohland
23) Andy Lim
22) Tom Walker
21) Sin Mer
20)Vinny Pahuja
19) Ayyuh Patel
Each receives $2457

Dinner time chip counts:
Patrick Kalafian 480k, Andy Le 400k, Jack Mgdesyan 400k + Richard Doyen 320k. Two tables in play.

See more of Kristy on cardplayer.com

Kristy Arnett

Going Up…

Steve — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:40:21 +0000

Today we have a $5k PLO with one rebuy. I have also been moved off the floor up onto the stage. Joining me are team CardPlayer, whom I like especially Kristy :) The PLO has 48 entries as I write. The surprises are the fact that Gavin Smith, Tom Franklin, David Levi, Scott Montgomery,Amir Vahedi and Jennifer Tilly are all playing the smaller buy in NLHE.

Todays final table is Event # 25 $500 NLHE. Neil Ho started leading the pack of sixteen. He has increased his lead by eliminating a player, Mike Kaplitz, early.
16) Mike Degilio
15) Jesse Simonelli
14) Mike Kaplitz
13) Sang Pham
Players receive $2231.
12) Mike Digaetano
11) Josh Van Duyn
10) Ishdeep Hazuria
Players receive $2478
9) Saif Ahmed
8 Ben Tang
7) M Pappas
6) Aaron Kreskin
5) Elvis Huynh
4) Kasey Nam
3) Fabio Dagata
2) Jeff Vanchiro
1) Neil Ho $64437

Triple Sunday

Steve — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:41:50 +0000

A 437 field for the $500 NLHE. The first of the PLO tournaments at 3pm and the resumption of the NLHE from Saturday. All in all a busy day upstairs . Downstairs business is slow but a blonde Kenny TranÂ is in a cash game. Playing with him is the guy who looks like David Schwimmer the actor and another guy who I recognize from HSP but I cannot name as he doesn’t play tournaments. Ted Forrest is here also.

Robert Golick became the first to win two 2009 LAPC tournaments yesterday when he won the stud on Saturday.

Six tables for the PLO. Some big names including Robert Williamson, Chino Rheem, Gary Do, Allen Kessler, Zach Hyman, Lee Watkinson, Amnon Filippi, Michael Binger, A Konjun, Patrik McMillan and Rocky Boustani.

The 4pm has resumed and action is fast and sometimes furious. Fourth place , at start of play, Scott Montgomery lost a huge pot to David Baker sending Baker into the chip lead and Montgomery to his room.

24) S Krasney
23) Dao Bac
22) M Caswell
21) Scott Montgomery
20) Frank Inglese
19) Aram Zeroonian
18) Patrick K
17) Julie Dang
16) Pete de Best
15) Kyle Cannon
14) Vinny Vinh

19-24 $5427

Wrong Ho

Steve — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:20:58 +0000

It sounds like the punchline to a joke. I checked my email at 4am to see if Maria Ho had made the final table of the Hi/Lo tournament. I saw a Matthew Ho. The sheets from the Commerce always contain at least two typos so I was hopeful. However Maria sent me a text to say she had bubbled. Wisely she has avoided the drive to the Commerce today in the rain. Telegraph Rd, where the Commerce is located was flooded and it has only been raining for an hour.

Maybe Nobuo Hamamoto is in traffic but he has made the final table as the action has been pretty sick.
13) Kevin Murphy
12) Bruce Levitt
11) Matthew Ho
10) Simon Kearney
9) Jamshed Bokhari
8) Terry Crowe
7) Abraham Edusma

He arrived last but lasted the longest. Nobua Hamamoto is the 2009 mixed champion.

6) Eric Plunkett
5) Mike Mixer
4) Bryan Hyden
3) Jon McMichael
2) Aboyl Konjuhi
1) Nobua Hamamoto

In the eternity that I was waiting for my food downstairs we had a short UFC in the High Limit. In the poker games Ralph Perry, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra played against Greg Mueller while his blonde g/f sat behind on her day off.

The NLHE attracted 419 entries including Liv Boeree, Sara Chau, Fabrice Soulier, Hevad Khan, Eric Mizrachi, David Levi, Kevin Song, Frankie O’Dell and Robert Durant. With 63 players left and 45 places paid Liv looks likely to cash in her first tournie at the world famous Commerce.[[Show as slideshow]]

Where did all the big names go?

Steve — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:24:40 +0000

I waited until dinner break yesterday before naming all the pros in the six handed. I was surprised to see that, with the exception of Canadian Scott Montgomery, the final, at 4pm today, consists of complete unknowns. In fact most of them don’t even have a Hendonmob database entry the bible or encyclopedia for all tournament results. Only Mike Schneider in 16th finished in the money of the recognizable pros .

Good luck to all of them today. First short break at 4:45; Unofficial chip counts: Mike Kamron 450k, A Krisak 185, Victor Sobrepena 180k, Kris Martonik 125k Brian Bumpas 125k + Scott Montgomery 100k.

10) Dean Gilford
9)Â Â Josh Bergman
8)Â Benny Wan
7)Â Mike Kamran
6) Alan Knutsen
5) Alex Krisak
7:00pm
Kamran lost his 450k, most of them to Brian Bumpas. The other big stack Alex Krisak is also out. Four players survive.
Brian Bumpas 480k, Kris Martonik 360k, Victor Sobrepena 250k, Scott Montgomery 100k.

1) Brian BumpasÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $46k
2) Victor SobrepenaÂ Â $22k
3) Kris MartonikÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $13k
4) Scott Montgomery

Today would be my favourite tournament to play the stud8/omaha8. Should be some old school entries. 188 entered. 64 remain at 9pm so a long night ahead. Maria Ho, Gary Do, Mark Gregorich, Tony Ma , Bob Golick and Terry are among the survivors.

Downstairs Ralph Perry, Eli Elezra, Chino Rheem, Fabrice Soulier + Barry Greenstein have joined the Chinese/High Limit fun.[[Show as slideshow]]

90 at Bellagio.760 at Commerce. No Superbowl downswing

Steve — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:24:57 +0000

The Bellagio $1k weekenders had dwindled down to 20 players. Not this weekend! The gamblers packed Vegas sportsbooks and this had a positive side for the poker room. Jennifer Tilly played on Saturday and made a profit of $470. The winners were Al Adler on Friday and Mark Luciano on Saturday.

The LAPC, at the Commerce, didn’t like to mess with the Superbowl so would have a Ladies or Stud tournament. This year Matt Savage, the new Commerce TD, introduced a deep stack tournament.Â I am sure it exceeded all expectations with 760 entries.

36 survived to Day2 which should be going well into the night. No big names at all although TNT Nasr warrants a namecheck. A first prize of $55k.

Its dinner time. I head downstairs two minutes before the players but decide I am now on friendly terms with Phil Laak. I have conversation openers like ” I saw you on WSOP Europe last night and congrats to Jennifer on her final table…”Â Phil shows me his new Triumph bike he rode to the Commerce on. I miss my opportunity to order food before the players. Diane Nguyen is here again but she loses top spot to Dee Luong and her lips.

9pm: We have a final nine in the deepstack. Kasey Nam,Â and Duran Holycross share the lead with 750k each. Then we have Duong Vinh, Jeff Clayton, Dorron Margalit, Sam Alsharairi, Rochy Boustani and Maksim Karandeyen.
2am: 1) Maksim Karandeyen 2) Kasey Nam 3) Jeff Clayton 4) Duran Holycross 5) Sam Alsharairi 6) Dorron Margalit 7)Ray Brown 8 Vinh Luong 9) Rocky Boustani. Maksim wins $55k.

138 in todays LHE. First prize $21419 FT 4pm Tuesday 1) Mike HakverdianÂ 2) Thung HuynhÂ 3) G Luong 4) Jeff HeibergÂ 5) Eva Neumann 6) Ahmad Abghari 7) George Lusby 8 Behzad JavadzadehÂ 9) Dale Burner