Page 7 - June 2005 • Southern California Gaming Guide

2005 World Poker Tour Championship to Air June 29th
Three Southern California poker players won big in the 2005 World Poker Tour. More than seven hours after the kicko of the World
Poker Tour Championship at the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas, Los Angeles resident Tuan Le locked up the top record prize of $2.9 million in what is the world’s most expensive poker tournament. With a $25,000 buy-in, the World Poker Tour attracts the world’s best players.
Paul Max eld of England, was the second place winner of $1.7 million. e third place winner of
$896,375 was Hasan Habib of Los Angeles. And Long Beach resident John Phan, the fourth place winner, took home $518,920.
e rst 100 placeholders in the tournament, which began April 19 and ended on April 26, were paid prize money from the pool of nearly $11 million. e minimum prize was $30,000.
Players began the tournament with $50,000 in chips each. e nal table began with minimum bets of $40,000 to $80,000. ose bets increased as the play continued and eventually reached a World Poker
Tourrecord.Antesrosefromafewhundredthousand to around $500,000, with players raising one another in the millions of dollars per hand. Little-used yellow chips,eachworth$100,000,wereseenseveralhours into the game.
More than 450 players entered the tournament compared with last year’s 343 players. Last year’s top prize winner took home $2.7 million from an $8.6 million prize pool. e nal table will be broadcast June 29 on the Travel Channel, which has broadcast rights to World Poker Tour events.
Harrah’s Rincon Employees Support Foodmobile by Playing in World Series of Poker Employee Tournament
There’s no game hotter than poker—and no poker tournament more prestigious than the World Series of Poker. As Harrah’s prepares to host the 36th annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in June,
it gave its employees a chance to share in the excitement of the world’s best-known poker tournament while bene ting local programs of the Meals On Wheels
Association of America.
Employees of Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort
were invited to participate in a World Series of Poker tournament held from May 2-5. ey could enter the employee poker tournament by donating $25 to the Jewish Family Services Foodmobile, an a liate of Meals
On Wheels of America. Employees who also donated a bag of groceries received an additional $100 in chips during the poker tournament.
Winners of the Harrah’s Rincon’s employee tournament received a trip to Harrah’s Las Vegas to play against the winners from other Harrah’s properties in a No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournament held June 1. e winner of Harrah’s Las Vegas nal employee event will receive a $5,000 grand prize and a seat in the World Series of Poker Casino Employees’Texas Hold‘Em No- Limit Event on June 2.
In2002Harrah’sbecameanationalprimesponsorof the Meals On Wheels Association of America’s “March
for Meals” campaign. Since then, Harrah’s has committed $2 million to the organization and its local a liates and donated 22 delivery vehicles to local chapters across the company, including the Jewish Family Services Foodmobile. Harrah’s Rincon has also made cash and in-kind donations to Meals On Wheels of San Diego and Meals On Wheels of Vista/Oceanside.
e 36th Annual World Series of Poker is scheduled to begin June 2, and will run through July 15 in Las Vegas. An estimated 5,000 players are expected to participate in the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit, Texas Hold’em Championship, double the number that
competed in 2004.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
June 2005 Table Game and Slot Tournaments
SYCUAN RESORT & CASINO MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS
Slot Tournament Trifecta in Sycuan’s Bingo Palace
Every Monday through ursday after evening bingo (approximately 11p.m.) Sycuan Casino hosts three slot tournaments in the Bingo Palace: Blackjack, Draw PokerandKrazyBallKeno.Buy-inforeachtournament is $20, and the 1st place winner takes home 50% of the total buy-in, 2nd place receives 30%, and 3rd place receives 20%. Sycuan adds $75 to the tournament prize pool.
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Video Poker Tournaments at Sycuan Casino Tournaments are exclusively for Club Sycuan members. $20 buy in earns $1,000 in Video Poker Tournament credits, for 30 minutes of paying time. Mondays: Jacks or Better (12 p.m.), Jacks or Better (1:30 p.m.), Jacks or Better (3 p.m.); Wednesdays: Jacks or Better (12 p.m.), Deuces Wild (1:30 p.m.), Jacks or Better (3 p.m.); Thursdays: Jacks or Better (12 p.m.), Deuces Wild (1:30 p.m.), Jacks or Better (3 p.m.). Sycuan adds $50 to each tournament. 1st place wins 50% of buy-ins and an entry in the monthly nals with a top prize of $1,000 cash. 2nd place wins
30% of buy-ins. 3rd place wins 20% of buy-ins. 4th through 6th place wins $20 paid by Sycuan.
SOBOBA CASINO
WEDNESDAYS from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
$10,000 Customer Appreciation Slot Tournament Registration begins at 12 p.m. and first round of play begins at 2 p.m. The top 15 scoring players will win cash, and the 1st place winner will take home $2,000 in cash!
GOLDEN ACORN CASINO
TUESDAY, June 7th at 9:30 a.m.
THURSDaY, June 16th at 9:30 a.m.
$1,500 Senior Video Poker Tournament
Seniors, are you ready for some video poker fun and to win your share of $1,500? Participate in a free video poker tournament exclusively for seniors on June 7th and June 16th! Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and will be on a rst come, rst play basis, so be sure to arrive early!
THURSDAY, June 26 at 6:00 p.m.
$5,000 Guaranteed Blackjack Tournament
Buy-in is $25 for $200 in “tournament chips,” and rebuy(s) are $15. Six winners will split $5,000. Free hors d’oeuvres will be served. Registration starts at
4:30 p.m., play starts at 6 p.m. All players are accepted on a rst come, rst play basis.
VALLEY VIEW CASINO
FRIDAY, June 10 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Secret Treasures” Slot Tournament
Invitation-only slot tournament for Valley View Casino Elite Members, includes a free lunch bu et. Contact Players Club for details on Elite Membership.
TUESDAY, June 28 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. “Surfs’s Up” Blackjack Tournament
Invitation-only blackjack tournament for Valley View Casino Elite Members, includes a free bu et. Contact Players Club for details on Elite Membership.
CAHUILLA CASINO
WEDNESDAYS July 27 at 7 p.m.
$10,000 Blackjack Tournament
Start qualifying now! Contestant drawings will be held on July 14th at 12 noon. Pay blackjack to qualify, and earn 1 entry for every blackjack, 6-7-8 combo, 7-7-7 combo, any other bonus payout, and every hour of play. Tournament prizes are $5,000 (1st place), $2,500 (2nd place), $1,000 (3rd place), $750 (4th place), $500 (5th place), and $250 (6th place). Call 951-763-1200.
June 2005 Page 7
Gaming News (Continued) June 2005 Tournaments