The Red Hot Poker Tour visited the 36th Annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and had a fantastic time. Scott McFadyen, Leslie Kassa, Ryan Scott, Jos Diening, Jim Graham, and Drifter MacNeil all cruised into town and immediately hit the Rio Suites Hotel to check out the action. We were met by an enormous room, the largest poker room the world has ever seen with over 200 tables and ESPN's feature table. The entire room was filled with amateurs and pros. With the Main Event not starting for a few days, the crush of fans had not yet arrived, so we had a great opportunity to watch the pros play up close (as in two feet), and really gain a huge appreciation for what it takes to be a champion in one of these major events. We were also thrilled when we grabbed a copy of the WSOP Edition of CardPlayer to find a picture of Daniel wearing his Red Hot Poker Tour Team Canada jersey (Page 66).
There were big tournaments, satellites and table games of all shapes and sizes at the WSOP and some of the crew had a chance to play and actually win a couple table tournaments. However, not surprisingly, the Red Hot crew also invaded poker rooms across Las Vegas including: Palms, Rio, Mirage, Imperial, Bally's, and the Wynn. While Jim gets the record for most hours at the tables, Ryan actually won a casino tournament. However, Jim, Ryan and Jos tied for most casino perks in a four day span, while Miller had to bring in an extra truck to keep Leslie happy.
There were a lot of bad beats, but even more great stories including Jim hitting pocket AA four times in an hour, and not getting them cracked once. Not to mention Scott loving the Yankees and cursing the Mets in a four hour stretch, and putting in a solid 12 hour day at the Mirage, only to grind out $20.
The Red Hot Crew, all decked in gear, was very well received by players, the media and we even got invited to a private party (30 people) at the Wynn with the Hendon Mob. Ryan and Drifter actually got to sit an play a fun game with European superstars Ram Vaswani and Barny Boatman. Even better, is that we took the table down sharing four consecutive winning hands ... why can't this happen when it's for the big money?
Overall the trip was amazing. We learned a lot, and got a great feel for the enormity and pressure of the World Series of Poker. We also learned that next year, a group trip is a must, so in 2006 the Red Hot Poker Tour's visit to Vegas will be a Invasion Force. Keep posted for more info on the trip, until then check out these pics ... |
