This year should be especially interesting since the Kid Poker made his claim that he’ll be back to defend his title when he won the tournament last year. There will be some serious contenders in Richmond BC vying for a chance to beat Daniel Negreanu and to take this year’s title and cash prize. Are you up for the challenge?

Here’s this year’s event schedule:

2009 BC Poker Championship Event Schedule

NOVEMBER 12th-14th

Event #1

Starts Nov 12th @ 12:00PM

$500+50 No Limit Holdem

$250, 000  Prize pool**

Event #2
November 16th – 17th, 2009 @ 12:00PM

$1000 +100 No Limit Holdem
Final Table will begin on November 17th @ 9:00pm

$500,000 prize pool**

Event #4
November 19th – 22nd, 2009 @ 12:00PM

$2700 No Limit Holdem Main Event
Final Table will begin on November 22nd @ 12:00pm
4 Day Event
15,000 In Starting Chips
1hr Blind Levels

** Estimated Prize Pools.

CALL RIVER ROCK’s POKER ROOM AT 604.247.8983 TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION

I am in Reno Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino to join  Lacey Jones for the Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament. We flew in from Vegas yesterday courtesy of Greasie Wheels Productions. Lisa and Rob have been working overtime to bring in as many pros in support of this worthy cause. Jennifer Harman is best known for her skills on the poker felts but maybe you didn’t know that she has had two kidney transplants making this tournament something very close to her heart. In fact, her last donor Anne is here playing in the tournament as well. She’s Jennifer’s niece and did not hesitate to offer her kidney to Jennifer when the time came when Jennifer needed a new kidney. It was a heartfelt open to the tournament today and everyone was moved by the video Jennifer produced about her mission to raise money for The Kidney Foundation.

As of Monday, more than 320 people had registered for the $230 event, according to Lisa Wheeler, President of Greasie Wheels.  Many pros came out to show their support like my favourite girls Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho. Also joining them were Roy Winston, Howard Lederer, Jeff Madsen, Todd Brunson, and Harman’s husband Marco Traniello.

Besides the $230 entry fee, there were $50 rebuys during the first three 20-minute levels and a one-time add-on. The winner of the event receives a $5,000 World Poker Challenge championship entry, while second and third place will receive $3,000 WPC entries.

Proceeds from the tournament will go toward the National Kidney Foundation — specifically toward “free-of-charge” patient programs, camps for children on dialysis, patient and family assistance, and research, as requested by Harman.

On a more personal note, I have come to the realization of  a couple of things during my stay here so far and from observing the tournament all day. One, poker pros are a bunch of softies. Many of them are very generous and the comradeship amongst some of the players is very admirable. Certainly the personal support for Jennifer from her friends when she needed them most was very apparent and I commend them for that. The public came out to meet the pros and to see some tournament action at the Grand Sierra in Reno and everybody had a great day for a great cause.

My second observation is that women in poker have it tough. Look at Jennifer for example. That woman has accomplished a lot in her poker career. More than most women will see in their lifetime. I’m sure she’s been enjoying the millions she’s been winning over the years. But Jennifer is a combination of many things. She has respect from her fans and her peers. It took brains and skills and it didn’t hurt that she’s not so bad to look at. That’s my point I guess. Men have it so easy. They just need to prove they can play. Never is there an expectation for them to look a certain way. I have to commend Lacey as well as Tiffany and Maria. They too have the respect from their fans and peers AND they always look their best when they’re playing. I know the men are not complaining if they draw a seat next to these beauties. Anyone who knows what a tournament floor smells like after a long day can agree that it’s not pretty. My hat goes off to these female pros who breathes an element of class into a male dominated sport. It’s not easy. I’ve seen that first hand.

I also had a chance to meet and spend time with Jeff Madsen this trip. Had heard so much about him from Tiffany, Lacey and Maria and enjoyed his company immensely. He’s a smart kid. I say kid because he’s ridiculously good at poker and he’s still in his early 20s. As of this year his total winnings are over $2 million. What were you making at 24? I know alot of young players look up to him and he’s a good guy all around.

I also had the pleasure of meeting David Farahi, Director of Slots at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno. His family has owned Atlantis for the last three decades and he was genuinely interested in what I had to say about casino operations. I’ve been know to have an opinion about a few things in that department. The meeting was actually just by chance as he was sitting next to me at the 1/2 table where we spent a few hours playing with the girls. After some fun banter amongst the table it’s pretty clear that Tiffany, Lacey and Maria can command the attention of any room. The energy was good and people were having fun playing. And isn’t that was casinos are all about. It was an easy sell to David to see the potential in bringing these girls in to beef up customer relations at his own hotel. Maybe he’ll continue to remain keen as they stay in touch. Reno connections by chance.. I love it.

One more night in Reno before I head back to reality at home. It’s been a great trip and the hospitality has been outstanding. I just got the update that the tournament raised over $115, 000 for the Kidney Foundation. I’m sure Jennifer is pleased with that.

Above all I had the best time with Lacey and this trip is just one of many so stay tuned!

Until my next poker adventure……

Here are some of my photos from our trip. Visit my flickr page for all of them.

Lacey, Maria and Tiffany and Me at Charlie Palmer Steak House

The girls with Madsen hamming it up on the red carpet

On a side note here’s a cute video from the throw down party the night before the tournament on Card Player

]]> http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/11/jennifer-harman-wins-big-with-her-charity-tournament/feed/ 0 http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/03/annie-duke-on-celebrity-apprentice/ http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/03/annie-duke-on-celebrity-apprentice/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:17:41 +0000 admin http://alexleepr.com/?p=20

The second season of Celebrity Apprentice aired last Sunday and I made sure to tune in. Honestly I hadn’t even heard who was in the line-up before parking it on the couch but I’m a reality tv junkie and who doesn’t love The Donald.

At first watch I realized quite quickly that the boys had far more star power than the female celebrities and found the teams to be quite unfair. Having said that my eyes quickly turned to one person in particular… Annie Duke.

I was thrilled to see her on there. Come on!  A female poker player on Celebrity Apprentice!! That’s GREAT news for ALL female poker pros out there. Annie’s gonna take you all mainstream.

For those of you who didn’t tune in to Sunday’s show or  are clueless as to who’s who in poker, Annie Duke is one of the best at her sport. As Donald said to Annie on the show (paraphrasing)  “I’ve seen many men lose alot of money to you”.

Annie is a poker pro and an author and earned her celebrity status by winning a bracelet in the 2004 World Series of Poker $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions where she earned the winner-takes-all prize of $2,000,000. Now that’s some serious Poker creds, for any female or male pro.

Professional poker career aside Annie has made a name for all female players in my opinion. Because of her and other pros like Jennifer Harman, female poker pros are treated with more respect and are becoming the ones to watch for in tournaments around the world.

Since my post in 2007 about the Women in Poker female poker pros have been crossing into mainstream media in full force and becoming viral phenomenons. With Annie Duke topping the cake in Celebrity Apprentice. Mark my words, this is only the beginning of this major crossover. Move over Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. It’s time to make room on the red carpet for women who have beauty, brains AND skills.

On a more personal note about the show, I think Annie Duke played it exactly how she should have. Sure she came across as bossy and opinionated but it’s a game people and as a female that’s how you get sh*t done. As a former reality show contestant I know how exhausting a day of taping is like on a reality show. There are 2 to 3 cameras literally in your face non stop and you go go go go go go go from the break of dawn till night. It’s ridiculous. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on a show for weeks. And the fact that her team members sold her out before they even heard if they won was disappointing. The men stuck together till they had to turn on each other. Come on ladies, prove that you can be a good team player like the boys are.

Good luck, Annie! My money is on you to go far in the show!

Mark this one as a HUGE win for the women of poker.

(If you’re following the show Annie write her thoughts on each episode on her website. Here’s the link to her blog post about Episode One)

From year one there has been some steady mentionables that have been loyal to this tournament, such as Gavin Smith and Yukon Brad Booth. Lacey Jones has been there from the early days too. Brains and beauty is an easy sell for me to the press! Through the years and by word of mouth more and more pros have tried to dip their hands into the BCPC pot. There was 1.9 million up for grabs in this year’s main event, a big amount on the Canadian poker scene, not to mention a mean title to add under your belt. Joining Gavin, Brad, and Lacey over the years have been pros like Greg Mueller, Steve Paul Ambrose, Dennis Phillips (2008 WSOP final table player), Gabe Kaplan, Mark Napier and most recently joining Lacey on the ladies side were Liz Lieu, Maria Ho, and Tiffany Michelle - I’ll get to those gorgeous ladies later.

On November 23, 2008 Kid Poker himself won the whole shbang. The giant cheque said he won $371, 910. Small potatoes for the guy ranked second in the world for his winnings. But it is one of Canada’s largest prize pools.”Being Canadian myself, playing and winning the BC Poker Championships is extra special to me,” says Negreanu. “The tournament was extremely well organized and my opponents were very good. It may have been a smaller tournament but I would say this has been the best $2500 buy-in event structure I’ve ever played.”

Negreanu goes on to say, “I’ve been to many casinos all over the world but the River Rock Casino Resort is truly unique and it’s been a great experience. The service is excellent and I’ve been treated like a star right from day one! I look forward to coming back again with friends.

Being that Daniel is just about the nicest most genuine guy I’ve ever met, I hope he comes back every year from now on! He really is exactly as he’s seen. Such a nice guy! I was there when he called his mom right after his win. On the tournament tables he’s just the same. Of course he has his game face on but the guy really is a master at reading people. He talks to his opponents constantly asking them where they are from, what do they do for a living, all the while checking for tells and signs. He was short stacked a few times and I have to say his skills pulled him out every time, that and a few lucky cards. He also is GREAT with the media! So eloquent. The guy knows his poker. On a more personal note, I was extremely impressed of his knowledge of fine wines! I was even more impressed that the restaurant had it in their wine cellar!

Negreanu is going to raise viewership of the final table when it gets televised by at least 30% adding more exposure to this tournament and the resort. BC’s best kept secret will not be under wraps for much longer and I’m glad it was Daniel that was the first big pro to win it and blow this tournament wide open. I’m excited for the 2009!

It’s no secret that Lacey and I have become close friends over the years that she has been coming to Vancouver to play the BCPCs and the Coast to Coast and the Johnny Chan Classic. This year she brought 3 super ladies with her. Maria Ho (2007 last woman standing at the WSOP main event- $240k), Tiffany Michelle (2008 last woman standing at the WSOP main event- $340k) and Liz Lieu (as of 2008, Lieu has earned over $690,000 in live tournament play). In fact I spent a couple of days with Lacey and Maria in Vegas (while visiting the Global Gaming Expo) before meeting them back here on my turf. It couldnt have timed out better. And thank you ladies for showing this BC girl a good time in Vegas!

I had a blast hanging out with these girls at the BCPCs. Although all four busted out on the first day of the main event I was selfishly happy I could steal them away for autograph signings and a couple of nights out on the town.

Can’t wait till next year. I have a feeling things are gonna get real big when Daniel comes back to defend his title… with friends.

Here are a few photos I took throughout the tournament this year. The entire collection is here.

Every year we have been lucky enough to have poker pros Brad Booth, Gavin Smith and Lacey Jones here for the week. Those three will be here again as well as a few new faces. Daniel Nugreanu and Gabe Kaplan are confirmed stars now to this years exciting events, thanks to Poker Stars. BC has been waiting a long time to see Canadian favourite Nugreanu up here so this is BIG news!!

River Rock Casino Resort is again this year’s host property. Although it is under some heavy renovations their 5 star service still remains and anyone lucky enough to come to this tournament, as a player or spectator, will not be disappointed at the gaming floor and their state-of-the-art show theatre transforms into a gorgeous poker facility for the week.

For more information and a 30second look at last year’s tournament click here.

Here are some photos that I’ve taken from past BC Poker Championships:

More great news about Lacey Jones. She is on the cover of Bluff Magazine’s November Issue. Pick it up at newsstands on November 3rd.

Lacey was thrilled to be asked to be on the cover. With the new game show, being a spokesmodel/poker pro at Borgatta, and now this cover shot all in the last 6 months, Lacey is on cloud nine. She even gushes about it in her own blog. I think it all started to turn around for her after a visit to her home away from home, Vancouver, for the Coast to Coast Poker Tournament. River Rock Casino Resort is her homebase as Lacey is poker royalty when she’s on Canadian turf. She’s a media favourite as well and I have no problems setting up visits to TV and radio stations… What can I say? She’s an easy sell and a pro to work with. A visit to beautiful Vancouver is just what the doctor ordered to get the kharma gods back on track. Right Lacey? Maybe she just needed a big kiss from my son. Who was 12 days old when she came to visit last.

I know the November issue of Bluff won’t be a hard sell to the men since Lacey and Christina Lindley are in lingerie. Brains and beauty. A deadly combination at the tables. Looks like these two have their opponents right where they want them, thinking about them in their underwear before they rob them of their stacks.

Well played, Ladies.

Her internet audience voted… CONGRATULATIONS to Lacey Jones for winning the title of Hottest Girl in Poker by Wicked Chops Poker!!

Me and Lacey at the Johnny Chan Poker Classic (2007)

And here’s a link to a commercial she shot this year for Vegas.com.

Watch for her at the very end. It’s very cute.

(photos by Alex Lee)

In June 2005, World Poker Exchange commissioned KRC Research to conduct a Poker Player Habits and Attitudes survey. Results indicated that 82% of women were playing as often as men; however women were more interested in the social and fun aspects of the game than men. In Canada, despite playing the same number of times each month; registered women participants in tournaments were less than 2%.

Although world renowned female players such as Barbara Enright, who is the only woman to date to make the final table at the 1995 WSOP and Lucy Rokach, who gave a great fight in the WSOP $10, 000 no limit hold’em main event in 1996 and 2004, have been challenging even the best of male players for the last decade, there hasn’t been a significant growth in female poker tournament players around the world, however, women continue to be a new market for tournament organizers, making female poker players an exciting group to cater to.

The World Series of Poker certainly understands this untapped market. Their “Ladies Only” Event breaks attendance records each year, with 2007 as no exception. In fact, according to Nolan Dalla, head of media relations for the World Series of Poker, The WSOP Ladies Event in 2007 was the “biggest, baddest estrogen-fueled poker tournament in the history of the world, ever”. What’s even more unique, and recognizing the interests of their female players, the first place winner receives a spa makeover at the Rio and courtside seats to a WNBA Sparks game, on top of the sweet cash prize of $262, 077. Other WSOP events consist predominantly of male players, a staggering 85-90%, and there are those that view the additional prizing in the Ladies Event to be patronizing. That aside, the WSOP are only reflecting their understanding that female players are unique in their interests in poker and unique in their reasons they play the game.

Today, in any given tournament, female players are making their mark on tournament felts across North America. The marketability of female pros is two fold if you’re a player like Liz Lieu or Evelyn Ng, where their skill and esthetics make for a killer combination. Celebrity females like Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Tilly are consistently coming into the money but are also adding to the whole marketability and attraction of this game to females, in tournament play. With their looks and skill these female pros have been giving the males a run for their money, both in the game and in the mass media.

Certainly there’s more venue for exposure when it comes to being a poker pro these days. With televised games on shows like Poker After Dark and the made-for-TV NBC Heads-Up Championships, the exposure to the mass public is greater than ever. Can you imagine what kind of International fame a player like Johnny Chan could have had by now if poker was a national phenomenon when he was collecting his early WSOP bracelets? But then again.. would Johnny do as well back then if he had the on-liners to contend with, as he so fiercely does today? Not that I’m declaring the Orient Express is not of legend status. That he certainly is. BUT if the internet was around when Johnny was making his early mark, as a young kid on the Vegas strip, his skills would have made him more popular than Paris Hilton. He’s told me himself that some of the kids that challenge him on the tournament floor have played more hands in an all nighter on-line than he used to play in a month…. back in the day.

My point about mass media around poker, in relation to female players is this: when male players, like Johnny Chan, Brad “Yukon” Booth and Phil Hellmuth, are pushing energy drinks and poker how-to books as subsidiary endorsements, female players are much more limitless in the kinds of merchandise and marketable items they can endorse. They’re not just a pretty face on the felts anymore. Certainly Shannon Elizabeth’s big score in this year’s NBC Head’s-Up Championships for 125K made her more memorable than any flic she’s been in recently.

Most recently, and closer to home, British Columbia had a female poker pro at the first Johnny Chan Classic at the River Rock Casino Resort. Lacey Jones was a guest pro of Johnny’s at his tournament and played close to the money at the final event, not to mention out ranking all but one of the other male pros in the tournament, including Johnny himself. Gavin Smith was the only guest pro that came into the money at the final event, coming 15^th in that tournament.

Back: Gavin Smith, Danny Chang, Johny Chan, Brad “Yukon” Booth

Front: Me, Lacey Jones, Angela Koulyaras

Lacey is a regular face in the cash rooms and tournaments in Las Vegas, where she makes a career of playing professional poker and modeling. If you saw her in pictures there would be no doubt that you’d think she was stunning, but if you’re lucky to meet her, she’s the whole package in person. Not only does she have skills in the game but, and this is why I love her so much, she’s a dream to promote to media. Her looks, her know-how of the game, and her eloquence on camera make her a triple threat. It’s an easy sell and a win-win for the game of poker. It was genius of the 2007 WSOPs to bring Lacey on as their host of their exit interviews. When you come second at a WSOP event, the last thing you want is to be asked a series of irrelevant questions. Lacey gets right to the meat of the interview, playing out hands from the match, proving she’s not just a pretty face on the side. Having said that… no one is complaining she’s not too shabby to look at, which seems to be the icing on her cake. She certainly leaves a lasting impression.

Will there be a time when the women equal the men on the tournament floors? There is certainly no indication that the game of poker is losing its appeal in the mass market. With the likes of female players such as Jennifer Harman, who has two WSOP bracelets under her belt, Annie Duke, who won a golden $2 million dollar prize at the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, and Kathy Liebert, the first female to win $1 million in tournament poker four years ago, to set the bar, there’s no doubt there will be a lot more fresh new female players inspired to go all-in in tournament poker.