Vegas Insider: 2009 October

It would not surprise me if Matt Savage bought the bankrupt state of California, for cash. After TDing a successful three week tournament at the Commerce in L.A. during September, he visited San Jose, location of his Shooting Stars tournament, for a day before spending a day at his Vegas mansion, complete with servants. After selecting his Island/desert wardrobe he jetted off to work in Aruba before leaving for the WPT Marrakech. In November he returns for three weeks at the Commerce. Matt, I think Arnold wants you to host a fundraising dinner.

Matt experimented with an Ironman tournie at the Commerce. He was asking players to play 24 hours without breaks and contacted the "Guinness book of records". Sixty four players entered but with only three tables in action five hours in, the attempt was doomed, at least in a NLHE format, even with 10k starting chips, one hour levels and blinds starting at 25-25.

Two British players played here that I know of: Mark Bramley seeded in Leeds and Javed Abrahams aka "M.London". The Yorkshireman cashed in tenth in a $200 NLHE tournie. If you plan on visiting in November or the LAPC in Feb 2010 be warned that the state deducts 9% from non-Californian residents’ winnings.

Simpsons producer Sam Simon entered the Ironman tournie but it was off to the "house that Bart built" last Saturday. Nancy Cartwright is the voice of the young Simpson (if the Simpsons has been on 20 years then Bart should be at least thirty now?) and Todd Flanders in the show and Todd in the "Replacements", the series not the rock band from Mpls. Spongebob voice Tom Kenny was also present. I can inform you their job pays better than tournament reporting. Nancy formed a charity with fellow Scientologists Kirstie Alley and John Travolta. Neighbour Jose Canseco also came along to play. In fact 200 entered the tournament and another hundred donated $150 to line dance with Nathan Osmond, drink Pom juice (not made from the blood of Brits killed by Aussies) and feast on all the free range egg sandwiches a man could eat.

The following day I was back at the Bike blogging a $50 tournie that included the infamous Vinny Vinh. Somewhere there is a chair that has two WSOP cashes thanks to Vinny. He seems better these days even if he is playing as low as Sol Campbell briefly did at Morecambe.

I was hoping to announce the end of the Wildfires I wrote about last month. However, they returned at the weekend. This is good news for "Sea the Stars" as all the local horses have a smokers cough as well as being drug addicts (lasix). I am available for any European sites needing a man on site at Santa Anita. Otherwise, I will be "borrowing" the $10 admission price. Such a bargain for a major sporting event. Not sure how much the egg sandwiches will be though!