Vegas Insider: 2009 February

Greetings from L.A. At the Commerce for the duration of the LAPC was Chris Bjorin who was rewarded with six cashes. He didn’t play the PLO event as he was playing a PLO cash game downstairs, he then missed the main event as he overslept!

Liv Boeree & Maria Ho

The first real Brit player to arrive was Liv Boeree. Liv cashed in her first tournament and played deep in all the events she played. Our own Barny Boatman and Ross Boatman flew in for the heads up tournament and Surinder Sunar was a late arrival.

California is now deducting 7% from winnings over $1500 off any non-California resident. That could be a six figure deduction from the ME winner. 697 entered the ME and on one wet Monday 1362 entered a $330 buy in tournament.

A record number of media have turned up to cover the main event. I have heard rumours that nobody has come forward with a deposit for exclusive WSOP coverage this year.

Maria Ho cashed in the ME, her first cash since October 2007. Despite this she has purchased a Maserati, so will now be referred to as Maserati Maria Ho.

Santa Anita Racecourse

Most of my weekends have been spent at the stunningly scenic Santa Anita racecourse which will once again host the Breeders Cup later in the year. A familiar sight is Ben Cecil who is easy to recognise as he looks very similar to father Henry.

Not many British bands are touring at the moment but I have pencilled in Primal Scream on March 16th.

Back in Las Vegas Ernie Scherer III was arrested this week. He was shipped to California where he was charged with the murders of his father Ernie Scherer, also a poker player, and his mother last year.

Kevin O’Leary has won two events worth a total of over $60k at the Venetian deepstack and fellow Englishman Keith Miller has won an event worth $35k.