Commerce Casino Poker Celebrities
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--World Poker Tour® television cameras captured history last night at Commerce Casino as boxer and amateur poker player LeRon “Dream187” Washington earned his first major poker title at the 8th Annual WPT Celebrity Invitational. The 34-year-old West Virginia resident beat incredible odds to take home a big chunk of the $200,000 prize pool—which was donated by Commerce Casino for this exclusive freeroll charity tournament—walking away with $75,000 in cash, a seat to play in the $25,000 WPT World Championship in April and a chance to go pro.
- Poker will join hands with the One Step Closer Foundation to organize the 10th All In for CP, a celebrity poker tournament that will be played at California’s Commerce Casino with the intention of raising funds for cerebral palsy victims. The game of poker has given more in charity than any other game or sport in the world.
- Nov 09, 2019 The Commerce Casino’s poker room is the biggest by number of tables in the world with more than 200 tables. This enormous room is internationally famous, mainly due to its association with many major poker events. The Commerce is a glamorous destination for the World Poker Tour — hosting the WPT L.A. Poker Classic and the star-studded WPT Celebrity Invitational every year.
Proving an incredible set of poker skills, Washington came a long way to achieve victory. On January 3, Washington beat 1,683 players in a tournament on www.ClubWPT.com (WPT’s legal $19.95/month subscription poker room) to secure the last seat available in the invite-only WPT Celebrity Invitational.
On February 20, Washington flew to Los Angeles where he played in the WPT Celebrity Invitational among Hollywood A-listers and poker’s elite, including Teri Hatcher, Eric Dane, Jenny McCarthy, Hank Azaria, Dave Annable, Jerry Ferrara, Eddie Cibrian, LeAnn Rimes, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Antonio Esfandiari, Mike Matusow and Phil Laak. After two days of tournament play, Washington had fought his way through the field of 567 players to secure his place at the televised final table. On March 3, he returned to Commerce Casino to take his shot at history—and won. It was his first WPT tournament.
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Annie Duke holding celebrity tournament at Commerce Casino 17 May 2010 COMMERCE, California - (PRESS RELEASE) - In support of After-School All-Stars, Arnold Schwarzenegger's after-school nonprofit for at-risk youth, Duke is hosting a celebrity-filled tournament on May 20th, 7:30 pm, at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, California. Nov 09, 2019 Commerce Casino poker tournament schedule and information, including starting times, buy-ins, prize pool guarantees, and freerolls. Attention Poker Rooms.
Washington’s journey has been incredible so far, but this may just be the beginning. Next month he will head to Las Vegas to play in the $25,000 WPT World Championship at Bellagio, which pays out millions and turns amateurs into poker superstars.
“It’s a dream come true--I’ve been waiting for this day a long time,” said Washington, who is the first ClubWPT.com qualifier to ever win a WPT event. “I’ve been trying to get out there to show what I can do, but you have to earn it. ClubWPT gave me the opportunity to make it happen, and here I am. The $20 a month subscription is definitely the best investment I’ve ever made.”
Washington was joined at the final table by Commerce Casino qualifier Steve Elliott, who placed sixth to earn $5,000; poker pro Thor Hansen, who exited in fifth place for $10,000; followed by amateur player Neev Baram who took fourth for $15,000. Reality star Trishelle Cannatella, who continues to make her mark in the poker arena, walked away in third place with $20,000, while Bellagio satellite winner Sean Urban went heads up again Washington to earn $50,000. The $200,000 prize pool was generously donated by Commerce Casino.
“One of the great highlights of the WPT Invitational for Commerce Casino is the opportunity to reward people who love poker, but may not be full time established professionals, whether they are Hollywood stars or people who earned their way through Commerce satellites or partners like ClubWPT.com,” said John Griffo, Commerce Casino Director of Poker Operations. “We applaud LeRon for the ‘fight’ he showed in getting through the field of more than 500 and becoming our new WPT Invitational champion.”
The WPT Celebrity Invitational, which is held annually at Commerce Casino, is a three-day Texas Hold ‘Em tournament that brings together Hollywood celebrities and poker pros who play for charity, bragging rights, the chance at $200,000 and a WPT title. This year’s event pulled a record-setting field of 567 players and raised $109,700 for Chrysalis (www.changelives.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities.
To see Washington’s winner interview and to read more about all the WPT Celebrity Invitational action, visit WPT Live Updates at www.WorldPokerTour.com.
Visit www.ClubWPT.com to take a free two-week trial or to find more information on membership benefits, alternative means of entry and current prizes, including monthly qualifiers for $10,000 WPT Main Event seats. No purchase is necessary for the Club sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited.
ABOUT WORLD POKER TOUR
World Poker Tour (WPT) is one of the most recognized names in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high stakes poker tournaments. WPT is now broadcast globally in 150 countries and is currently filming its all-new eighth season for broadcast on Fox Sports Net’s national sports network in the United States. WPT also offers a unique online subscription and sweepstakes-based poker club, ClubWPT.com, which operates in 38 states across the U.S. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership and sponsorship opportunities. WPT is a subsidiary of PartyGaming Plc. For more information, see www.worldpokertour.com.
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About Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than 200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker: Texas Hold ‘em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Lowball, Pot Limit, Mexican Poker, Pineapple, Draw, Low-Ball and many others. Also offered are Pan and California games. Commerce Casino is also recognized for its innovative “Bring Your Home Game to Commerce” program which enables poker fans to invite their friends and family for a casual home game, bachelor party or birthday celebration with a professional dealer in the casino setting.
Commerce Casino is located at 6131 East Telegraph Rd., Commerce, CA 90040, just off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at the Washington Blvd. exit. The phone is (323) 721-2100. For more information, go to www.commercecasino.com.
About ClubWPT.com
ClubWPT is the official subscription poker site of the World Poker Tour. ClubWPT is not a gambling site. ClubWPT is 100% legal online poker and operates within the 'sweepstakes' rules where they are legal. There are no buy-ins, no deposits, and no risk. For a $19.95/month subscription, members receive exclusive benefits including the chance to play for over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, such as $10,000 seats to World Poker Tour events. ClubWPT offers more than 5,000 tournaments each month, including No Limit Texas Hold' em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Elimination Blackjack.
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The L.A. Poker Classic is routinely the one of the largest and most anticipated series on the tournament calendar, but the 2018 edition promises to be bigger and better than ever as the Commerce Casino celebrates the 25th anniversary of the competition.
Already the longest running tournament series in Los Angeles, this year’s LAPC already has players eagerly anticipating the robust and diverse schedule, the revamped ballroom, new chairs and food menu, and the added prize money put up by the Commerce in an exclusive Player of the Series competition.
“Commerce has really made a commitment to making this the best LAPC we’ve ever had,” said WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage. “From rebuilding the entire tournament area, getting new equipment and chairs, to the huge risks we’re getting to take with these million dollar guarantees. I can’t wait to hear about how players feel about the new atmosphere.”
The massive, yet balanced 64-event schedule includes something for everyone, with 32 no-limit hold’em tournaments and 32 mixed-game tournaments. No two events are the same, with variations on not only buy-in, but structure and format as well.
The action kicks off Jan. 9 with the opening event, a $350 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament that boasts a whopping $1 million guarantee. Players will begin the tournament with 25,000 in chips and will have eight different starting flights to choose from.
The event is a big gamble for Commerce, which is not offering any day 2 direct buy-ins. The risky play means that the event host will need more than 400 entries per flight to avoid a huge overlay! To help ensure that the tournament even exceeds the lofty guarantee, Commerce will be offering rake-free 25-seat guaranteed satellites into the first event.
“The opening event is not only meant as a giant celebration of our 25th anniversary, but also a huge thank you to our players,” said Commerce Tournament Coordinator Justin Hammer. “The rake free satellites and almost impossible guarantee are our way of giving every level of player a fair and inexpensive chance at a six-figure payday. This is a one of a kind tournament that players would regret missing.”
Of course, the LAPC is much more than just one event. In fact, players will see games offered such as Omaha eight-or-better, stud, stud eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., triple draw, big O, 2-7 single draw, and even dealer’s choice. On the hold’em side, there’s double stacks, turbos, heads-up, six-max, escalator, and bounties to contend with.
Players of all bankrolls can participate, with mega satellites starting at just $50 and events beginning at $175. Commerce will also host their largest-ever Facebook exclusive tournament, with added prizes and a $50,000 guarantee for just a $120 buy-in. For those with a little more gamble, there’s a $5,250 no-limit hold’em event, three $2,140 events of dealer’s choice, pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold’em, and even a $25,000 high roller event scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26.
Both Savage and Hammer are on a mission to inject some life back into tournament poker, and that’s apparent in a schedule that includes plenty of unique events that you can’t find at other venues. For example, this year’s LAPC will host events such as all-in-or-fold, two events with an action clock, an event that has a hard stop time of 12 hours, and the second running of The Social Experiment, a popular tournament that doesn’t allow players to use any electronic devices or wear headphones, hoodies, and sunglasses.
“My mantra of late has been to Make Poker Fun Again,” said Savage. “We want to create an environment that’s inviting to all levels of players, and sometimes that just means doing something different. All-in-or-fold is my wife Maryann’s favorite tournament because she feels like it takes the pressure off. The Social Experiment was a huge success because players were forced to be more interactive with each other. There will always be plenty of serious, competitive poker to be played. Having these quirky and fun events is just part of what makes the LAPC unique and exciting, and gives players a chance to wind down and relax.”
This fun-seeking attitude is also reflected in the ongoing cash games, which will also be a part of the anniversary celebration with Rollback The Rates, a set of games running Jan. 8 – March 1 that will feature the games, and perhaps most importantly, the rake of the 90s. Games spread will include hold’em, stud, draw, and lowball.
The highlight of the series, however, is the $10,000 buy-in WPT main event. The L.A. Poker Classic main event is one of the most legendary tournaments on the World Poker Tour, producing winners such as Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Moorman, Michael Mizrachi, Anthony Zinno, Gus Hansen, Alan Goehring, Dietrich Fast, and Phil Ivey. In 2017, Daniel Strelitz topped a field of 521 players to win the $1,001,110 first-place prize. Once again, Commerce is guaranteeing at least $1 million for the 2018 winner.
“The WPT main event is my favorite tournament of the year,” admitted Hammer. “It is poker in its purest form. A true freezeout with an amazing mix of big-name poker pros, celebrities, L.A. business people, and players that were just fortunate enough to win their way in. This year, in addition to the 100 or so that will qualify through satellites; Commerce is awarding 30 seats through live cash game promotions. That means that at any given table, there can be a player who won a $150 mega, or even a $2-$4 limit regular that was in the right place at the right time. I’m looking forward to watching a diverse group of players battle to win this prestigious event.”
Celebrity Poker
Commerce will be running numerous satellites into the main event. Check out the side bar to see the schedule. For a full look at the LAPC series, visit www.commercecasino.com/tournament/los-angeles-poker-classic/.
To sweeten the pot, Commerce has also earmarked an added $60,000 in prizes for the Player of the Series (POTS) competition. That money won’t just go to one red-hot player, however, because this unique POTS will cover four different areas of poker expertise. There’s $10,000 reserved for the overall no-limit hold’em POTS, $10,000 reserved for the mixed games POTS, and even $10,000 for the mega satellite POTS. The overall POTS will take home $20,000!
Cash game players can also get in on the action, with 30 $10,000 seats up for grabs. Commerce will hold a weekly drawing to award five seats. Players just need to make a full house or better to earn an entry into the drawing. Additionally, anyone who wins one of the 64 qualifying events on the LAPC schedule will automatically be entered into a random draw for a $10,000 main event seat into the 2019 WPTLAPC main event.
For more information about the upcoming 25th anniversary L.A. Poker Classic, and to book a hotel room, visit ComerceCasino.com. For the poker rate, email j.hammer@commercecasino.net. ♠
The History of the WPT L.A. Poker Classic Main Event
Commerce Casino Poker Room
Year Entrants Prize Pool Winner First-Place
2003 136 $1,360,000 Gus Hansen $532,490
2004 382 $3,781,500 Antonio Esfandiari $1,399,135
2005 538 $5,166,414 Michael Mizrachi $1,859,909
2006 692 $6,643,200 Alan Goehring $2,391,550
2007 791 $7,593,600 Eric Hershler $2,429,970
2008 665 $6,288,000 Phil Ivey $1,596,100
2009 696 $6,681,600 Cornel Cimpan $1,686,760
2010 745 $7,152,000 Andras Koroknai $1,788,001
2011 681 $6,537,600 Gregory Brooks $1,654,120
2012 549 $5,270,400 Sean Jazayeri $1,370,240
2013 517 $4,963,200 Paul Klann $1,004,090
2014 534 $5,126,400 Chris Moorman $1,015,460
2015 538 $5,164,800 Anthony Zinno $1,015,860
2016 515 $4,944,000 Dietrich Fast $1,000,800
2017 521 $5,001,600 Daniel Strelitz $1,001,110