#PNWPokerCal Planner for 19 July 2017: The Final Table Edition

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Less Kassouf, More Hesp

Aside from the fact that it’s great to have a guy on the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table who’s older than I am just a couple of years after both Neil Blumenfield and Pierre Neuville (both older) made it there, it’s also satisfying that this year’s Old Guy at the Table, John Hesp is a far more likable version of British poker conviviality than last year’s WSOP “star,” William Kassouf.

It may just have been the fact that folks already in Kassouf mode got more coverage in the poker media over the past year, but it seemed that there was more attention paid to players with verbal diarrhea. I mean, I like talking to people at the poker table — it was my primary social outlet for a while — but I’m not so much enthused with being talked at at the poker table. The fact that Kassouf had very real poker success both before and after he got so much attention on ESPN could have meant a glut of imitators.

Personally, I’m hoping Hesp’s style (and deeper run, and big stack of chips) counteracts that a bit.

#PNWPokerLeaderboard

James Weatherman from Washington was the top cash of the week for less-established players, shooting from less than $8K in recorded tournament cashes to almost $43K in one shot by placing 323rd in Event #73: $10,000 NLHE Main Event.

As you might expect, one of the last Big O tournaments of the summer was won by a Portlander—Jacob Nepom—who bested 266 players in the Planet Hollywood $400 Big O Goliath Stack, the day after the 4th of July.

Seattle’s Mel Elpusan has just one Hendon Mob Cash, and it’s a min-cash, but it’s from the Main Event. And Prathap Gannamaneni picked up his second recorded cash at the Venetian #92 $30K GTD $400 NLHE Bounty.

Results from the Tulalip Poker Pow Wow Main Event waaaaaay back in January finally posted this week, giving players Eugene Moss and David Goodkin (both of Bellevue) and Max Young (Seaside) big bumps.

Ian Johns was the last US player from Oregon, Washington, or Idaho to fall in the quest for the Final Table of the Main Event, busting out in 73rd place in Event #73.

This Week In Portland Poker

Something special brewing at The Game the next couple of weeks. Kind of wishing I had a month free to spend in Southeast Asia.

Only a Day Away

  • The first tournament of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino Summer Poker Round Up was today at noon. You can see the schedule above for the rest of this week’s events.
  •  Down south in Sacramento, Thunder Valley hosts the Ante Up Poker Tour World Championship starting Thursday. It culminates in a $500K GTD Main Event in early August, but up first is the $160 buyin $100K GTD Catapult, with five starting flights through Saturday and Day 2 on Sunday.
  • There are still a few days left for the Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza III. The last big event is a $600 $250K GTD tournament with starting flights Thursday through Saturday and Day 2 on Sunday.
  • The Card Player San Diego Classic at Oceans 11 starts tomorrow with an estimated prize pool of $100K and a $250 buyin.
  • Larry Flynt’s Grand Slam of Poker at LA’s Hustler Casino has a $777,777 GTD tournament beginning Friday. There are two daily flights (12:30pm and 5pm through Wednesday, with Day 2 next Thursday and a final day on Friday. $375 buyin.
  • Muckleshoot’s $300 Deepstack is Sunday at noon, and there’s a 5th Sunday $400 entry tournament with $3K added next Sunday.
  • The World Poker Tour and Bicycle Casino’s Legends of Poker runs from next Friday through the end of August. It starts with a $350 $100K GTD no rebuy/reentry 2-day tournament and a $365 Survivor (with $3K paid to the survivors), then three days of a $200K GTD with a $240 entry.
  • Eugene’s Beach Poker Club has a $250 buyin Monster Stack at noon on 29 July, with a PLO tournament two weeks later (Saturday, 12 August) and their Crazy Pineapple tournament Sunday, 20 August. All players are in the running for bonuses in the 10 September Final Tournament.
  • Sunday the 30th is the $20K GTD to first place at Lucky Chances south of San Francisco in Colma. $350 entry and the game starts at 9:30am.

Remember to keep an eye on the #PNWPokerCal Twitter hashtag and the PNW Poker Calendar for upcoming events!