by California Jen, Jul 2, 2008 | 3:53 pm

The WSOP party season has begun… I’ve hit two of the parties this week and plan for more as the week progresses, but I can’t see myself getting crazy with it. I must say that it’s a nice break from the daily grind of tournaments, though.

On June 30th, I attended the All In party at the Palms pool. The place was packed with more people than I expected. On the other hand, the door was completely disorganized. Some people got right in, while others who were supposed to be on the list were held up for quite awhile. I was supposed to be on the media list, but no one ever checked or even seemed to have a list, so I finally just got in on my word. And when I attempted to get a VIP pass through a friend, they had run out of them and looked a little panicked about it.

Free drinks were evidently a short-lived offer, and the bar in the VIP area was completely understaffed, causing patrons to have to wait 20 minutes or more for a drink. All in all, though, it was a large enough space for everyone, and most seemed to be having a good time. The entertainment for the evening was a rap act, which obviously got me excited until I saw that it was the guy who did the All In rap video with Johnny Chan. Yep, this one. And he did that song, followed up by the playing of the video of that exact song he just performed. Hmmm. But once the DJ came back and spun some good hip-hop tunes, the normal party atmosphere returned.

All in all, so to speak, the All In crew didn’t seem prepared for the kind of interest they generated, but the event went over well despite the snafus.

Last night, July 1st, the World Series of Barbecue took place at the Golden Nugget pool/shark tank. Howard and Susie Lederer team up with Steve Zolotow to have this shindig each year, and last year it was at the Zolotow home, but evidently there were some problems with the legality of shooting professional fireworks in a residential zone. So, they took the party to a public place this year… It was my first year in attendance, and it was fabulous!

Free drinks complimented the incredible buffet – filet mignon, lamb chops, hummus and stuffed grape leaves, pork from a terrified looking dead pig, taco fixings, and an incredible dessert set-up. The music was great, though it was interrupted by a Guitar Hero competition hosted by Evelyn Ng. After Jeff Madsen competed, he did an impromptu rap, as did Phil Ivey’s cousin. The two rappers ended up in a bit of a rap battle, which was more than entertaining to watch! (Ivey’s cousin won hands down, but Madsen wasn’t half bad.) Karaoke then took over the majority of the late evening hours.

Shortly after 10pm, the fireworks went off in grand fashion. Honestly, it was an extraordinary display! The karaoke continued after that and the party began to wind down as midnight neared. All the while, Phil Ivey hosted the charity tournament through his Budding Ivey Foundation in “The Grand” ballroom. Good times all around the Golden Nugget…

Tonight, the Ante Up for Africa after-party is being held at PURE but invitations are scarce. I think I’ll end up at the Bluff/Doyle’s Room party at Sapphire, which is where most of my friends are going. Besides, who am I to refuse an invitation to a party with tons of sexually frustrated men strip club party?