Don’t call it a comeback … Vinnie Vinh, from Houston, had done little on the tournament scene since his chair finished 3rd in a limit hold’em event at the ’08 WSOP. But he did book a 14th place finish in a $970 No-Limit tourney at the LA Poker Classic in February … and check out results of Event #10 — a $335 NLH — at the Commerce Hold’em Series:
EVENT #10 $335 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
ENTRIES 152 PRIZE POOL $43,776
PLACE NAME/HOMETOWN PRIZE
1 Vinnie Vinh, Houston, TX $14,006 plus $2,580 Seat
2 David Lopez, Tucson, AZ $7,486
3 Pho Tran, West Covina, CA $4,772
4 Glenn Forster, Los Angeles, CA $3,502
5 Huy Quach, West Covina, CA $2,845
6 Derwin Lowery, Los Angeles, CA $2,145
7 David Liau, Los Angeles, CA $1,707
8 Dono Terranova, Los Angeles, CA $1,270
9 Patrick Karschamroon, Los Angeles, CA $919
10 Adam Weinraub, Orange, CA $657
11 Nhut Tran, Norwalk, CA $657
12 Panayotis Kalessis, Los Angeles, CA $657
13 Impounh Vongvone, Los Angeles, CA $569
14 Sami Banizuraij, Salt Lake City, UT $569
15 Rocky Eniso, Glendale, CA $569
16 Gideon Cross, Los Angeles, CA $482
17 Bobby Binsky, Miami, FL $482
18 Yarom Limor, Beverly Hills, CA $482
I’m keeping tabs on these big-little tourneys via Steve Hall.
UPDATE: Steve tells me that Vinnie is playing these minor league Commerce tournaments for Men the Master.
Check it out … Phil Ivey’s chair is pulling a Vinnie Vinh, going solo $10k WSOP Mixed Games World Championship:
While some fear what has happened to poker’s anointed one — is it drugs, gangsters … perhaps he was arrested for UIGEA violations? — our crack research team at Pokerati has discovered his true whereabouts … he was hiding in the Amazon room, playing heads-up for his 6th bracelet.
Previewing Day 9, reviewing Day 8 at the WSOP, as I wonder why the EUROPEAN Poker Tour allows worldwide airing of final tables live, while the WORLD Series of Poker decides to restrict airing of final tables to a select few in the United States.
The second Saturday of the Series gets underway at noon with event #13 ($2,500 NL Holdem). Being a NL tournament held on the weekend, expect another large field to lay their money down. At 5pm, the latest round of $10,000 buyin World Championships takes place, this time it’s 7 Card Stud. Expect a small but elite field to try their hand at winning a bracelet.
I’ve been snapping quite a few photos of the tournament players thus far, but the one that I wanted is not yet a reality. I saw Vinnie Vinh wandering through the tournament area this morning, then again in the Poker Kitchen, but I wasn’t quick enough with the cam. Doh.
But here are some pics that I did get this morning. Andy Bloch’s shirt says, “I never finish anything.” Jeff Lisandro looks like he’s winding up for the pitch. And Tom looks like he’s, well, playing poker. Go figure.
Troy “Darling” Phillips has been sitting on a comfortable stack all day. He’s currently got about 20k in chips, which puts him well above average.
TBR has been playing short-stack poker all day, hardly getting above the starting 10k in chips. With blinds currently 100-200+25, he’s got about 4k in chips.
UPDATE: Pictures taken shortly before the dinner break …
Not in Oklahoma, but at the Bike in LA, where the main event of the WPT Legends of Poker just got underway. Tom is playing there, by the way, and for whatever it’s worth, he is an average stack and NOT my source on any of the info below. Let’s face it … Pokerati are everywhere, as they should be.
Anyhow, Vinnie Vinh is in da California hizzouse. Sources say:
Vinnie Vinh, aka the after guy, is alive and well, playing at the bike and looks remarkably healthy
Vinnie Vinh has yet again graced us with an empty seat. Chops of WCP interviewed Vinnie earlier when he showed up for today’s Main Event. Growing his stack to 25k he failed to return after the dinner break. Word around the Amazon hallway is that he’s tired (seriously, no joke). But that’s no surprise as most people up here are exhausted, exhibited by a few sleeping on benches and the floor.
So, basically we’re writing about how Vinnie Vinh was tired and went to bed for a nap and ignoring the nameless that decided to roll around on the carpet.
UPDATE: Vinnie’s stack was closer to 36k at dinner time.
Day 1A is underway at the 2007 WSOP and it’s a madhouse. Mel Judah, Liz Lieu, Johnny Chan, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Gibralter (Dallas player) and Pokerati’s Tom Schneider are playing today. Vinnie Vinh did an infamous no-show and received a refund thanks to Houston’s Jimmy Tran. “The Poker Biz†has the story on Vinnie Vinh’s stack here.
Three more days make up the first round and the growing field has rumors of a sold out Monday.
For those of you that enjoyed the RawVegas.tv interview with Vinnie Vinh’s chair you’re in luck. Apparently, Cardplayer was able to get the same interview. Not sure if it’s the same chair but all those poker chairs look alike anyway.
LAS VEGAS–Amnon Filippi is one of the chip leaders in the H.O.R.S.E. event. No surprise there since this will make his fourth cash in the 2007 WSOP. Amnon, known for his charming smile, last longest bets and a good sense of humor, has a long list of cashes and can often be found hanging out with J.C. Tran.
But will he take down his first bracelet? Let’s hope so, he’s due for the wrist trophy.
In other news, Lisa Wheeler has written a great article on pokernews about Vinnie Vinh. Which makes me wonder…what are the intervention laws in Nevada (assuming his friends really believe he has a drug problem). Is anyone (that can find him) stepping up to help him? Or will they just stand by and shake their heads saying “it’s just so sad†after it’s too late like an infamous similar situation?
If you have been living under a rock then you probably haven’t heard the news about Vinnie Vinh going deep in two WSOP events on the first day only to no-show on Day Two. But then again…if you have been living under a rock then Vinnie Vinh may be under there with you. Blinding off Vinnie’s deep stack actually allowed him to cash twice.
Vinnie Vinh 