I’m pretty sure you’re gonna be hearing about Zynga for awhile … not just because I still have lots of pictures and audio to unload from Zynga’s inaugural PokerCon at the Palms last weekend … but because, imho, as plenty of industry stalwarts seemed to recognize, this company that didn’t even exist in 2006 (that oh-so-glorious year of Jamie-Gold-boom-and-UIGEA-bust) has something that every other big-idea “revolutionary” poker undertaking has lacked since, well, PartyPoker.

Have a listen to Hall-of-Famer Mike Sexton, invited to simply share his brand of poker lore while mingling with Zynga players, give his quick take on the relevance of this relatively small little event and the booming company behind it:

Mike Sexton at Zynga Pokercon 2011
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/zynga-sexton.mp3|titles=zynga-sexton]

Phil Hellmuth musta seen something more than just a $100k freeroll going on, too. Whether delivering a “bonus” to Pokercon attendees out of the kindness of his heart or just because his feelings were hurt for not being asked to take part in Zynga festivities, the “poker brat” slipped in as an uninvited (but presumably still welcome?) guest and revealed his presence at the Pokercon final table to a smattering of gasps and boos. When poker’s self-proclaimed badboy tried to educate the fans that they were supposed to boo him, the nice Zynga people didn’t exactly oblige — giving him instead a polite round of applause. You can tell, however, at least a few in the crowd understood the subtext of his unscripted exchange with host Ali Nejad — effectively trying to put PokerStars back in its (2nd) place.

Phil Hellmuth at Zynga Pokercon 2011
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/zynga-hellmuth.mp3|titles=zynga-hellmuth]

Big congrats to Aaron Alanen … who won what may well have been the fastest 490+ player tournament in history this weekend in Las Vegas at the Palms … by taking down the inaugural Zynga Pokercon bracelet. He’s a software consultant from Phoenix, and a real player who enjoys two different poker games — No-Limit Hold’em and PLO. (Nice!)

Before the end, the final six would chop it up, each player taking $10,000, and the winner getting a bracelet and an additional $5,200.

Alanen, 43, seems a humble dude who won’t deny that luck certainly played a big factor in his win. Extra lucky for Zynga, probably, that their first ever real-life champion happens to have the initials AA. Alanen says he plans to give a portion of his winnings to the Red Cross for Japan relief efforts.

Mincast: Aaron Alanen, 2011 Zynga Pokercon Champion
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Aaron-Alanen.mp3]

(Though not confirmed: @Sandau on Twitter plausibly seems like he could be Sandau on Full Tilt/Sharkscope. Both appear to be members of the PPA.)

UPDATE: Confirmed. He is both. Plays microstakes NLH and PLO on FTP.

$15k may not seem like much to grizzled poker veterans capable of blowing that on a bad day without a Kleenex, but it’s by far the biggest prize ever paid out in Zynga history … the only one actually. And should Aaron or any of the other final six decide to put their winnings back into the Zynga economy … at the current rate of exchange (handled with ease by American credit card or PayPal) they’d become instant multibillionaires.

$7.3 billion to be more exact … $4.8 billion for 2nd through 6th.

(US$1 = Z$480,000)

Damn, that would be enough to bowl over the Zynga big game, which from what I understand features the most monster-stacked ballers on Zynga playing $1mm/$2mm NLH. They’d also have the option of redeeming their real American brick-and-mortar casino cash in Zynga Casino Gold if they think precious virtual metals are gonna continue to rise in value.

Meanwhile, a simple $10k in real money went to:

More…

Seen here, playing slots outside the poker room at the Palms: Annie Shea (right) and her not-quite ready for Zynga Poker friend Rene Knapp — passing time while waiting to attend the afternoon Annie Duke poker school. Ms. Shea is one of 500 Zynga players who got into this event, which sold out days ago.

(I almost don’t get it … don’t they know about the new trend for late registration!?!)

Shea comes into this event with 7.5 million play-money chips in her bankroll.

Pokerati Mincast: Montana Zynga People

[audio: https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/zynga-people.mp3]

The Zynga Pokercon is underway at the Palms. Right now some 500 people are packed in to an upstairs ballroom attending “Zynga U” — a mini poker boot camp for Zynga players — with Annie Duke as the lead professor. I think they’re at the part where she teaches them why Q4 is a bad starting hand against a raise and a re-raise in early position.

Perfect time for me to “work the hallways” … also perfect time to kick off my experimental “Pokerati Mincast” — a super-short audio and/or video taste of what this weekend is all about.

Sure enough, I found this lovely lady (I thought she was selling cigarettes) who was kind enough to explain to me one of the “games” they have here for players this weekend.