Legends of Poker Kicks Off World Poker Tour Season Five

The first big event after the World Series of Poker is history, with the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker event at The Bicycle Casino in the books. With 466 players turning out for the event, season five of the World Poker Tour arrived. This year, the buy-in increased from $5,000 to $10,000, and while attendance was down (839 players ponied up the $5,000 in 2005), it was still a very strong showing for a WPT event.



The Legends of Poker proved to be just that. A handful of superstars made it deep in the event. Hoyt Corkins, Scotty Nguyen, John Juanda, James Van Alstyne, and a red-hot Kevin O'Donnell, who finished 21st in the WSOP main event and made the final table of a WSOP pot-limit Omaha event, all made the top 10. My dad just missed the final table, finishing 13th. Look for a full recap story on this event in the next issue of Card Player.



As we go to press, two other big tournaments recently got under way, one on each side of the country. The Borgata Open and California State Poker Championship are both in full swing.



The Borgata Open's 12 events kicked off with a bang when 1,100 players entered the first tournament of that series. The California State Poker Championship includes 17 events at Commerce Casino, concluding with the no-limit hold'em championship, Sept. 23-24.



But you don't need to leave your house to take part in some serious tournament action this month. PokerStars.com has already kicked off its World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). With a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million and 16 days of events, there is something for every player. The final event, a $2,500 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament, which takes place on Oct. 1, has a guaranteed prize pool of $3 million. Make sure you don't miss what will likely be the single richest event in online poker history.



In this issue, Card Player brings you the first candid look at new WSOP Champion Jamie Gold. Jamie gave us a few hours of his time, so if you really want to get the inside scoop on the $12 million man.



Also, I am glad to have the talented Michael Kaplan, Aces and Kings: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies From Poker's Greatest Players co-author, back in the pages of Card Player. Look for Michael's contributions when he profiles the biggest gamblers in the game. He kicks off this series with a profile on two-time WSOP bracelet winner Steve Zolotow.