California State Ladies Poker Championship

There are a few annual poker events that I wouldn't dream of missing, and the California State Ladies Poker Championship (CSLPC) at Ocean's Eleven in Oceanside, California, is one of them. Thus, I didn't mind too much when the alarm clock went off at 6 a.m. in my Borgata hotel room in Atlantic City, signaling that it was time to get ready for the drive to Philadelphia to catch my early-morning flight to San Diego to attend the opening cocktail party reception for the CSLPC.



Every year, I wonder how they will be able to improve upon the prior year, but they never let me down. The CSLPC is not your typical ladies poker tournament … it is a true extravaganza. Everything is done first-class, and over the course of four days, the participants have a chance to play poker and party heartily, all while being treated like queens.



Food: The ladies were treated to a sumptuous champagne brunch and many lunch and dinner buffets. They even had an outdoor barbecue one evening with steak, ribs, shrimp, and a huge variety of side dishes. The desserts, including homemade candy, chocolate strawberries, turtle cheesecake, carrot cake, and triple-layer chocolate cake, were truly decadent.



Ambiance: The theme for the 2006 CSLPC was country. Each day, the poker room was decorated with balloons, and the tent where we ate dinner was full of flowers and other themed pieces.



Entertainment: To go along with the country theme, Ocean's Eleven brought in line-dance instructors and we got to learn some of the most popular line dances. Of course, I am still partial to the Electric Slide! The main dinner was a "hoedown," and featured a comedic skit, several professional line-dance troupes, and lots of dancing.



Gifts: As is the tradition at the CSLPC, all of the participants were given a bevy of gifts. And I'm not talking about cheap giveaways; in addition to T-shirts and coffee mugs, we received nice purses, jewelry, facial spas, and neck massagers.



Additionally, Lupe Soto, founder of the LIPS Tour, came around often and dropped off gift items for the winner of the next pot. Jackie Marchon Britton, founder of PocketJJacks.com, donated many gift items and also made a customized jacket for the 2006 CSLPC champion.



Poker: Four tournaments were offered, including a charity event in which men were permitted to participate and half of the proceeds were donated to the local Ivey Ranch Equestrian Program. Cash bounties were put on owners Haig Kelegian, Bob Moyer, and Dan Dreger, as well as Chuck McCormick and Tom Hartley, and most of the winners of the bounties donated money to the charity. The buy-ins for the tournaments ranged from $60 up to $230. I was extremely pleased that the tournament structures were very player-friendly and there was lots of play in each event. Tournament Director Tina Corpus and the tournament staff did an excellent job of running a very professional event and making each player feel at home. I particularly chuckled at one of



Corpus' lines: "Ladies, when you are released from today's tournament, don't forget to stop by and pick up your gifts." Released definitely sounds better than busted out. Congratulations to all who finished in the money, and especially to the winners, Janice Imbronan, Judy Hetland, Jan Fisher, and the 2006 CSLPC grand champion Timmi DeRosa.



Lucy Kim, who finished in fifth place in one of the events, summarized most participants' feelings when she said, "In the two short years that I've been playing poker, I've played in approximately 20 ladies tournaments. Every time I attended an event, I kept hearing that if there's one event I shouldn't miss, it's the Ocean's Eleven ladies event, and that it's the best in the entire U.S. This frequently repeated suggestion sparked my curiosity enough for me to actually fly down and see for myself. Now I know what all the fuss is about. As soon as I walked through the door at Ocean's Eleven, I felt a warm, genuine welcome. The three days I spent there were incredible: the food, the management and employees, the structure and organization of the tournaments … everything about my first Ocean's Eleven experience was positive. The managers, in particular, embrace and practice the old adage that the customer is king. I have made a commitment to be an annual repeat customer of Ocean's Eleven."



I'll see you there next year, Lucy!



Now, let's play poker.