This And That

If you have been reading my columns for a while, you know that every once in a while I have a “mishmash” of topics as I clean up my desk and throw away all the little slips of paper I’ve collected with my notes about current events happening in the poker world. Today is one of those miscellaneous columns.

Gardena, California: I just heard the Normandie Casino in Gardena, California may be closing. Following a lengthy federal investigation, the Normandie’s owners were recently convicted of helping some of the casinos’ high rollers avoid federal tax reporting requirements. Those convictions resulted in the California Gambling Control Commission revoking their licenses since convicted felons are not eligible to hold gaming licenses in California. The Miller Family, which has owned the casino since 1947, has been given 120 days to sell the business or it will be closed.

Though many of you may not even know where Gardena is, it was once known as the “Poker Capital of the World.” When I began playing poker at the age of 21, I got my early training at the six cardrooms in Gardena and often played at the Normandie. I had two strikes against me… being young and being a woman. I remember the smoky cardrooms were full of grumpy old men. We had no center dealers; we passed the deal and believe me, you had better be fast when it was your turn to deal or you would be subjected to lots of insults. Players in Gardena paid a time charge instead of a rake and they wanted to get in as many hands as possible, of course. Nevertheless, the Normandie was a good training ground for me and I am sad at the thought of it possibly closing.

Maho Classic Report: I just returned from the second annual Maho Classic in St. Maarten. Card Player Cruises hosted this event, which was part of the Card Player Poker Tour. Players and staff stayed at the all-inclusive Sonesta Resort Hotel and we played poker at the Casino Royale. The live action games were good and the main event had 125 entries. Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I look forward to returning next year.

WSOP: By the time you read this, the World Series of Poker will be more than halfway over. The logistics of putting together such an event are mind boggling, so thank you to everyone who makes it happen! WSOP time is my favorite time of the year to play poker in Las Vegas due to the huge number of games available and the wide variety of games from which to choose. I will be staying home most of June and am planning to play cash games most days. I love meeting my readers, so stop by and say hello if you see me.
Congratulations in advance to those of you sporting new gold bracelets.

WIPHOF: The Women in Poker Hall of Fame luncheon will be held on Wednesday, July 6 at 11 a.m. at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino. Tickets are available to both men and women. Congratulations are in order to this year’s inductees Debbie Burkhead and Victoria Coren-Mitchell. Burkhead has been in poker for about 20 years as a professional player and has served the industry as a reporter and sales executive for several national poker magazines. Coren-Mitchell is the only two-time champion on the European Poker Tour and has earned more than $2 million in tournament winnings. She plays high-limit cash games in London and is a regular on the European tournament circuit. Honorable mention goes to the other 2016 nominees: Karina Jett, Mandy Glogow, Shirley Rosario, Esther Rossi, and Jennifer Tilly.

This year’s ceremony promises to be extra-special, with Jan Fisher taking on the role of the emcee again and Maria Ho agreeing to be the guest speaker. Most of the previous inductees will be present to mingle with the attendees. There will be a silent auction taking place during the luncheon. If you would like to attend this prestigious event, you can buy tickets online for $45 at WIPHOF.com. Please come support women in poker and join me at this fun event.

Upcoming Poker Cruises: Card Player Cruises has six cruises scheduled for the second half of 2016. The seven-night Norwegian Fjord Cruise is Aug. 6 and the seven-night Scandinavia/Russian cruise is Aug. 13. They will be followed by a 17-day Transatlantic cruise departing from Copenhagen on Aug. 21 featuring bucket list ports in Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and Canada. The seven-night Pacific Coastal Cruise on Sept. 16 will host the Card Player Poker Tour. If you want some beautiful scenery and some awesome seafood, the nine-night Canada/New England cruise sailing on Oct. 6 should suit you. The last cruise of the year will be a seven-night trip to Mexico departing from San Diego on Dec. 3. For details, check out www.cardplayercruises.com.

That’s it for today. If you have any news to share, any comments, or any questions, please write to me at [email protected]. ♠

Linda is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame and the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. She is available to host poker seminars, corporate poker events, and charity tournaments. You can contact her through her at [email protected].