Four Queens Poker Classic Creates Hometown Cardroom in Downtown Vegas

The Four Queens Poker Classic recently concluded its three-week run in Downtown Las Vegas to rave reviews. Bonnie Damiano, tournament producer and hostess extraordinaire, did a magnificent job of coordinating the events. "Damiano accomplished something unique at this year's Queens Classic: She and her excellent staff created a hometown cardroom atmosphere during a major tournament," is the way my publisher Dana Smith put it. "In this down-home environment, I felt comfortable playing the Omaha eight-or-better tournament alongside superstars Sirous Baghchehsaraie, Randy Holland, and David Levi, and appreciated the respect they paid me as a player. I also played with the personable Kenna James, who won the $300 buy-in no-limit hold'em event. With a dish towel draped across his baseball cap in Lawrence of Arabia fashion, James later added his good-natured wit to my table in an evening eight-or-better stud event. Online poker has its strengths, but it cannot replace the rush I get when I'm playing in a brick-and-mortar casino with major tournament personalities. I didn't win a trophy, but I was treated like a champion."

A lot of the credit for the friendly yet smooth-running tournament goes to the top-notch staff that Damiano brought in. Dave Lamb, supersatellite coordinator at the World Series of Poker, did a superlative job as tournament director. Jody Ivener and the other floormen were friendly yet alert and competent, and Roseanne Wright and the sign-up staff made players feel their patronage was appreciated. Jimmy Sommerfield, twilight tournament manager, kept everyone in stitches with what I can only describe as "Southern-fried BS." Where he comes up with his material is beyond me, but he is hilarious. Sommerfield's evening rebuy events usually surpassed the daytime tournaments in attendance and prize money. Maybe the free pizza that Damiano brought in for twilight-event players helped.

Minh Nguyen captured the Best All-Around Player award and was presented with a Waterford Crystal decanter set. Runners-up were John Robertson, who won $1,000 plus hotel accommodations for next year's tournament; and David Kutcher, who was awarded $1,000. Card Player columnist Max Shapiro, one of the two best tournament reporters on the circuit, heralded each event's final-table play in his expertly written bulletins, including the $1,000 buy-in limit hold'em tournament won by Card Player Publisher Barry Shulman, who always poses a threat at any final table. (Maybe Max will get that raise he's always crying for in his humor column.)

Many of the big names on the major tournament circuit made an appearance for the final three big buy-in events, including my writing partner, T.J. Cloutier, Card Player columnists Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Warren Karp, and tournament stars Peter Costa, Thor Hansen, Erik Seidel, Toto Leonidas, Mike Laing, and An Tran (who successfully defended his 2002 $1,000 no-limit hold'em title when he edged out Seidel). The tournament staff added a touch of class to the championship event when they arrived all decked out in tuxedos and evening dresses. Wearing an elegant shocking-pink gown, Damiano was in a class by herself, keeping cool even while making last-minute decisions and being videotaped and interviewed.

Starting with the chip lead at the final table of the $5,000 championship event, Daniel Negreanu suffered a couple of beats at the hands of eventual winner Steve Ford. First, his pocket aces got torpedoed by Ford's pocket queens. On the next hand, Negreanu, holding pocket fours, made a set when a 4 came on the turn – the exact card that Ford needed to make a straight with his 3-2 and send the popular columnist to the rail in seventh place. Placing second to Ford was a very deserving Randall Skaggs, who started the final table in eighth chip position. Kirk Conrad finished third, and Kathy Liebert once again finished in the money in a major event with a fourth-place showing, followed by Dan Harrington, the 1995 world champion of poker, who finished fifth.

The same afternoon that the championship event was played, T.J. Cloutier, who had time on his hands after busting out of the main event early, decided to enter the last-chance $120 no-limit hold'em rebuy event. At the final table, he found himself heads up with the chip lead against none other than his star student, Bob Feduniak. After negotiating a fair settlement, the master bade farewell to his pupil and caught the red-eye back to Texas, about $5,000 richer. But T.J. will be at home for only a week before joining me in Aruba. We both will be playing in Damiano's tournament there, as well as in UltimateBet's World Poker Tour event, for which I was fortunate enough to win my seat via an online satellite.

In Aruba, I hope to improve on the personal record I set at the Queens: I made three final tables in a row in the $120 buy-in no-limit hold'em twilight tournaments, and won one of them. If I can do that again, perhaps I'll meet you at the final table – preferably in the televised WPT tournament.

Editor's note: Tom McEvoy is the co-author with Brad Daugherty of the newly published Championship Satellite Strategy, now available through Card Player. Their newest book, No-Limit Texas Hold'em for New Players, is due out in December. You can play poker with Tom almost any day on PokerStars.com. For more information on his books, visit www.pokerbooks.com.