PokerWorks

After being invited to participate in a charity tournament last week, held at the Hard Rock, Trishelle Cannatella and I arrived in Vegas in the late afternoon. After getting ready we went to meet up with Scott Ian, who had also flown in for the event. As we got off the elevator we found Scott standing there with none other than Gene Simmons. Gene was in town for a show and his clothing line launch. After chatting with him for a few minutes we headed over to the poker room where the event was being held.

There we found Scott’s friends, Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne and John Dolmayan from System of a Down along with 2008 WSOP bracelet winner Matt Graham. We all grabbed a drink at the bar and headed down the red carpet.

Once inside the event they had a silent auction going hosted by Greasie Wheels, DJ Episode, DJ Slipmatt and DJ Greyboy spinning music along with a bunch of poker tables ready for the action.

The charity was POW – Protect Our Winters – which is a non-profit environmental initiative helping in the fight against global warming. All the pro snowboarders were out in full force, including the night’s host, Jeremy Jones.

I shared my table with Allie Prescott, and eventually Erica Schoenberg after her table with Todd Brunson broke. Allie shared with the table that he had just gotten back from spending time in Greece.
 
Trishelle, Scott, and Matt Graham all made it deep (last 2 tables) but were unable to lock it up. They were consoled by the consolation gift bag they received, which carried everything from snowboard wax, to clothing, to bubble gum.

The final table players were treated to some amazing prizes, including snowboards, snowboarding boots, a mountable Hero camera, and the eventual winner, Sean MacAllister, who received a seat to the WSOP Main Event. The charity raised money, no doubt thanks to the numerous rebuys players contributed, and everyone had a good time.

After the tournament we headed out to the bars located inside the Hard Rock. We stopped by Wasted Space and listened to a band for a little bit and eventually found ourselves on the casino floor with the other members of Anthrax along with Pearl (Scott Ian’s fiancée and daughter of Meatloaf.)

Trishelle and I sat and chatted with Pearl for quite awhile and she shared some amazing stories with us about life on the road with Meatloaf and Motley Crue. Pearl is currently working on her own band, aptly named Pearl, along with Scott and a few others.
The next day was pretty lazy. I got my condo for the WSOP and later met up with Chris Ferguson and his girlfriend to grab some dinner.
 
We went to Aureole at Mandalay Bay and it was fantastic! This is the restaurant where they have a 42 foot tall wine rack and they send the girls, known as the ‘Wine Angels’ up on a harness to get whatever bottle you choose. The meals are served in multiple courses and we all enjoyed the fantastic fodder.

It was back to Los Angeles after that where the LAPC will be starting shortly. See you soon…

Like a wheel, the Round Table is a circle of adventures and victories, beats and stories, and life as it unfolds with a cast of characters that may, or may not, have joined you in your home on a local TV program. There's so much more to poker than what you see on TV. Although I won't use canvas, I will paint the full picture for you as I follow the lives of some of your favorite (and some unknown) players. The Round Table is an ongoing series of life, viewed full circle.