After the Liz Flynt Holiday Poker Classic at the Hustler Casino in Gardena came to a close Dec. 29, there were only three days to recharge your tournament batteries before nine straight weeks with something going on every day in Los Angeles.
The Bicycle Casino Mega Millions Series VIII begins Jan. 2. In addition to a Facebook tournament, this is entirely the Mega Millions with 28 opportunities and four price points to enter. As is the norm with tournaments at the Bike, they keep evolving. This time there are 22 starting flights with a $260 entry, including the add-on. Beginning Jan. 3 and going through Jan. 13, there are flights at 1 and 6 p.m. each day. From those flights, 10 percent cash and five percent advance to Day 2 on Jan. 14. On Jan. 13-15 at 3:30, there are $550 entry flights, with 25K chips and 10 percent advancing to Day 2.
If you prefer turbo satellites, on Jan. 13 at 8:30 and Jan. 14 at noon there are $1,160 buy-ins with 20 percent advancing to Day 2. The last chance to get in is to buy in on Day 2. For $5,300 you can get 250K chips and start play Jan. 14. The last Mega Millions during Legends of Poker in August surpassed the guarantee by more than $600K.
Finishing just before Thanksgiving was the L.A. Poker Open at Commerce Casino. Congratulations to Mark Ketteringham for his win in the $1,650 World Poker Tour Regional championship for a touch more than $150K. Actor Kirk Acevedo had a second-place finish in Event 12. Event 17, the $350 NLHE double stack, went to pro Matt Affleck. Joining him at the final table and taking fourth was Don Zewin, best known for finishing third behind Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan in the 1989 World Series of Poker Main Event.
With the final table of the Mega Millions on Jan. 16, that can only mean one thing: The second best tournament series after the World Series of Poker, the L.A. Poker Classic, begins Jan. 17 at Commerce Casino. Last year’s series had more than 60 events. This year’s LAPC runs through the first week of March. Check the Commerce Casino’s website for details.
— Email Dave Palm at LA.AnteUp@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @AnteUpLosAngele.
