Ante Up Poker Cruises expanded its reach in April, sailing for the first time from the West Coast.
The seven-night cruise March 30-April 6 aboard the Norweigan Star took passengers, many of them fresh faces to Ante Up Poker Cruises, to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, all the while playing cash games and tournaments in a professionally equipped and run poker room. OffTilt Custom Poker Tables provided custom tables for this cruise, and several poker rooms from around the country sent players courtesy of in-room promotions or tournaments.
Speaking of tournaments, Anthony Ciorciari of Henderson, Nev., sailing on his second Ante Up Poker Cruise, won the Main Event and $960 after a grueling heads-up battle with Bill Gray of Overland Park, Kan. Ciorciari entered heads-up play as a huge chipleader, but Gray doubled through twice early and briefly held the lead.
Patricia Wickman of Simi Valley, Calif., won Event #1, a rebuy tournament, and finished fourth in the Main Event to be the only two-time casher on this cruise. John Farley of Brea, Calif., was declared the winner in Event #2, a bounty event, in a two-way chop with Jerry Fouts of Mercer Island, Wash.
Four more Ante Up Poker Cruises are scheduled for 2014. More information can be found at anteupcruises.com.
EVENT #1 – $20 No-Limit Hold’em with rebuy
23 entries – $1,160 prize pool
1. Patricia Wickman, Simi Valley, Calif., $500
2. John K. Robertson, Las Vegas, Nev., $430
3. Roger Shattuck, Westbrook, Maine, $230
EVENT #2 – $70 No-Limit Hold’em with bounties
28 entries – $1,120 prize pool (plus $560 in bounties)
1. John Farley, Brea, Calif., $560
2. Jerry Fouts, Mercer Island, Wash., $340
3. Donna Black, Reno, Nev., $220
EVENT #3 – $100 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event
30 entries – $2,400 prize pool
1. Anthony Ciorciari, Henderson, Nev., $960
2. Bill Gray, Overland Park, Kan., $720
3. Ted Erickson, Swisshome, Ore., $480
4. Patricia Wickman, Simi Valley, Calif., $240
