Jennifer Newell

Lots of little tidbits to pass on from Day 1A of the Legends main event at the Bike...

First, there is a bit of tension between various media outlets. Though most of us get along, there is a definite line drawn between the Card Player/WPT teams and everyone else. Card Player and WPT media members are seated in or just outside the tournament room with obvious access to everything going on. People from PokerWire, PokerPages, PocketFives, and PokerListings are set up in the sushi bar down the hall. When those reporters want to get into the tournament room, they need permission. While the PR representatives are being very accommodating and attentive to everyone now, it remains to be seen how things will look when there are only a few tables left.

I was there as a writer for Poker Pro Media, as was Katie Lindsay. We were given quite open access, though we only walked through the room a handful of times, then stayed in the hallway until players went on break. But we were only trying to obtain interviews, not blog about the tournament. I really felt for those trying to do tournament updates.

PokerWire was hit especially hard with this situation. About an hour into the tournament, they posted a letter on the front page of their website announcing that they are dismantling the team. They will post a little information from the Legends event, as Heather, Jeremiah, and a few others are already there, but the media restrictions imposed by the WPT and WSOP have severely limited their ability to report on major tournaments, so they were left with little choice. This is sad but illustrates that deals made by WSOP with Bluff and WPT with Card Player cost people jobs in this industry. It's becoming glaringly clear who really cares about the game and who is in it for the money. Enough said.

Second, there was an all-star cast of pro players in today's field, but the total of entrants was only 219. There are more expected tomorrow, but it was an obvious disappointment to the WPT employees registering the players. By 1:30, there were less than 150 players a half hour before start time, and they were a little anxious. I'm sure they were pleased to have 219 when all was said and done.

Within the first few hours, a number of well-known players were already leaving Bell Gardens, California with tails between legs - Jeff Madsen, Vanessa Rousso, Kathy Liebert, Max Pescatori, and Billy Baxter. Many names still remain, though...

I chatted a little with Dutch Boyd before the tournament. He hasn't played anywhere since the WSOP - no cash games, no online tournaments, nothing. He's just been chillin' in Missouri with his family but felt very strongly that he could do well here. His personality these days is such a stark contrast to that of previous years; he's so pleasant to talk to and so focused on the task at hand. I hope things pan out for him in the long run.

Eskimo Clark was wandering the halls at the Bike before the start of the event. Reportedly, yesterday, he was asking everyone - even some media folks - if they would buy him into a satellite. He looked a little lost today, obviously not playing the main event, but he wasn't having seizures and looked relatively healthy.

Vinnie Vinh didn't show up to play today, but David "Dragon" Pham insists he will be playing tomorrow in Day 1B.

Frankie O'Dell agreed to do an interview with me in the coming days but angrily shooed away Card Player reporters requesting interviews. Card Player is unaware of anything they might have done to annoy him, but he told them in no uncertain terms that he was angry with them. Hmmm.

Irv Gotti is in the crowd. Who dat? He's one of the most important and influential producers in hip-hop music; he started the record label Murder Inc. (now called The Inc.), he launched the careers of such stars as Ja Rule and Ashanti, and he has worked with artists like Nelly, DMX, and so many others. Of course, I've been a hip-hop fan since the Sugarhill Gang started rapping, so I was the only one who recognized him. I chatted with him at the first break, and evidently, he's buddies with Amnon Filippi. When he's in L.A., they hang, and he decided to play this tournament today. He played the main event of the WSOP this year and made it to the second day, so he has some skills. I told him that hip-hop needs to represent more in poker, and he's going to try to make the final table to do that. We'll see! I'm rooting for Irv...

Okay, that's all for now. I'll be heading back to the Bike tomorrow for Day 1B, so hopefully, I'll have more interesting things to blog about then.