It’s Award Season… and the Best Poker Event goes to…

All the glitz and glamour, an evening of dazzling stars, and the most prestigious awards presented to Hollywood's kings and queens. It's award season in Hollywood and I think it's only fitting that we hand out a few Poker Awards of our own…

In the Category 'Best Poker Event' – the Oscar goes to…WSOP (World Series of Poker)

The World Series of Poker, or WSOP as most poker players know it, is the most successful poker event in history with not only the most players taking part but also the biggest prize pool. Televised on ESPN this poker tournament has expanded poker to an all-new level and winning WSOP is considered to be the ultimate achievement in any poker player's career.

And what would the Oscars be without the red-carpet hype? Well the World Series of Poker is not far behind in this department. Professional poker player Liz Lieu not only turns heads with her hourglass figure but also impresses with her poker skills – she came 5th in WSOP 2005. This poker diva, who always wears her signature diamond jewels, is as comfortable with the paparazzi, as any Hollywood starlet on Oscar night.


In the Category 'Best Poker Event' – the Golden Globe goes to… WPT (World Poker Tour)


The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a series of poker tournaments featuring most of the world's professional players. Like the Golden Globes it focuses on the American market and is televised to a world wide audience. The television show has led to a boom in the table game across American homes, in local casinos and online poker rooms.






In the Category 'Best Foreign Poker Event' – the People's Choice Award goes to – The Aussie Millions

The People's Choice Awards is an awards show recognising the people and the work of popular culture and it is one of the few to be based on the opinions of the general public. This is the main reason why we're awarding the poker players down under with this award. We're talking about all the cards, all the cash, all the cameras and the people's favorite poker experience at Melbourne's renowned casino for the Aussie Millions. Why the people love this rich poker event is that they can break away from the tables, step outside and soak up the summer sun, as Melbourne hosts both the 2007 Australian Tennis Open and the Ashes Cricket Series.


In the Category 'Most disappointing Poker event' the Razzie goes to – EPT Deauville

The Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies intended to complement the Academy Awards by dishonouring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer. The European Poker Tour in Deauville wins hands free in this category after their sudden cancellation of the poker tournament; blaming the French authorities for their decision. At least EPT tried to make up for the disappointment by adding another leg of the Tour in Germany.

From Couch potato to WPT Champ

It’s the final episode of American Idol, the crowd goes wild while Simon Cowell wipes back a tear… I switch channels just in time to see Jeff Probst snuff out the torch of the skinny survivor with hairy armpits, making her the final jury member... I channel-hop again and this time the Bachelor hands his number one lady the final rose while she tries to hide the victorious look imprinted on her beautifully-made-up face… more channel hopping and Donald Trump fires the last apprentice in his boardroom.

My remote control gets stuck on the Travel Channel broadcasting the World Poker Tour, a series of 18 high stakes global tournaments, and I’m mesmerised for the next 6 hours until Victor Ramdin finally calls with his Ah Js hand. In that moment Ramdin not only secured the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic 2006 title but also walked away with $1,331,889 first prize money and everlasting poker glory.

In the competitive world of high stakes poker, the WPT "final table" is comparable to the final episode of Idols or Survivor. The only difference is that anyone can enter the World Poker Tour, unlike reality programmes where a panel decides on the contestants. This is one of the main reasons why the World Poker Tour is so popular because for a buy-in a complete unknown has just as good a chance of winning as a poker pro.

This year you don't have to become a couch potato to see some World Poker Tour action. Why not join me and play in the WPT satellites where the winner gets a $12,500 package to WPF Foxwoods Main Satellite that includes buy-in, flights, accommodation and $500 spending money. The satellites are happening daily @ 19:00 EST & 22:00 EST and for only $12 you could win a seat to WPT Foxwoods happening at the Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut from 1 April – 4 April 2007.

So if you're not ready to give up being a bachelor, being fired by a man who combs over his hair, leaving your singing career in the hands of tone-death America or getting your torch snuffed because ‘the tribe has spoken', why not try a different kind of reality TV – becoming a poker pro. WPT Foxwoods will give you the chance to face-off against pokers stone-faced superstars and walk away as the next poker millionaire. After all – you'll get much more than just 15 minutes of fame.

WPT Poker profile: Victor Ramdin

Title: WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic 2006
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Hobbies: 9 Ball and Darts
Family: Wife and two kids

Born in Guyana, Georgetown, Victor Ramdin got his first taste of poker while watching friends play at a local bar. A few years later, in 2002, he decided it was time to take poker on as a pastime, and while his real estate paid the bills, his buddies taught him the game.

Now 5 years later Ramdin is not only considered a poker pro with his well-deserved WPT Foxwoods title, he’s also a poker millionaire. Ramdin won a whopping $1,331,889 with his winning Ah Js hand at the final table of WPT Foxwoods.


Apart from the World Poker Tour, Ramdin also played in other high stakes poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) where his best WSOP performance happened in 2004 when he ended in 16th position.

So what does a poker millionaire do with all the money? Ramdin likes to give back to the country where he grew up and for more than six years he helped children in South America receive much-needed surgeries. “We put together a team of doctors from the U.S. who dedicate their time for free. We go to our country and we serve the poor,” Ramdin said. A great family man, WPT champ and philanthropic poker player Victor Ramdin is a legend in his own right.