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.

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.

The Hype after the Hype

Life after WSOP 2006

It's been a quiet, reflective period of taking it in one day at a time, and learning to admit defeat after 5 tumultuous days at this year's World Series of Poker. Suffice to say, I had a great time duking it out with some of the best poker players around, and I can't say that all those late nights boozing it up with my buddies was not the raucous party I had signed up for!

Anyway even though everything is being kept under wraps for next year's WSOP what with all the hoopla surrounding the arrests and capture of key players in the online gaming industry, I can't say that these government shenanigans are going to be holding me back.

I've gone in search for another ego-booster tournament that is sure to make my day feel a lot better, and won't clean out my pocket after the wastage that I experienced in the last round of my stunning defeat on day 5. I decided to take it a little easy and play some low-cost tournaments that will boost my confidence and get me in the mood for smoother ride aboard the Caribbean Princess for the ICG Poker tournament.

I'm not a fan of online casinos but when the sister brand of my all-time favorite poker room, Royal Vegas Poker, decided to announce the start of the International Casino Games for a second year running, I had no option but to check out what the fuss was all about.

Turns out that they've introduced a new bevy of super guests to the online gaming mix by allowing 15 online poker players a chance at the enormously large 1.5 million dollar prize pot. Players just need to enter online at any satellite or sit 'n go tournaments hosted by Royal Vegas Poker or my new favorite brand, PokerTime. This is site is a quite young and vibrant and you're destined to meet some of the new upstarts in the poker game at their tables.

If you're keen on a 7-day cruise in the Caribbean then you can set your tropical sights on the International Casino Games Poker Tournament, and get your hand ready to make some moola.