The WPT Heads to Commerce for the LAPC


After a month-long break in the schedule, the World Poker Tour fires back up with the always popular Los Angeles Poker Classic at Commerce.  Commerce is known for its gigantic poker room and for having “the best action in the world.”

The $10,000 main event buy in tournament will take place February 23rd through the 28th at the Commerce Casino.  The tournament staff is anticipating a total prize pool in the neighborhood of $7 million, with a first place prize of at least $2 million.  The players will start with 20,000 chip stacks.  Every level will be 90-minutes in duration with initial blinds of 25-50.  Play will commence at 12:30pm PST this year instead of the usual 3:00pm PST with an hour dinner break at 8:00pm.

Last year’s LAPC drew a field of 791 players which produced a prize pool of nearly $7.6 million.  The final 54 players were all guaranteed to take home a minimum of $22,780 with the eventual champion scoring a huge payday of $2,429,970.  The LAPC always brings out the top professionals and the final three tables had plenty of pro flavor.  The following all still had chips in front of them with 27 remaining:  Nick Schulman, Nam Le, Steve Sung, Can Kim Hua, Kristy Gazes, J.C. Alvarado, Chris Bell, Jason Strasser, Bill Edler, Chau Giang, Paul Wasicka and J.C. Tran.  The night finally came to an end when Edler finished as the TV bubble boy (7th Place - $189,840).  The final six were headlined by J.C. Tran, Chau Giang and Paul Wasicka.  The TV table payouts were:

The story of the final table was a complete unknown making very large opening raises and even larger reraises.  Eric Hershler opened pots for between four and five times the big blind, often confusing many of the top professionals.  He managed to outlast superstar J.C. Tran in a heads-up battle for the championship when his Jd 6d out flopped Tran’s Ac 7s on a flop of Ad Jc 6c.

Heading into this year’s LAPC main event, Men “The Master” Nguyen is off to an amazing start to the new season.  He made the final table at the World Poker Open in Tunica and managed a 10th place finish at Borgata.  He’s already won three preliminary events at the LAPC on his home turf at Commerce.  He’s added a significantly number of points to his Player of the Year total.  At this point, he only trails the Canadian youngster Michael McDonald who won the EPT German Open.