Earlier this summer Texas poker pro Cord Garcia won the biggest live tournament in history when he took down the $565 Colossus at the World Series of Poker for $638,880.
Garcia beat a field of 22,374 entries, and a final table that included his good friend Ray Henson (3rd - $308,761) and Belgian pro Kenny Hallaert (5th - $182,348).
Today Garcia's at the M Resort, and if there's one thing he's used; it's beating big fields.
On the last hand before the blind level increased, defending champion Simon Deadman opened from early position to 250. He was called in two spots — the player in the cutoff seat and the player in the big blind. On the flop, action checked to the third player. He bet 300, and only Deadman made the call.
The appeared on the turn, and Deadman checked. His opponent bet 1,000, and Deadman gave it up.
Without Chris Moneymaker there's a good chance that the field of this tournament, and all other tournaments around the world, wouldn't be this big. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion is a Hollywood Poker Open ambassador and he's playing in the Championship Event today.
Moneymaker has been with the HPO since Season 2, and he managed to make three final tables in their events, winning the St. Louis tournament for $36,259.
Simon Deadman was victorious in the 2014 Hollywood Poker Open Championship event when he took home $351,097 for beating a field of 692 entries, and today both he and the man who finished second, Michael Wang, are back for more.
Last year Wang collected $216,904 for the best result of his career, a number which he managed to top this summer by winning a bracelet in the $5,000 no-limit hold'em World Series of Poker event for $466,120 after beating Bryn Kenney heads up.
Deadman hasn't been sitting still either, as he finished second in the $5,000 six-max for $391,446 to Jason Mercier at the WSOP two weeks ago.
Feared mixed game player John Monnette was just spotted in the Hollywood Poker Open Championship event. Monnette has three cashes at the 2015 World Series of Poker so far, neither of which came in no-limit hold'em.
Monnette, who's a regular in the game at Bobby's Room over at Bellagio, finished just shy of the money in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship and will be looking to recoup here at the M Resort.
As of today Monnette has $1.9 million in live tournament earnings.
David Vamplew won the European Poker Tour London event in Season 7 for $1.4 million, after which he dominated all over the world with big scores on all big tours.
Vamplew finished second in two World Series of Poker events in 2013 for a total of $750,000, he won a PCA side event for $239,500 and finished third in the World Poker Tour Venice Main Event for €147,970.
Today Vamplew's playing the Hollywood Poker Open Championship event.
PokerNews writer Marty Derbyshire stops by to discuss Daniel Negreanu's "Babe Ruth" shot, and the crew discusses the iPoker hearing in California, Ourgame's acquisition of the World Poker Tour, and more.
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flop, action checked to the third player. He bet 300, and only Deadman made the call.
appeared on the turn, and Deadman checked. His opponent bet 1,000, and Deadman gave it up.
