The L.A. Poker Classic Tournament of the World Poker Tour

The L.A. Poker Classic is another major tournament featured in the World Poker Tour. This event is held annually to give players a sure chance to qualify for the WPT Championship tournament at the end of every season. This prestigious event has been known to feature the best and the brightest superstars in the world of poker. This tournament is held yearly at the Commerce Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The L.A. Poker Classic tournament has a very good history behind its back and it is planning to continue its tradition of providing one of the best competitions in the World Poker Tour. This tournament features several different open events including the Stud Hi/Low Split, the Pot Limit Omaha High and the No Limit Hold'em. This tournament is a must for all the serious poker professionals out there.

In the first season of the World Poker Tour, this L.A. tournament featured the likes of David Pham, Andy Bloch, Gus Hansen, Bob Stupak, Daniel Rentzer and Steve Shkolnik playing very competitive poker at the final table. In the end, it was Hansen who emerged victorious over Rentzer for the grand pot amounting to a very big $532,490. Hansen outlasted Rentzer in a head-to-head clash between two of the top poker players in the world.

In the World Poker Tour season two, the L.A. tournament featured new names. These include Bill Gazes, Michael Keohan, Antionio Esfandiari, Vinny Vinh, David Benyamine and Adam Schoenfeld. This tournament continued on its wonderful start in the previous year, delivering a non-stop and heart pounding action between Esfandiari and Vinh in the final round. Despite their almost equal strategies and playing styles, Esfandiari emerged victorious over his counterpart to take home the grand pot which is valued at $1,399,135. The event was indeed a classic from start to finish.

In the third year of the L.A. Poker Classic, the tournament showcased Hung La, Michael Mizrachi, Ted Forrest, Haralabos Voulgaris, Erick Lindgren and Harley Hall at the final table. This event was seriously followed by all poker enthusiasts all over the world. They witnessed how Mizrachi edged out Voulgaris in the end. Mizrachi was able to take home the grand pot amounting to $1,859, 909.

During the fourth year of the L.A. Poker Classic, the world witnessed another excellent season for the World Poker Tour. Several big names showed up for the event, but in the end Michael Woo, Alan Goehring, Steve Simmons, Daniel Quach, J.C. Tran and Per Ummer were the ones who have reached the final table of this prestigious event. Goehring used all his skills and strategies to beat the best out of runner up Quach. Goehring won a total of $2,391,550 from that tournament alone.

In the fifth season of the tour, the L.A. tournament was also a classic. Eric Hershler defeated fellow poker greats J.C. Tran, David Bach, Chau Giang, Paul Wasicka and Jacobo Fernandez. He went home $2,429,970 richer.