FINAL HARD ROCK PRO-AM TOURNAMENT REPORT

The final hand for the Hard Rock Celebrity Pro-Am Poker Tournament was finally dealt a few minutes after One o’clock this morning. Dan Alspach of La Joya, California beat Dennis Axel of Las Vegas for the championship and the $25,000 first place money and Pro-Am trophy. Dennis received $12,000 for his second place effort. The celebrity and professional players didn’t fare well with none of the celebrities making the final table and only one pro, Barry Tanenbaum, finishing in the money. The following list of the final table players gives the order of finish and the amount won from the $60,000 prize pool. During the final table play the Hard Rock Hotel announced they would pay the dealer’s tokes so the winners could keep all of the winnings. We commend the Hard Rock for their generosity.

Final table players:
1st Dan Alspach $25,000
2nd Denny Axel $12,000
3rd James Vecchio $7,000
4th Chad Layne $5,000
5th Gaylord Erickson $4,000
6th James papas $2,500
7th Laurene Holland $2,000
8th Steve Knovak $1,500
9th Barry Tanenbaum $1,000

The majority of the professionals and celebrities left soon after elimination but a few remained for the marathon duration. David Williams, 2nd place WSOP $10,000 final event finisher, was in and out and Gary Busey remained until the final hand. The tournament got off to a slow start but quickly picked up the pace. The event was well organized and hosted by Lisa Tenner of Tenner and Associates. We enjoyed the evening, visiting with the stars and pros even though I spent most of my time behind the camera. You can view all of the action from our arrival to the final hand so please visit our Pro-Am Gallery and yes there are more pictures of Jennifer Tilly here.