Live Tournament Updates
WPT Celebrity Invitational Event Recap
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
When the WPT’s Celebrity Invitational began two nights ago, it was hailed as a meeting of the stars of poker and the stars of the entertainment world. In the end though, our champion was just a guy who loves the game and believed in a good cause. Adam Weinraub, a forty-five year old native of Orange County, California, is our champion. Weinraub gained entry to the event by winning a silent action for the seat, with proceeds going to breast cancer research. An admitted poker enthusiast, he had no idea his winning bid would lead to anything like this. Weinraub outlasted our star-studded field of over four-hundred players. Included in their number were WPT host Mike Sexton, WPT co-founder Steve Lipscomb, Don Cheadle, Paris Hilton and Vince Vaughan. Weinraub defeated long-time professional Miami John Cernuto in the final of what ended up being a great time for everyone involved. With his title, Weinraub received $100,000 and a $25,000 seat to the WPT Championship later this year. He’s pledged to give $20,000 of his winnings to that same charity, and further promised to donate 20% of all winnings from the championship. Sexton said it best: This is proof that good things happen to good people. Congratulations Adam. Our next stop on the World Poker Tour will be San Jose’s Bay 101 Shooting Stars event. We’ll be starting our coverage on March 12th, but come back before then to check out the website’s other great features. Thanks for reading everyone.
Sorted In: Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V11:47 PM, 03/05/07
Interview With the Runner-Up: Miami John Cernuto
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Gary: Did you have fun John? John: Of course, I had a blast. I had six screwdrivers and now I have a Budweiser, so how could it not be fun? The owner of the Commerce kept buying me drinks. How could I refuse? Gary: Any thoughts on our champion? John: Adam was a very gracious winner…played aggressively when he had to. A little on the cautious side, but he played well. He got the right cards at the right time, and that’s what it takes to win tournaments. Gary: What do you think of your timing? John: I think my timing was just as good as in any other event. When you play poker, you want to stay focused on the prize, whether its $50,000 or $5 million. On the bright side, I have some WPT final table experience now, which should help the next time! Gary: Still, you have to by happy with a second place finish, right? John: I’m extremely happy with the second place finish. You hear people say you’ve got to win, but if the cards don’t come, there’s nothing that can make you win. I chose to be aggressive, it worked for a while, eventually I got beat and I have no problems with that. Gary: What was the biggest moment of the tournament for you? John: Picking up pocket aces. My dad just died last year and he said he would start sending me aces at the right time. Unfortunately, I think dad went to sleep after that, but I’ll take ‘em when I can get ‘em. Gary: What made you decide to enter this event? John: I’ve played the Celebrity Invitational for three-four years now. It’s always fun, you meet great people. It’s a thrill to meet the celebrities and I’ve always wanted to do well here. I think it’s prestigious and I’d have loved to add a WPT event to my trophy case. Gary: Any celebrities in particular you enjoyed meeting? John: Oh definitely. Nick Cassavetes was a great guy...pretty good poker player and a lot of fun at the table. Same with Glenn Morshower. I had a great time with them…they made me feel right at home. Gary: Anyone out there you’d like to give a shout out to? John: Just hi to my mother Marie, my wife Connie, my good friend Roxanne, who have all been following. Tell mom I’ll be home tomorrow.
Sorted In: Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V11:45 PM, 03/05/07
Interview With the Champion: Adam Weinraub
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Gary: How are you feeling right now? Adam: Well, considering I haven’t slept in three days, it’s just been a thrilling, awesome, once in a lifetime experience and opportunity. I just appreciate everybody who gave me the opportunity. I hate to quote Phil Hellmuth, but if there wasn’t luck involved…I played a lot of very talented pros and great celebrities. Hopefully, this reinforces my love for the game and I hate to say my knowledge, but maybe my understanding. I love the game. I hate the game. It’s a lot like golf: you can never perfect this. On any given day, anybody can win. Gary: When you entered this event, what kind of shot were you giving yourself? Adam: Well, I don’t think I really thought about what my shot of winning was. I was just hoping for a respectable placing. After the chip lead on the first day, I gave myself about a 20% chance to make it to the final table. After the first hour day two, I went down hard to around T30,000 or something. I had my tail between my legs and hoped to finish in 60th or 70th. I sat back, was patient, got some hands, climbed back and made the final table. As far as tonight, I didn’t give myself a great chance because of the stacks and big blinds. I also realized though that any one of us could win tonight. I knew the first 1 or 2 rounds would be instrumental for hitting a big hand and I did. My aces beat Tim’s Kings. It doesn’t get better than that. I needed that lead because my stack got eaten away pretty quickly after that. I can’t say enough about my fellow final tablists. A great group of guys with great talent. That’s what made this so satisfying: They were top notch. Even Nick and Glenn knew what they were doing. Those guys are poker players. They play five days a week and understand the game. They may not make their living this way, but they know how to play the game. This doesn’t mean I’m better…I just happened to have to poker gods with me this weekend. Gary: Does the win here mean you underestimated yourself? Adam: I’ve never underestimated myself. I’m a pretty humble person, but I’ve always felt I understand the game pretty darn well. Understanding isn’t good enough, though. You have to be at the right place at the right time. Everything needs to go right. There are a lot of variables that have to come together for a win. Gary: You may have had the three loudest fans in WPT history. Who were they? Adam: The two loudest were certainly my girlfriend and love Kara Bonner, and certainly, the second loudest was her twin sister Lynnea Leon. Not far behind was my son Jeremy and my nephew and namesake Adam Duberstein. My mommacita (the twins’ mother) too. They were all here to support me. It was wonderful to have them here. I paid them. Gary: What was your strategy coming into the final table? Adam: I was fifth in chips and I knew I had to be patient and wait for a decent hand. It was tough, though, because the blinds were so large. Where do you draw the line between patience and aggression? With Miami John and Nick and Tim all being so aggressive, I knew they’d run over the rest of us if we allowed that. Gary: How will you be spending your winnings? Adam: I already announced I would donate 20% to the Susan G. Coleman Foundation, for breast cancer research and the rest I hope to put in my safe and fund my future tournaments. Gary: How do you like your chances at the WPT Championship? Adam: With 350-some people, I think that $25,000 separates the men from the boys, but on any given day it can be anyone’s tournament. I think I proved tonight I can hold my own. Gary: Does this mean we’ll be seeing more of you on the WPT? Adam: I think you’ll see me at Bay 101. Hopefully I can make a respectable appearance. Gary: Any final thoughts? Adam: If I were to have any concluding thought, it would be thanks to the WPT and Commerce Casino for a phenomenal job. Both are class acts. Also, thanks to the players at the final table. We’ll always have a bond in what we shared. It’s been a lifetime experience. Oh, and hi to my son Justin, who couldn’t be here today for the taping.
Sorted In: Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V11:40 PM, 03/05/07
Hand 121; Adam Weinraub Wins the WPT Invitational!!!
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Miami John Cernuto raises all-in from the button and Adam Weinraub makes the call.
Weinraub shows A
J while "Miami" John shows QJ
.
The board comes 8
65
29 and Adam Weinraub takes home the WPT Invitational Title! Along with the trophy and $25,000 seat into the WPT Championship he will earn $100,000.
Miami John finishes in second place, collecting $50,000.
10:58 PM, 03/05/07
Tim West - 3rd Place Finisher
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
For a 21-year old Internet player with so much success already in his pro poker career, Tim West is quite the centered, controlled young man. During his play at the final table, he was focused but clearly impressed with the magnitude of the situation – a final table on the WPT tour. Coming into the table with the chip lead, he lost chips, gained them back, and made it to three-handed play. When he looked down at an Ace in his hand, he moved in. Unluckily for him, the rest of the cards didn’t cooperate with his plan. But upon his elimination, he shook everyone’s hand, including Linda Johnson, Mike and Vince, and gladly went to meet Sabina Gadecki for his final interview. In my brief conversation with Tim, he was so grateful for the experience and is anxious to make another attempt at the WPT title by traveling to Bay 101 for the next stop on the tour. That’s pure drive. Tonight, however, Tim is celebrating his finish with his friends, some from the L.A. area, others who drove up from San Diego, and even more who came down from the Bay Area to support their buddy – and that they did. They were one of the most vocal bunches in the house, and Tim had no doubt that he was supported every step of the way. See you at Bay 101, Tim!
Sorted In: Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V10:55 PM, 03/05/07
Hand 120
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Adam Weinraub calls from the button. Miami John Cernuto moves all-in from the big blind for about T500,000 more. Weinraub folds.
Sorted In: Adam Weinraub, John Cernuto, Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V10:54 PM, 03/05/07
Hand 119
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Miami John Cernuto raises to T300,000 from the button and Adam Weinraub re-raises all-in. Weinraub has Cernuto covered. Cernuto folds his hand.
Sorted In: John Cernuto, Adam Weinraub, Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V10:52 PM, 03/05/07
Hand 118
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
First hand of heads-up play! Adam Weinraub raises to T250,000 from the button. Miami John Cernuto folds.
Sorted In: Adam Weinraub, John Cernuto, Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V10:50 PM, 03/05/07
Xyience Money Girl Presentation!
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
The Los Angeles Clipper girls, dressed up in tight black Xyience sponsored dresses, are making their way out with the prize money and WPT chip set! Heads-up play is about to start!
Sorted In: Tournaments, Commerce Casino, WPT Invitational, Season V10:45 PM, 03/05/07
Hand 117 - Tim West Eliminated in 3rd Place
Level 8: 200,000-400,000, 50,000 ante
Adam Weinraub raises to T300,000 from the small blind and Tim West re-raises all-in for T510,000. Weinraub makes the call.
Weinraub shows KQ. West shows A3
The flop comes AKQ and the crowd goes wild. West flopped his ace but Weinraub now has two pair.
The turn is the 8 and the river is the 10 eliminating West in 3rd place. Tim will collect $20,000 for his efforts over the past three days.
10:39 PM, 03/05/07
