By Jen Mastrud
The nationally-televised Nevada State Poker Championship (NSPC) at Reno’s famed Peppermill Casino was the last stop for many players on their way to the World Series of Poker, attracting established pros such as Antonio Esfandiari, Men “the Master” Nguyen, Kathy Liebert, Dennis Phillips, Darvin Moon, Bryan Devonshire, Jerry Yang, and JJ Liu. After two days of play, the title and $94,140 went to 39-year-old Gary “Debo” DeBernardi of Bend, Oregon. Holding the cash on the set of Heartland Poker Tour after just two hands heads up, Debo said he will take some of his winnings to the World Series of Poker in addition to paying off bills.
For the past five years, DeBernardi has been living the dream as a professional poker player sponsored by one of the top online poker sites. His world changed April 15th when the U.S. Department of Justice seized the top three sites and DeBernardi’s endorsement deal vanished. Taking down the Nevada State Poker Championship means he will once again bring home the bacon. “$94,140 will pay the bills for quite some time,” he said while HPT cameras rolled.
NSPC runner-up Darrel Dier of Sacramento, CA, planned to build his WSOP bankroll with low-limit cash games at Peppermill. Coerced by friends to take the last seat in a $125 satellite, he won his way into the HPT main event and ultimately earned $47,070. En route to Las Vegas with a bigger bankroll than expected, Dier’s true ROI won’t be known until after the 24-year-old’s run at the WSOP.
Poker enthusiasts were treated to a “Who’s Who” of celebrity players at Peppermill throughout the weekend. As part of the Nevada State Poker Championship festivities, Jennifer Harman hosted her fifth annual charity poker tournament to benefit The Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), a no-kill sanctuary. The weekend’s events kicked off when dozens of poker icons and industry VIPs applauded the unveiling of Peppermill’s newly renovated 30-table poker room. The entire weekend was filmed for two upcoming episodes of the nationally-syndicated Heartland Poker Tour airing in mid-July. For station information in your area, visit HPTpoker.com.
HPT’s television production crew captured several Hollywood stars and celebrated athletes enjoying Peppermill’s poker room and other amenities, including actors Julie Benz, Mekhi Phifer, AJ Lamas, and Dennis Haskins. Before players got down to business in the Nevada State Poker Championship, socializing crept into the early morning hours at Peppermill’s Tuscany Lounge where Lou Diamond Phillips joined the house band for an impromptu song while Daniel Negreanu took over the dance floor.
Some four-legged friends got the star treatment when Nevada SPCA companion animals escorted stars on the red carpet just before the charity tournament kicked off. Some of poker’s most-recognizable personalities including Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, and Lon McEachern spent the afternoon calling, raising, and folding for the cause. Other notable poker A-listers included Layne Flack, Jamie Gold, Tom Marchese, David Chicotsky, Jeff Madsen, Mark Kroon, Lee Markholt, James Van Alstyne, Jon Friedberg, Dan Michalski, Chris Hanson, Jaymz Larson, Lizzy Harrison, Anjela Brunson, Kevin Mathers, Linda Johnson, and Jan Fisher.
Matt Vinks of Martinez, California emerged as the overall champion from a field of 568 participants in the charity tournament, earning an enviable prize package exceeding $10,000 in value. A handful of sponsors gifted the champ coveted prizes such as a $1,650 HPT main event seat, a Grrrinders.com diamond membership, a $3500 Rockwell Time watch, a custom-designed Lord Griffon bracelet, a $3,000 L.A. Racing VIP experience for six people, a $1,200 sculpture courtesy of Black Tai Salt Co., and Lou Gehrig limited edition art valued at $800.
DeBernardi and Vinks aside, the biggest winners of the weekend were the animals in need. The charity event, a GreasieWheels production, raised over $100,000 for the Nevada SPCA. Fundraising got a boost from the Pacific Auction Company which coordinated a massive silent auction on property. Additionally, Robert Williamson III led a live auction featuring an autographed guitar donated by Sir Elton John. While all participants opened their wallets, some opened their hearts and homes. All available animals were adopted on site with the exception of a goat. HPT’s commentator Fred Bevill joked on Twitter, “Per usual, my Sunday morning is spent nursing a hangover and wondering how a goat got in my room. Just another weekend with @HPTpokertour.”
To adopt a lonely goat or make a donation to the Nevada SPCA, please visit http://www.nevadaspca.org
-Jen Mastrud is the General Manager and Director of Public Relations for HPT. Follow HPTJen on Twitter.
