LA Celebrity Invitational Update

Thursday Feb 26
Crazy flight. But just before that the trip began on a more unique stage so to speak; while sitting in the lounge at gate 161 waiting to depart for LA, I saw a TV spot for Grand & Toy that I had a major role in. How bizarre is that? And it looked pretty awesome I must admit. First time I'd seen it as no DVD was provided to talent that I am aware of. Note to self: Follow up with the producers!

Xrazy lady in seat immediately in fornt of me, screaming at her connection on the other end of hte phone and I quote, " Dude, that's f***ing bullshit, ask your mother because dude it's the law in Oakland that you can have 99 plants growing on your property, dude........just get your mother or post bail and I'll have my dude lawyer friend get at it. Dude the media is gonna love this, dude." Too funny.

All that entertainment aside, I arrived without incident to LA and took my rental car to the DoubleTree Hotel, next door to the Commerce Hotel & casino. Amazing cookies at the Double Tree, just as they promise!

Friday Feb 27th
Ran 5km in the hotel gym first thing today.

At noon I drove to Santa Monica Beach, Ocean Ave Seafood restaurant to meet Poker Pro Kathy Liebert for lunch at 2pm. She had the lobster I had the grilled shrimp salad and it was all good.

We walked to the beach (which is only just across the road actually), and since I traveled this far from home, I was not going to be denied the psychological pleasure of dipping my toes into the Pacific Ocean!!!. So i took off both shoes and socks and walk in the shoreline waves for a brief time. I'm sure Kathy thought this to be somewhat unusual behaviour, but hey, When in Rome....

Then we went up the pier (a la Coney Island amusements etc) and strolled there a bit. We didn't go on any rides, but we did somehow drift toward the arcade. Upon entering I saw the SKEE*BALL game and asked Kathy if she was any good. She insta-snapped back at me "I could beat you!" So of course my reply is, "Bring it girl friend" and we began a challenge that in the first game saw us play shot for shot with yours truly ending up the winner. PokerKat1 claimed to be nervous. Just before starting Kathy had to play for stakes, so as I hummed and hawed, thinking OMG this could be a REALLY bad idea for me, given she's a multi-millionairess. Kathy perhaps sensing my hesitation, might have been kind and only said how about dinner? I agreed, again knowing that that might break this poor starving Canadian AKTOR's LA poker bank roll. Game on. It was close though, 220-180 I think.

Rematch.
Game two this time Kathy wanted to play at our own pace. Double or nothing on the dinners. Agreed. I rapid fired the balls thinking this laissez-faire approach might psych her out & it worked out well, as I luckily rolled up 280 to Kathy's 190 (her needing a 100 ball on her last shot to clinch it but it was a brick).

Kathy then claimed "I don't really like this game anyhow, Basketball is my game" I sensed revenge was a priority for this #1 ranked female poker player in the world, and I was about to get myself into some trouble potentially here. BBall is definitely NOT my game. But I welcomed the challenge knowing I really had nothing to lose. So game on! And what do ya know....I won 18-13. Wow I couldn't believe my luck. Now up 3-0 in dinners!

Kathy was not pleased. "I've never played that bad. That's the worst score I've ever had on that."
"Well I'll give you one more chance. Double or nothing on the BB dinner, but I'm keeping the SKEE*BALL dinners in the bank" I said . She couldn't get the quarters in there fast enough!

And make good good she did, beating me 27-23 this time. So net effect is I am up 2 dinners. Now the pressure is on me to win that trip to the WSOP so I can collect!

We walked again, for another 45 minutes or so and finally I needed to head back to the hotel in Commerce knowing that Friday afternoon traffic in LA is a nitemare. And it was. 2:15 minutes to travel 22 miles (40kms).

Saturday Feb 28th CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL DAY
With my RHPT TOC jersey in tow, I was able to get a few signatures on it and a few pics to boot.
Kathy Liebert, Mike Sexton, Nenad Medic, Antonio Esfandiari, Mike Matusow, Gavin Griffin and Chad Brown. Cool.

Others I spotted but no autographs: Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Umberto Brenes, Jennifer Harmon, John Phan, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold, Gavin Smith, Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilley, Freddie Deeb, Jeff Madsen, Jean-Robert (Bobby) Bellande, Scotty Nguyen, Erik Seidel, Shawn Sheikhan, Todd Brunson, Allen Cunningham

Hollywood/Other: Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Richard Karne (Al from Tool Time), Vince Van Patten (host of WPT), Jerry Buss (owner of the Lakers), Jose Canseco, Lou Diamond Philips, Mimi Rogers, Don Cheadle, Tia Carrere