Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship Slated for September

Commerce, California -- Maybe it's something in California's water or perhaps its just the great calibre of poker played in the state, but the two most recent World Series of Poker Champions were
Commerce Casino is the site of the LA Poker Classic  from California... Temecula's Dr. Jerry Yang in 2007 and Los Angeles' Jamie Gold in 2006. So there could be no better place to see if you have what it takes to be a champion than Commerce Casino's California State Championship this September.

The 2007 California State Championship at Commerce Casino, the world's largest poker room, will feature only No Limit and Limit Hold'em tournaments when it begins Tuesday Sept. 4. The 19 events, with buy-ins ranging from $220 to $2,580 for the main event, will draw leading local players and national poker stars. The Cal State Championship is a feather in the cap of any player aspiring to be a World Poker Tour or World Series of Poker champion.

Pasadena's Lance Allred, a pro who had only been playing tournament poker for two years, took home a $345,470 paycheck in 2006, besting a field of 419 players, who were playing for a total of $1,016,075. El Monte's Hieu "Tony" Ma surpassed 214 other players to claim a $384,025 paycheck in the 2006 Cal State Championship Main Event. Commerce Casino can also claim to be "The Home of Future Poker Millionaires," as 2007 WSOP champion Jamie Gold, winner of $12 million, noted Commerce Casino as his home base, as well as Scott Lazar, of Studio City, who finished sixth in the 2005 World Series of Poker, walking away with $1.5 million.

WPT Champions who call Commerce home include Phil Laak, Tuan Le and Antonio Esfandiari. Other renowned players who have cashed-in at previous California State Poker Championships have included Chris Ferguson, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Kathy Liebert, Chip Jett and David "The Dragon" Pham.

The 2007 edition of the Cal State Championship will feature:

- A Turbo No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event, scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 12 - an opportunity for players to practice their Final Table skills. All tables will feature only six players, not the usual ten.

- The Ladies No Limit Hold'em tournament slated for Saturday, Sept. 15. The winner will receive a $1060 buy-in to the Ladies event at the LA Poker Classic. The victor in that event will win a $25,000 buy-in to the WPT World Championship to be held at Bellagio in April 2007.

- A guaranteed $250,000 prize pool for the $330 buy-in No Limit event on Sunday, Sept. 16.

- Two $540 buy-in Super Satellites on Friday, Sept. 21 - one at 11:30 a.m. and one at 6:30 p.m. Approximately 40 players will earn a seat at the California State Poker Championship No Limit Hold'em event beginning the next day.

- The $2,580-buy-in Grand Finale Main Event on Saturday, Sept. 22, giving one player the chance to claim the title of California State Champion. The Final Table will be played the next day, Sunday, Sept. 23, and is expected to offer a $300,000+ payday for the winner.

The events are open to anyone over the age of 21. Competitors do not need to live within the state of California. Estimated total prize pool for the full 20-days is expected to be $7 million. Please note that all starting times prior to Sept. 21 are 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Events with 100 or more entries will be played over two days. Day one will be played until the final table/tables. Play will resume at 9:00 p.m. the following day. Management reserves the right to alter or cancel promotion at any time. Play responsibly.

"The California State Poker Championship is a great opportunity for a West Coast poker player to establish a name," said Cheri Dokken, Commerce Casino Tournament Director. "Winning this event says you've arrived. The competition is strong and the rewards ample. With the high-quality poker at the California State Championship might even be incubating the next WSOP or WPT champion."

Event number, start date, type of game and buy-ins (with fees and s/c) are as follows:

1 - 9/4 - No Limit Hold'em, 291+9+35=$335

2 - 9/5 - Limit Hold'em, 291+9+35=$335

3 - 9/6 - No Limit Hold'em, 291+9+35=$335

4 - 9/7 - No Limit Hold'em, 485+15+45=$545

5 - 9/8 - Limit Hold'em, 485+15+45=$545

6 - 9/9 - No Limit Hold'em ($250,000 Guaranteed), 291+9+35=$335

7 - 9/10 - No Limit Hold'em Shootout, 291+9+35=$335

8 - 9/11 - No Limit Hold'em, 485+15+45=$545

9 - 9/12 - Turbo No Limit Hold'em (6 Handed), 291+9+35=$335

10- 9/13 - No Limit Hold'em, 291+9+35=$335

11- 9/14 - No Limit Hold'em Shootout, 485+15+45=$545

12- 9/15 - Ladies No Limit Hold'em, 291+9+35=$335

13- 9/16 - No Limit Hold'em ($250,000 Guaranteed), 291+9+35=$335

14- 9/17 - No Limit Hold'em, 485+15+45=$545

15- 9/18 - No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 Added), 291+9+35=$335

16- 9/19 - Limit Hold'em, 485+15+45=$545

17- 9/20 - No Limit Hold'em Shootout, 485+15+45=$545 - 9/21 - Super Satellite Day (11:30am & 6:30pm), 194+6+20=$220

18- 9/22 - No Limit Hold'em Championship (2pm Start), 2425+75+90=$2,590 9/23 - Championship Final (2pm Start)

Commerce Casino, in Commerce, CA, is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than 200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker.