The Aria Resort and Casino, located in CityCenter in Las Vegas, celebrated the inauguration of its brand new poker room, which was set up in honour of top professional poker player Phil Ivey. Aria organized a $1 million freeroll, a bounty tournament with a fabulous prize of $100,000 for the talented player who successfully knocked off Phil Ivey. After that the winner of the tournament was to compete in a heads-up poker game against Ivey for another $250,000 as part of the inauguration ceremony.
Top poker professional Phil Ivey ended up being defeated in the very poker room established in his honor. David “Chino” Rheem, who had successfully reached the final tables of the main event of WSOP in 2008, took Phil off the table and walked away with the huge bounty of one hundred thousand dollars.
Larry Linton however was able to win the tournament and bagged the first prize of $250,000. Afterwards he engaged in the heads-up poker battle against Phil Ivey for another $250,000 but had to realise that Phil wasn’t going to be defeated twice the same day. In his own poker room Phil Ivey dominated the heads-up and Larry Linton was denied the additional $250,000.
The inaugural of the Phil Ivey Poker Room was a grand success, and all the talented poker players who participated in the events enjoyed themselves thoroughly. “Even the croissants served were awesome”, as aptly pointed out by Phil Laak. In the meantime, David Williams told everybody about how he is waiting for the day someone would think about establishing a poker room in honour of him.
Phil Ivey was deeply touched by the event and the fact that Aria had established a room in his honor. Recalling that he had come from nothing, he said that he was indeed honoured to have a room in his name.
Prominent guests such as Jennifer Harman, Doyle Brunson, Tim Phan, David Benyamine, and Vanessa Rousso were present for the inauguration of the Phil Ivey Room. The new high-stakes poker room, especially brought into existence for the benefit of rich and influential players, has already gained a reputation for top poker action, a state of affairs that appears to be long lasting.
Phil Ivey, winner of seven prestigious WSOP bracelets and one World Poker Tour title, is considered to be the world’s best poker player. Ivey was also listed as the world’s number one tournament money winner following his runner up finish at the Aussie Millions $100,000 poker event this year.