After two arduous days of play, two friends sat on opposite ends of the final table at the inaugural Budweiser Guam Texas Hold'em Championships at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa's Marianas Ballroom.

Using his dominant position to bully his opponent, Rodney Sherry went all in with an ace-king off-suit. His risk was rewarded with another king on Fourth Street, allowing him to defeat his poker buddy Ed Concepcion and take home the bracelet.

With every passing competitor eliminated, the drama continued to reach new heights aided by a passionate crowd, an announcer that filled the silences with witty quips and cameras circling the table and catching every minute emotion the players revealed.

On the final hand, both players pushed all-in prior to the flop. Playing aggressively because of his short stack, Concepcion held a suited ace-three of hearts. The dealer flopped a deuce of hearts, six of hearts and four of clubs, leaving Concepcion one card shy of a flush. However, the win was not to be for Concepcion.
"Coming in today, I had a low-to-average chip count. But, I just waited for hands and got lucky," said an exhausted Sherry.

Arriving to the tournament in a 2006 Honda Accord, Sherry drove home in the first-place prize BMW Z4. But, he says he might be having second thoughts about keeping it.

"It is my daughter's birthday, so that might be her gift," Sherry said with a grin.

Concepcion, who won a new Harley Davidson Nightster for his efforts, had no hard feelings about losing to his buddy. "We're a gang. We play almost every other day with each other," he said.

Heading into the final showdown, Concepcion knew he needed to be aggressive to have a shot at winning. He relied on his knowledge of Sherry's tells.

"With Rodney, I can read him when he's laughing and joking. When he gets serious, I need to have a good or great hand to win," said Concepcion.

2nd tourney slated for November
The first-ever tournament was a success with players and the fundraising Micronesia Chef's Association. A second tournament is tentatively scheduled for November.
"Overall we are pleased with the turnout. If you walk around here you feel like you're in Vegas. At the end of the day we accomplished the goal of raising money for the culinary scholarships," said MCA president Peter Duenas.

Picture a dimly lit ballroom filled to the brim with adults hiding behind oversized sunglasses. In the background, video screens capture every bluff and triumphant shout from players at the tables. Hordes of spectators edge their way toward the front just for a glimpse of the flop.

Get ready, Guam, high-stakes poker is coming to the island.
Held in conjunction with the Micronesia Chef's Association Taste & Spirit of Guam Carnival, the Budweiser Guam Texas Hold'em Championships will be held at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa on Aug. 18 and 19. The $400 buy-in event has set the total number of participants at a slim 400.

$75,000 in prizes
Players will be competing for a prize pool worth an estimated $75,000. The survivor of the inaugural event will leave the table with the customary piece of bling, a gold championship bracelet valued at $5,000. The person skilled enough to take the top prize can go ahead and toss his or her keys because a sleek BMW Z4, valued at $45,000, will be waiting in the Hilton parking lot. Consolation prizes include a Harley-Davidson Nightster, a Kawasaki JetSki and Vizio plasma TVs.
Prizes and entries are non-transferable, according to the GTHC Web site. In addition, the site states that: "Advertised prizes and number of prize places are based on a minimum number of 210 paid entrants. If less than the minimum number of participants enter, GTHC at its sole discretion may substitute prizes and/or reduce the number of prizes places."

Organizers have gone to great lengths to recreate the frantic atmosphere seen on TV shows such as the World Series of Poker on ESPN. Regulation tables, cards and chips are being shipped in from Hong Kong specifically for the event. Dealers have been hand-picked locally and are undergoing extensive training sessions prior to the tournament.

"A lot of people on Guam might be hesitant to support the event because it's gambling, but we look at it as more of a fundraiser," MCA president Peter Duenas said.

Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships for aspiring young chefs in Micronesia.

"We want to help provide money for scholarships and direct instruction at Guam Community College and teach these kids," event organizer Jon Denight said.

Current chefs also will benefit from the event.

"We also want to give to people in the industry for advanced training abroad," Duenas added.

While gambling is illegal on Guam, this type of tournament can be held when it's done as a fundraiser in conjunction with an event such as the Micronesia Chef's Association Taste & Spirit of Guam Carnival, Denight said.

John Carlos, regulatory programs administrator for the Department of Revenue and Taxation, said the agency gave its permission to hold the tournament because no cash prizes would be awarded.

Carlos added that taxes must be paid on the value of the prizes by MCA or the individual winners.

Registration forms are available at Prestige Automobiles in Dededo and Tamuning, Cycles-Plus, Uttam's Plasma City in Tamuning, Guam Harley-Davidson in Asan or at www.guamtexasholdem.com.

Fax in the registration form with credit card information to 649-0583 or pay in person, cash or credit card, at Denight Marketing Group in Tumon across from the Pacific Islands Club. DMG is in Suite 304 in the orange Sawasdee Building.

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