News and Notes from the LAPC

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Officially, it was billed the "Card Player Player of the Year Awards Gala."

Actually, it might as well have been called the Phil Ivey Invitational.

Because it was the masterful and intimidating Ivey who walked off with the most trophies at the inaugural show put on by Bodog.com, which represented another wonderful step for poker by creating the game's version of the Oscars.

Ivey copped awards for best no-limit player, most feared player, and best heads-up player, which meant three speeches for the guy who gives away words as if they were chips.

The other multiple winner at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theater in Hollywood Wednesday night was Chip Reese, who was named best cash-game player and best mixed-games player. Men "The Master'' Nguyen closed the show by picking up the coveted Player of the Year award.

The rest of the winners: World Series of Poker ($1,000 no-limit hold'em event) and World Poker Tour (Party Poker Million IV) winner Michael Gracz for breakthrough player; WPT commentator Mike Sexton for best poker ambassador; WSOP Player of the Year Allen Cunningham for most underrated player; Jennifer Harman-Traniello for best female player; Daniel Negreanu for favorite player as voted by the fans; Mike Matusow for most entertaining player; and Academy Award-nominated actress and WSOP and WPT ladies champion Jennifer Tilly for best celebrity player as voted by the fans. Doyle Brunson also drew two standing ovations after being presented the lifetime achievement award.

The show featured music from former Eagle Don Felder, whose band blasted the joint with Eagles hits "Hotel California,'' "Life in the Fast Lane,'' and "Take it Easy.''

The star of the night, however, was emcee Brad Garrett. In a word, hysterical.

Garrett is best-known as the plumb, dumb brother on "Everybody Loves Raymond,'' which ended it's successful TV run last year. In fact, that's where Garrett started his monologue, noting that he went from the hit show to hosting this event.

"Where has my career gone in a year?'' he said.

Garrett plays in WSOP and WPT events, and has appeared on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown,'' but admitted he has a noticeable tell.

"Every time I bluff, I become incontinent,'' he said.

Garrett pretty much emptied the magazine on some of the most familiar poker names.

"Phil Hellmuth is here tonight,'' Garrett said. "No one told me that; I just heard whining.''

Of slightly built former world champion Scotty Nguyen, Garrett said, "Scotty, have a sandwich. You look like my X-ray.''

When Men The Master heckled Garrett, the hulking performer fired back, "Yeah, try to get the shirts back by Wednesday.''

But Garrett saved some of his hardest shots for Matusow, beginning with, "Mike Matusow is nominated tonight, which proves Darwin didn't know [anything].''

Later, Garrett introduced Matusow, who was to present the award for best poker ambassador:

"Having Mike Matusow present the award for poker ambassador is like having Dick Cheney present the award for marksmanship.''

But it was perhaps Negreanu who got off one of the best lines when he accepted his award as favorite player by thanking Ivey for letting him win something.

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