Saturday, October 6, was the day of the final game of the Ultimatebet Aruba Poker Classic, and the famous tournament, which has been attracting Texas Hold’em fanatics and pros to Aruba’s shores for six years, experienced some landmark events before departing the island.

A heavy rain shower in the Palm Beach area delayed the start of the game by more than two hours, which is a first if not an auspicious start. The Radisson Resort was the host hotel for the poker classic, and the setting they provided for the final game was beautiful for the simultaneous live webcast of the final action, but the recent rains, lack of wind and TV spotlights sent the temperature under the game tent soaring. The final table consisted of, in descending winning order, Travis Rice of Texas, James Mordue from California, Brad Smithson from Wisconsin, and Jordan Rich and Jason Grey, two good friends from Portland, Oregon, that were the first to “bust out.”

The game, deemed the longest final game in Ultimatebet history, continued long into the night, and past the beginning of the final farewell party, drawing the rest of the tournament attendees and a large audience as the players continued battling it out under the stars. All were playing very conservatively, which dragged the game for several hours, until a little after 10:00 p.m. Brad Smithson was finally busted out after going head on head with Jim Mordue, and though both pulled a pair on the flop, Jim’s pair of kings beat Brad’s pair of jacks, with both holding an ace kicker. Bad luck left Brad with third place and $252,490, not a bad consolation.

This left at the table Travis and Jim as partygoers rushed over to watch the final action. Travis had a substantial stack of 3.5 million in chips over Jim’s 1.9 million. Both were hot and tired, and so pushed the play, with Jim going all-in when he held an ace and king of clubs, as he had done against Brad. Travis took the bait and revealed a king and ten, unsuited. Luck was with Travis as the dealer showed a ten on the turn card, which meant that only an ace on the river card could win Jim Mordue the tournament, but it was king, giving Travis two pair. Travis Rice won a magnificent trophy, the coveted gold bracelet, and $800,000 as tournament manager Matt Savage declared him the winner. Jim Mordue won $478,405 for second place.

Travis took a well-earned victory plunge into the pool and the fabulous farewell party put on by the Radisson culinary staff finally got into gear with everyone on the dance floor. This year, Scott Ian, founder and lead guitarist of Anthrax was the tournament’s celebrity participant, an Ultimatebet tradition, joined on Aruba for the week by his fiancée Pearl Aday, daughter of Meatloaf. Pearl is a singing star in her own right with her band called Mother Pearl, in which Scott is lead guitar. The two took to he stage to regal the gathering with an incredible performance of her soulful singing, proving she is a significant talent on the rise, and a name to watch.

The last day of the Ultimatebet Aruba Poker Classic set some new records for the annual tournament, the longest final game ever, consisting of a field of relative unknowns, though twenty-five year old Travis is not the youngest winner ever, last year’s Devon Miller holds that honor, only twenty-one when he won the gold bracelet. This was a first to have major rock stars entertain, but over the week, Scott and Pearl had won the hearts of all those attending with their down-to-earth attitude and easy-going affability.

Aruba says goodbye to over 550 poker players (another new record) and their families until next year after paying 2.7 million dollars to top fifty-four place players. For those that missed it, all the action of the past week can be viewed in videos online at www.ultimatebet. com on their Aruba blog spot.