Poker Lifestyle

2017 WPT Tournament of Champions Trip Recap (Vlog + Pics)

Author: Robbie Strazynski
April 25, 2017

After having had such a great trip to cover the 2017 World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions festivities, I thought it would be fun to put together a trip recap post from a more personal angle. Below, you’ll find a short vlog as well as a photo essay with some of my favorite pictures from the trip. Included are some images from what I would certainly call “behind the scenes”. I hope you enjoy vicariously consuming the sights and sounds I experienced at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

VLOG

PHOTO ESSAY

Miami — Springtime in Miami doesn’t get much more beautiful. We were blessed with awesome weather throughout.

Seminole Hard Rock - Hollywood, Florida — Lest one be uncertain where they were 🙂 , there were signs all over the place indicating that you’d arrived at the Seminole Hard Rock – Hollywood, Florida

Poker Media Robbie — There’s me hard at work, alone in media row… I was one of the first to arrive. Or, maybe I was just posing for the picture…. I’ll let you be the judge 🙂

WPT Media — The WPT media crew hard at work (bottom right), a poker media powwow (left), and good times amongst media members at the Vince Van Patten roast (top right).

full poker room — Have to include a “standard” picture of a huge ballroom full of tournament poker players…

WPT $10K Final Table - Ryan Riess — Watching the action unfold at the WPT $10K event final table, eventually won by Ryan Riess

Seminole Hard Rock - Hollywood, Florida - Poolside — Have I mentioned that the weather was awesome? Picturesque palms poolside, with the hotel tower in the background.

WPT cast — Adam Pliska, together with members of the World Poker Tour cast and tournament officials, announcing the start of the Tournament of Champions.

Lunch with Eli Elezra — Enjoying a delicious shwarma lunch with Eli Elezra

WPT Trophy — The unmistakable WPT trophy aside some of the sponsor-added prizes received by the Tournament of Champions winner (Jason Mercier).

Robbie & Jesse Sylvia — Me and Jesse Sylvia enjoying the players party

pool party — A couple of shots from the WPT players party, by the pool

Hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you!

About Robbie Strazynski

Robbie founded the Cardplayer Lifestyle poker blog in 2009.

Having quite literally learned how to play poker around the kitchen table as a child, "living a Cardplayer Lifestyle" is something that he's always aspired to. After having worked as a copywriter and marketing professional in the online gaming industry for a number of years, Robbie transitioned to become self-employed in the poker media industry in March 2017.

Robbie translated Pulling The Trigger: The Autobiography of Poker Pro Eli Elezra, from Hebrew into English. He is also the host of the CardsChat Podcast, co-host of Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast, and creator of the Poker Notes Live mobile app.

Robbie received the 2018 Global Poker Award for Charitable Initiative of the Year.

Connect with Robbie on Twitter @cardplayerlife, or via email: robbie@cardplayerlifestyle.com.

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