The best tournament poker action in Vegas is still at the Bellagio. There are daily $540 no limit holdem tournaments, except on Friday when it’s a $1080 entry fee; plus a wide variety of smaller stakes events running every day. The MGM Grand has daily $60 no limit tournaments, and $125 no limit holdem events on Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The Venetian has $125 re-buy events on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday it’s a $145 event, and Saturday is the big $540 no limit holdem event. Mandalay Bay has smaller tournaments ranging from $40 to $65 every day, plus a $157 dollar event on Thursday.

All these poker rooms will have special events on top of all these regular scheduled tournaments. Check out the casino websites for special events that may be going on. And get to the registration times early, as these events fill up fast.

Vegas is always the place for poker action; even in March there’s lots to be found. If you’re in Vegas this month there are lots of tournaments to choose from. The Wynn Classic is underway and will run until the 19th. There is a wide array of action for different poker variations, with the $10,000 main event running from the 16th - 19th.

The major poker rooms run weekly and daily events if you’re not there for the Wynn Classic. The Mirage has daily $115 & $175 no-limit holdem / 10-player sit and go tournaments starting at 9:00 am.

Caesar’s Palace has a weekly $200 no-limit holdem on Mondays, and players start with 7500 in chips with 40-minute blinds. The Bellagio has their $500 no-limit holdem event on the same day. You can also find a $122 no-limit holdem tournament at the Luxor if the others are full.

The 2008 edition of the Aussie Millions has been won by a young Russian player named Alexander Kostritsyn of Moscow, Russia, who was able to beat one of the best players in the world in Eric Seidel. Both players won over a million Aussie dollars; Seidel winning $1M (AUS) and Kostritsyn taking home the $1.65M (AUS) first prize. Michael Chrisanthopoulos also had a big payday, winning $700,000 for his third-place finish.

Earlier in the week, Howard “The Professor” Lederer won the $100,000 buy-in professional’s no-limit hold’em event. The event attracted numerous big-name players including Gus Hansen, Tony “G” Guoga, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Erick Lindgren and Masaaki Kagawa. There were 25 players in total, with the top five getting paid. Lederer won $1.25M (AUS), a sizable difference between the second-place winnings of $650,000 (AUS), which went to Mark Teltscher of London, United Kingdom.

I don’t think that poker is losing its mainstream appeal. The industry had a slight hiccup with the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but it continues to grow to this day. Poker is on television every evening on one channel or another, and land-based tournaments are growing every year. Even with all the interference that online poker sites have to deal with in the United States, the WSOP is growing every year.

Poker is being used as a fundraiser for charities and needy organizations more than ever before. Home games are still common among friends, and marketing of the game hasn’t slowed down in over a year. New poker books are still being published and online player numbers are still growing internationally.

The game needed only to drop the negative reputation it carried for 200 years. Poker is like rock and roll; it’s here to stay.

Charity poker is all the rage these days. The love of the game brings more people out to these events than most other charity functions. There’s always some type of charity tournament running; here’s a look at a couple that are scheduled for the near future.

In London, the “City Charity Poker Tournament” is set to be played on November 22, 2007. Entry cost is £250, with unlimited re-buys of £150 for the first 90 minutes of play. This includes a luxury buffet meal, and participants can choose the charity they wish to donate their winnings.

The First Annual “All-In For A Cure Poker Tournament” will be played in Altamonte Springs, Florida, on November 17, 2007. Proceeds from the event will go to PanCan, one of America’s leading pancreatic cancer charity organizations. Buy-in is $100 at the door, or $85 pre-registration. Unlimited re-buys will be allowed for the first hour of play.

A youth organization in Santa Clarita is holding its first annual fundraiser tournament this month. A few eyebrows have been raised over this because of the connection to children. Many in society still want to label a simple card game as an activity that we should keep away from our youth, even if the point is charitable and progressive.

The entire concept of using gambling to support charitable organizations removes any negative label. No one is gambling in this situation, and it’s the gambling part that some people have an issue with. The game of poker makes a great fundraiser because poker tournaments draw a large number of donators who will enjoy the thrill of playing in a poker tournament.

To me it’s a no-brainer to use gaming to support charities. If gambling addiction is purported to be a negative part of society, then shouldn’t we use the proceeds to improve society?

Walters Golf and the Monte Carlo Hotel and Resort are holding the second annual Walters Cup Pro-Am/Poker Tournament on November 4-8. Entry will be limited to 25 teams, first come first serve. Entry is $1,995 per amateur and a deposit of $3,990 will secure your team’s entry.

The package includes four nights at the Monte Carlo and three rounds of golf, one each at Stallion Mountain Country Club, Bali Hai Golf Course and Royal Links Golf Club. A free breakfast each day and transportation in posh limo coaches will also be covered by Walters Golf.

The payouts for the Pro/Am will be $10,000, and as much as $20,000 for the poker tournament – depending on the amount of re-buys – and a gift bag worth over $350 will be given to every participant. The pro player’s costs are covered, with the exception of airfare, and they will receive an appearance fee once their team’s total entry has been collected.