Rock Stars Swap Guitars For Chips

It's well known that poker has attracted fans tenfold what it did before the big "Poker Boom" of 2003, but some of the better players on the felt believe it or not are heard rocking out right here on Q103!

Vinnie Paul of Pantera, Kiss' Ace Frehley, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top fame,  Sully Erna, front man for Godsmack, are all no slouches at the poker table.  Cardplayer.com's Brian Pempus recently chatted it up with Scott Ian, guitarist for Anthrax, who has taken down not only the aforementioned rock legends but has also beaten some of the best in the poker game period.

After winning VH1’s Rock & Roll Celebrity Tournament in 06, Ian told Pempus he then started to take poker more seriously. Ian explained that pro Phil Helmuth pulled him aside and said if he ever wanted to get serious about poker to give him a call. Pempus quotes Ian, "In January 2008, I signed with UB, and as part of my deal I asked for lessons with Annie Duke. My hours with Annie turned me into a poker player, and from there I started developing my own game. I played online all the time and live as much as possible. I cashed in my first WSOP main event in 2009 and I took down UB’s Sunday $200,000 as well that year so poker quickly became a huge part of my life."  Check out the whole story here: http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/11099-q-a-with-ub-pro-and-anthrax-guitarist-scott-ian

To cash in the World Series of Poker Main Event is huge.  We're talking about finishing in the top ten percent of  the world's best and dream seekers alike. Last year there were over 7,300 participants in the Main Event. Taking down a Sunday UB 200K event brings serious loot as well, over 44 grand! Not to be out shined, Sully Erna pulled in some amazing cashes at the poker tables in his own right.  Sully once finished in second place in a WPT event at a final table that saw the likes of WSOP bracelet winners David Williams and JC Tran. Sullys take for the second place finish- 307 thousand smackers!  Perhaps flush draws and pot odds will be on his brain when he plays the Egg on May 22nd eh? http://q103albany.com/its-official-sully-erna-to-play-the-egg/

Check out next week's Poker News update and ol' Monte will fill you in on the WSOP Circuit Event taking place in St. Louis right now and I'll give you a little tip on why you shouldn't bluff the river!!!