Palm Beach -- The last round of poker lasted 12 hours. At 12 noon on Saturday, October 6, 2007, Raymond Travis Rice, from Texas, Brad Smithson, Wisconsin, Nick Blackburn, Ohio, Jordan Rich, Oregon, James Mordue, California & Jason Grey, Oregon, sat down on the Miramar North seaside lawn at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino under a tent in full view of TV cameras and photographers as well as many fans and supporters for the final table of the Ultimate Bet tournament. Almost 12 hours later, after a grueling match, at 23:32:04, Texan Raymond Travis Rice won the 2007 Aruba Poker Classic.
The two last men standing, Travis Rice and Jim Mordue endured a lot that day--the sun, the wind, the tropical rain bugs— with many thousands of dollars changing hands and sides all the time. At one point Mordue stood up sending his remaining 1.3 million chips into the pot, which finally decided the game. The Aruba Poker Classic pot of $800,000 went to Travis "TravestyFund" Rice. Mordue's consolation prize was the $478,405 he won as runner-up. Second runner-up Brad Smithson took home over $250.000.
Wil Griffith, emcee and spokesperson for Ultimate Bets reports the tournament is coming back to Aruba in 2008, same time, same place.
