Tulalip Resort and Casino in Marysville, WA is hosting a $1,100 buy-in, four-day Poker Pro Challenge March 24-27, beginning at 11a.m. each day. Players receive 15,000 starting chips; rounds are 45 minutes, with 60 minute rounds for the final event. Super satellites are available March 4, 11, 18, and 22 at 7 p.m. and March 19 at 11 a.m. Pros in attendance will include Chip and Karina Jett, Michael and Robert Mizrachi, Mike Matusow, Matt Affleck, and local favorite Lee Markholt. Reduced room rates are being offered by mentioning Poker Pro Challenge. 1.866.716.7162. See the ad on page 13.

Shannon Keel, the new General Manager at Golden Gates at Black Hawk, Colorado, loves sports. This California girl is the daughter of a pro football player and she’s passionate about her Chicago Cubs, Bears and Black Hawks. She is also passionate about horse racing and one may say she has something in common with the Breeder’s Cup winner Zenyatta; they both know how to compete and succeed in a man’s world.

Matt Mason, winner of the Heartland Poker Tour at Golden Gates in Black Hawk, CO will use part of his $188,955 prize money to wed his fiancée Jackie Wright. Their plans to marry had been on hold more than a year due to financial struggles. Mason outlasted 419 entrants in the Heartland main event to claim his prize.

Golden Gates at Black Hawk hosted the event that included qualifying tournaments in which a player could win entry into the main event for a much smaller investment. Second place finisher John “Bubba” Holdren invested just $180 for a prize of $94,478.

The Tachi Palace's Card Room Manager John T. Stewart, a former professional singer with a heart for hard rock, could be considered the Mick Jagger of his business. Born in Santa Cruz, California in 1971, Stewart is nowhere near as old as Jagger, but he has staying power in a business that, in some instances, has a very high turnover rate. Stewart is the kind of guy who is loyal and likes structure, and with over seven years at Tachi Palace, this rocker turned card room manager believes he has the best gig in town.

The Tachi Palace's Card Room Manager John T. Stewart, a former professional singer with a heart for hard rock, could be considered the Mick Jagger of his business. Born in Santa Cruz, California in 1971, Stewart is nowhere near as old as Jagger, but he has staying power in a business that, in some instances, has a very high turnover rate. Stewart is the kind of guy who is loyal and likes structure, and with over seven years at Tachi Palace, this rocker turned card room manager believes he has the best gig in town.