The first annual World Oilman's Poker Tournament set the standard as the industry's premiere business and networking opportunity. Taking place at the Bellagio Resort and Casino from March 28-30, the event drew top level executives from across the industry for three days of gaming and entertainment.
The 2007 WOPT had 50 players and therefore a $50,000 prize pool. The tournament had both experienced players, and complete novices, but it was anybody's game. This was evidenced by the final five placement of Vasilis Mouratoff and John Walker, two
gentlemen that had never played a competitive poker game in their life!
Place
Name
Title
Company
Prize
1st
David R Watts
Vice President
Upland Exploration
$25,000
2nd
Jim Hatcher
Managing Member
Consul Properties
$12,000
3rd
Vasilis Mouratoff
COO
Cornerstone Acq.
& Management Co.
$7,000
4th
John Walker
CEO
Enervest
$4,000
5th
Ed Kremer
Vice President
Remora Management
$2,000
Wednesday, March 28
The event began on Wednesday evening with dinner and drinks served in the Monet Ballroom overlooking the Bellagio poolside. During dinner each players name was randomly drawn to determine the starting position at each table for play the next morning.
Thursday, March 29
After a gourmet breakfast spread, play began in the Fontana Lounge at 10:00am. The players were seated at seven poker tables that were custom made with the logo of our seven platinum sponsors: Cornerstone Acquisition & Management Company, BNP Paribas, Guggenheim, Meagher Oil & Gas, BASA Resources, Cawley and Gillespie, and Dorado Exploration.
When lunch was served at 12:45pm, thirty-five players still remained in a tougher than expected field comprised of largely inexperienced poker players. However, as the blinds continued to rise, the players began to fall and by 4:00pm the final table was set with 10 participants.
Over the next hour, the top players continued to trade chips until the final five players (Vasilis Mouratoff, David Watts, John Walker, Jim Hatcher, and Ed Kremer) were all in the money. Vasilis Mouratoff of Cornerstone and John Walker of Enervest were the two biggest surprises of the day, as neither of them had ever played in a competitive tournament.
As the final five played, all of the tournament's earlier participants crowded around the table to watch the remaining players in an electrifying environment. Cheering loudly after each player pushed "all-in", the excited crowd watched as David Watts went to work by taking out Ed Kremer, and then watching as John Walker was eliminated by Jim Hatcher. In the final three, Watts overcame Mouratoff's pocket kings with a flush draw before pulling his own kings to beat Hatcher for the $25,000 prize, and the title of 2007 World Oilman's Poker Tournament Champion.
After the tournament all of the players swapped stories over a fabulous meal at Sensi, before returning to the Fontana Lounge to be entertained by the one of the country's top comedians, Bill Engvall from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
Friday, March 30
On Friday the players had their choice of three activities to enjoy a day in Las Vegas. Most of the attendees chose to spend the day at Shadow Creek, the Bellagio's exclusive golf course. The rest of the players chose between a 4-hour helicopter tour of the Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon, or a day at the famed Spa Bellagio.
