UltimateBet's Poker Classic and the Ultimate Blackjack Tour Hit Aruba: UB's New Twist on Blackjack a Hit With Gamers

The Aruba Poker Classic recently celebrated its fifth year in the making, as hundreds of UltimateBet qualifiers and their guests made the annual trek to Palm Beach, Aruba to witness the longest-running poker tournament on television.

UB representatives Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Antonio Esfandiari, James Worth, Freddy Deeb, and newest team member Devin Porter, were in attendance, but this year's events lacked the usual crush of poker and Hollywood celebrities. Fortunately, it had very little effect on the 2006 APC, which has always felt more like a frat party than a poker tournament. Online players MrMondo, Johnny Bax, Devilfish, Debo, Knucklehead, and P0kerH0 also enjoyed their own cult following.

Aruba was the first official stop for the Ultimate Blackjack Tournament's worldwide tour, and organizers had no trouble introducing elimination blackjack to UB participants and their guests. The game put a whole new spin on "21," with elements of tournament poker and secret bets added to the mix. Aaron Tribble was the first UBT world-tour champion. Tribble emerged victorious after taking down some of blackjack's best players. Look for the Ultimate Blackjack Tour to lure more participants as it begins airing regularly on CBS.

Congratulations to this year's APC champion, Devin Miller, for defeating 512 other poker qualifiers, including final-table players Cliff Josephy, Terry Eischens, Jared Brintz, Joe Sebok, and Jason Atwood. Miller took home the trophy, a bracelet, and $744,960 in prize money. For a better look at all of the poker action in Aruba, look to cable network GSN for schedule dates and times.