For the past couple of days, I have had a real hard time getting Amir’s face, voice and laughter out of my head.  I keep picturing Amir, his broad smile, unmistakable voice and trademark cigar.  Whether its playing poker against each other or sitting in a limo together going from Foxwoods to New York, I have so many memories of Amir, and right now, they are all flooding my thoughts, sporadically, throughout the day.  Yet, I have to keep reminding myself that my buddy is actually dead.  It’s awful.  I miss him and I just feel sad.

I spoke to Amir’s brothers, Masoud and Sayed today.  They are heartbroken over the loss of their brother.  While deeply saddened by their brother’s passing, they told me that the outpouring of condolences and support has been overwhelming.  They are very thankful and have asked that I clarify a few facts that have been misreported in the news.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.  An autopsy was performed in Las Vegas, where Amir’s body remains for at least a couple more days, until it is transported to Southern California.  The final autopsy report is expected in 6-8 weeks.  The preliminary findings were that all of Amir’s vital organs appeared healthy, and there were no signs of disease or injury.  The family confirmed that Amir was diabetic, but do not know if diabetes played a role in his death.  They are awaiting toxicology reports.

Amir was 48 years old.  The reports that Amir died without any family are inaccurate.  In addition to his brothers, Amir has two daughters, a son, and two sisters.  Amir’s sisters and children are heartbroken as well.

Amir was in his room at the Golden Nugget when he collapsed.  He was discovered at approximately 1 a.m. on Saturday, January 9th.

His funeral will be on Friday, January 15th, at 3:00 PM, at Forrest Lawn Memorial located in Hollywood Hills, California.  The public is welcome to attend.

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I have spoken to two more of Amir Vahedi’s close friends who have been in contact with Amir’s family.  Sadly, they each confirmed the terrible news.  Amir was a gentle and kind man who always made me laugh.  I will miss him terribly. RIP Amir.

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I’ve just been told by close friends of Amir Vahedi, that Vahedi passed away in Las Vegas on January 8, 2010, due to complications involving blood sugar levels.  Waiting for for more details.  Devastating news.  Very very sad.

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Fallen Heroes LA

For the past 3 years the poker industry has supported the Memorial Poker Classic benefiting the Fallen Heroes Fund charity. The Fallen Heroes Fund, Inc. is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2007 to help provide financial support for the families of law enforcement officers who have lost a loved one while on duty. To date, the Memorial Poker Classic tournament has raised more than $50,000.

The 20010 Memorial Poker Classic takes place on February 19, 2010,  at The Bicycle Casino. I’ll be co-hosting this tournament alongside James Woods and will be joined by some of the top poker professionals such as Chad Brown, Nam Le, J.C. Tran and many more!

Steven Murphy of CardPlayer just published a great article on the event to read the article click here. For more information about the Fallen Heroes Fund go to http://www.fallenheroesla.org

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Back in September I made the final table at The Borgata Poker Open. The first half of this WPT Final Table aired for the first time this past Sunday on GSN (Game Show Network). The second half of the show is coming up this Sunday so I won’t spoil it for you but I can’t resist telling you that I had A A up against opponents 10 10 for a 12 million dollar pot and of course my opponent sucked out! Ouch! I’m still feeling the pain. The first half of the show is broken up into four separate videos. This video is the first segment.

To see the rest of the first half of the show check out the videos page by clicking here.