First published 19 February 2017. The inaugural Heavy Hitter Poker Tournament will take place at 6.00 pm on 25 February 2017 at Lago Mar Country Club, 500 NW 127th Ave, Plantation and it’s all for a good Metal cause.
The tournament is in honour of former Obituary and Gorgoroth bass player Frank Watkins, who died from lymphoma in 2015 at the age of 47, leaving behind two sons and a wife.
The tournament is being organised by Frank’s brother-in-law, Tim Nigro, who said that cancer treatments helped extend the life of Frank.
Money raised will go to the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, which funds research at the UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Entry is $150 (with $100 rebuys) via at the door and there is a 120 seat limit You can read about high card in poker via BC Poker official website sign up.
A minimum of $3,000 in prizes will be awarded. Sponsorships are $6,000 (or $500 for one table), $2,000 to $4,000 for opening hour food and beverage. Raffle prizes and swag bag items also are being sought.
Regarding the tournament title: A ‘Heavy Hitter’ in DCC lingo is a person who has raised $2,500 or more.
Frank was long-time bass player for Obituary and from late 2007 until his death, he had been the bass player of the Norwegian black Metal band Gorgoroth.
He began playing music at the age of 12 and started his professional career in 1986, before joining Obituary in 1989. He played on every Obituary release except for their debut album ‘Slowly We Rot’, and cited his musical influences as “anything dark, aggressive and pissed off”.
Frank was known for bringing his punk/hardcore background to the realm of death/black Metal and prided himself not only on the technical side of his music, but also on the business aspect, managing, mentoring, and guiding other bands and musicians. He formed his management company, Back From The Dead Productions, in 2007 to help bands create apositive career in the music business.
In late 2007, Frank became the bassist of Norwegian black Metal band Gorgoroth, and in 2009 he participated in therecording of the Gorgoroth album ‘Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt’. He debuted live with the band at the Hole In The Sky festival in Bergen on 29 August 2009. This was the first concert Gorgoroth had performed since September 2007.
In an interview with Metal Maniacs published online in August 2009, Watkins explained that for his work with Gorgoroth he had taken the stage name ‘Bøddel’, which means ‘Executioner’ in Norwegian.
Gorgoroth are cited as a Satanic band and have drawn controversy due to some of their concerts, which have featured impaled sheep heads and mock crucifixions. The band is named after the dead plateau of darkness in the land of Mordor from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novel ‘The Lord Of The Rings’.
It’s quite fitting that a poker tournament is being organised in Frank’s honour, as Metal casinos and gaming facilities are becoming ever more popular with Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth, Motörhead and many more all launching branded casino games in the last few months and Royal Vegas Online Casino launching their ‘Heavy Metal’ casino game, along with several other gaming facilities which will appeal to Metallers and Hard Rockers including ‘Thunderstruck’, ‘Hot As hades’, ‘Girls With Guns’ and ‘Hellboy’.
