Career Summer for Big Huni Leads to Biggest July 4th Bash Yet
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After cashing for over $5 million and winning his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, the pressure was on for Chris Hunichen's Fourth of July mansion party this summer to be the biggest one yet.
“It better be," Hunichen told PokerNews after his bracelet victory. "Otherwise, I failed at it. If you ain’t coming, you’re missing out.”
Two pools, four live music sets, a magic show, one haul of fireworks, dozens of Vodka bottles, and 3,000 Phenom Poker plastic purple Solo cups later, it is safe to say that Big Huni succeeded.
Read More About Big Huni's Breakout Summer!
Bowling, Beer Pong & Live Music
The party, which was well advertised on social media and on custom t-shirts with QR codes linking to the page to buy tickets, kicked off at noon on Independence Day with a performance by DJ Jared Sales, who played a four-hour set on a stage set up on the tennis court of the Las Vegas mansion as poker players including Shannon Shorr, Adam Hendrix and Michael Wang made their way to the action.
Those on the tennis played beer bong and cornhole under a blazing sun and thumping music, while other attendees cooled off from the hundred-plus-degree weather in a sprawling pool equipped with a basketball hoop, slide and waterfall, just yards away from a catering tent featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and other outdoor gathering classics. The party-goers looking for a little more privacy, meanwhile, set up shop on an artificial sandy beach on the shore of an auxiliary pool.
And that's just the outdoor portion of the party. Inside Big Huni's mansion, hundreds more players treated themselves to a full kitchen counter of hors d'oeuvres and a colossal charcuterie board provided by poker player and Choice Charcuterie Co. owner Esther Taylor, while others took advantage of the two-lane bowling alley and regulation-sized shuffleboard and before shuffling off to a theater room where the Main Event was being streamed.
Back on the tennis court, local act Vegas Magic Guy took the stage before an ad-lib freestyle performance from Frak and the People and a reggae set by Signal Fire that extended past sunset as an array of fireworks shot into the air above the stage. Status the Band and DJ 15grams rounded out the night's fantastic festivities.
Other poker players spotted at Big Huni's party included PokerNews Podcast co-hosts Chad Holloway and Kyna England, poker power couple David Peters and Hayley Hanna, recent WSOPC Commerce champion Jessica Vierling, six-time Circuit ring winner Preston McEwen and European pros Ana Marquez and Daniel Moran.
Sh** Was Epic
The annual July 4th party came at an interesting time in Hunichen's life. The longtime high-stakes poker player suddenly lost his father last summer, a loss that was on Hunichen's mind when he won the $100,000 High Roller for $2,838,389 before finishing third (for the second time) in the $250,000 Super High Roller for $2,397,312.
"I always said if I can’t one up my last party I’m done having them!" Hunichen wrote on social media after the party. "I had a blast and don’t see how I can’t do this again next year but honestly I think we may have peaked! I don’t really think I can top that one, sh** was epic!"
*Photos courtesy Omar Sader
