Will Snoop's Rapper's "Shootout" Stay Afloat?

So Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Broadus) is planning a poker tournament on Cinco de Mayo (aka May 5) down in Playa de Cuba Norte (aka Miami Beach) aboard some death trap on water (aka the Big Easy casino ship), with mad cake (aka $2 million cash purse and 1 mil grand prize) on the line. The event has a 15 Gs buy-in that gets you a seat in the tourney as well as a round trip flight and 3 nights in a ho-tel.

With at least two seats at each table reserved for hip hop/rap artists, promoters are billing the tourney as "The Rapper's Challenge," although we think "The Rapper's Shootout" would be a much catchier name. Perhaps Snoop was worried about pissing off the always-pissed-off Spike Lee any more than he already has by perpetuating the stereotype that there's a shootout anytime a bunch of rappers get together.

I mean, why would anyone think that?

Anyway, based on our extensive research, and when I say extensive I mean hasty, irresponsible and inconclusive, it appears Snoop and posse will need to either cancel their high seas poker adventure or find another casino ship. This past Saturday, it was reported in the Palm Beach Post that the Big Easy casino ship has stopped operations just three months after it opened for business. Plagued by an inability to get proper certification cards for its staff, the ship was finally docked for good when the U.S. Coast Guard stripped the ship of its certificate of inspection, said Francis Murray, President and CEO of Palm Beach Casino Line, which owns the Big Easy.

Palm Beach Casino Line is not giving up though. It is contemplating flagging the vessel under a different country, which would make it easier to meet regulations. We're thinking Panama would be a good place to register it. Just ask the Egyptians who were aboard the Al Salam Boccaccio 98.

The Big Easy by the way is no minnow of a ship, as it is equipped with a 30,000-square-foot casino with four-decks and holds about 1,200 people.

"She's a special vessel," shared Murray. "But we never got to a level of stability regarding having enough qualified personnel."

Qualified personnel? Oh details, smetails.