Jeffrey Pollack
How do you go about organizing such a mammoth event?
It takes a year in advance to plan for the World Series of Poker. We have at least thirty people who are thinking about the WSOP almost full time, all year round.
Did you actually start planning for this one before the end of the last one?
Well, I wasn’t here for the last one, but I do know that we’re going to start planning for ’07 probably before the start of ’06.
What kind of field are you expecting? Is there going to be a cap?
There will be no cap and I am reluctant to predict what the field will be. My hope is that it will be as big as last year, if not bigger.
There’s a lot of histor y and tradition behind the tournament. Is it a challenge to retain that spirit and put on this huge event at the same time?
It’s an opportunity rather than a challenge. I actually think we haven’t done a good enough job celebrating our history and traditions, and I’m going to change that. I believe that what makes the WSOP so great is the fact that we have a very rich 37-year history that is unique to us and will always be unique to us. It’s part of what makes us so special and attractive, and I want us to honor the past champions more. The challenge is to create a state-of-the-art Series today, while understanding and recognizing that we have a brilliant past to celebrate.
Tell us about the layout.
It’ll be held in one of the RIO ballrooms, the same place it was last year, but the tournament facilities will be greatly improved. We’ve added more bathrooms; we’ve introduced a new smoking policy; we have a new and improved food and beverage program. I think everyone will have a much more pleasant time playing in this Series.
Last year’s tournament was an amazing experience, but there was a lot of grumbling about the queues for the restrooms, the unappealing pizza stalls, and so on. Have you looked at what people have said and taken that on board?
Yes, we’ve been totally responsive. I’ve been working hard on this all year. I’ve heard universally that the bathrooms lines were too long, the smoking in the hall was offensive, and the pizza was terrible for the price. Now we have more bathrooms, no smoking in the hall, and bigger, better pizza slices at a lower price. There actually will be extended hours for the restaurants at the RIO. There is a new food court that will be in a massive air-conditioned tent right next to the playing area, dedicated for WSOP fans and participants. So we have dramatically improved, and invested in a new infrastructure for food and beverage and bathrooms.
What’s your long-term goal for the World Series?
My goal is to position the WSOP as the Wimbledon of poker. I want it to be recognized as the ultimate expression of excellence in poker. I think we already are, to a degree, but there’s room to improve from a business standpoint. We’re very focused on improving the operations of the WSOP and having the best possible player relations. My goal is that everyone who plays this year walks away thinking they had a better experience than ’05. And if they don’t, I want to hear about and will make it better for ’07. Player relations is job one.
