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I will be close to the action, here in New York, presumably breathing out a sigh of relief. Poker Player discharged its responsibility to the public in reporting the PPA/D’Amato deal in an exclusive bulletin February 16th. Mr. D’Amato, professional that he is, has not run away from signing a contract out of fear of a tough job or for the jollies of proving a reporter wrong.

The former Senator is poised to head the PPA’s lobbying efforts as members of Congress return from a week long recess to resume voting activities in Washington.

Senator D’Amato will lead the charge for a poker exemption to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006. The latest word in casino conference rooms, however, is that Mr. D’Amato may end up having to deal with a different bill that will delay a poker exemption in favor of a more global study of Internet gaming issues that reside in Pandora’s Box.

Over the next days, I’ll be spending time in Washington (on behalf of my day job), interviewing prospective counsel for clients. By mid week I’ll park myself at the Omni Shoreham Hotel which will be the center of the action for the Conservative Political Action Committee, as the CPAC Conference gets underway. In addition to hobnobbing with trespassing centrists in the crowd, and listening to political speeches (think top government officials and wannabees), I’ll be looking for reactions to the “Pothole” Senator’s new role high on the Hill.

Stay tuned for continuing bulletins and stories as poker unfolds on the stages of Washington.

In my spare time, I intend to be a drilling poker reporter all around, looking for chinks in the armor of a tough and rapidly expanding anti-gambling gang that plans to strut its stuff in the halls of Congress.

Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006

The three-term senator from New York has been courted by the PPA to represent the interests of the deep-pocketed online poker businesses in the aftermath of the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006. I’ll leave it to the legal journalists and law professors to opine on the complexities and debatable interpretations of its provisions. Suffice to say the new law attempts to end online betting by American-based players. Lawyers around the country say online gaming entrepreneurs who now take bets from American-based players are operating with significant peril of prosecution by an increasingly combative Department of Justice. Law firms will likely become the biggest beneficiaries of UIGEA, unless the law is repealed or a carve-out for poker is obtained post haste. I have yet to find a single CEO of a public gaming company who believes relief is in the cards anytime soon.

Reporter Disclosures

Enter Alfonse D’Amato on behalf of the PPA. Before proceeding further, I should say here, there was a time when Mr. D’Amato and I had a strained nodding acquaintanceship over my dual friendship with Rudy Giuliani (who I strongly support for the presidential nomination) and George Pataki (for whom I continue to have great respect). It was during a period where I took leave from my business, to do a short stint in Mr. Pataki’s first administration as the Governor’s first assistant and senior advisor.

I operated as an independent thinker. I never kissed any Republican’s ring, and I was on a different page from many of the Senator’s close friends. With that said, and a reputation for calling issues as I see them, I offer fair warning to my friends who are D’Amato skeptics, you will not be happy here.

The Poker Industry Has Flopped The Nuts With Alfonse D’Amato

More than two weeks ago, I came to learn that Mr. D’Amato’s role as Chairman of the PPA had been ratified at a meeting of its Board of Directors.

A genius move-the right blend of street smarts, charm, and chutzpah to go with his experience in Congress and every other corridor of political power.

Treading Water

I decided to hold up a report of this news as result of a discussion with Michael Bolcerek, president of the PPA. He explained there were sensitive issues to be worked through in the proposed transaction. I also learned that no contract had yet been signed. In the past days, however, well-founded rumors of a deal were rampant. I was holding a disintegrated secret. Then there were logistics issues: I was obliged to share the facts as I knew them with the publisher of Poker Player.

Based on my conversation with Mr. Bolcerek, I planned to break the story when the official news was rolled out to certain mainstream press. I expected to do a story for the same day with the PPA’s cooperation and in front of any other poker publication.

The Decision to Report the Deal

Several developments sent me to my word processor, last Friday, making Poker Player the first to report that the PPA had tapped Mr. D’Amato as its chairman prior to “official confirmations.”

On February 12th, an online site raised the curtain on the rumors of a planned relationship between Mr. D’Amato and the PPA.

The next day, Mr. Bolcerek responded to a query from New York Newsday, making formal acknowledgement of the talks. I had not expected this to happen prior to publishing my story. Then I learned that Mr. D’Amato was slated to give an exclusive interview to a poker media executive/journalist, before Poker Player would have an opportunity to interview him. Lastly, the unsigned contract was beginning to look like a facade, once I heard it was a done deal from a major gaming company CEO who was familiar with the negotiations.

There was no longer any way to convince Poker Player’s publisher that a further delay was responsible journalism. The business of online poker is on a straight path to headline news.

PPA Takes to the Stage.

Now, let me step back to last spring, and set the stage for the pending arrival of Alphonse D’Amato on the scene. With well-founded fears of anti-gaming legislation on the near-horizon, the nascent PPA united the leaders of several major online poker sites. The purpose was single-minded; a bid to convince Congress to separate poker from variously proposed legislation that had labored in both Houses for years, without resolution.

The San Francisco based and Washington savvy Mr. Bolcerek got moving quickly. In addition to gaining the services of lobbying counsel, the PPA President chaperoned high profile poker players Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Greg Raymer to the Capitol to learn the ropes of schmoozing with movers and shakers on the Hill.

During the festivities of the 2006 World Series of Poker, the PPA hosted a reception. The Washington-traveled poker pros sounded promising notes, as they told an SRO crowd of the positive reception they had received in the nation’s august legislative chambers. They also cautioned that the PPA was dependent upon grass roots support to make the industry’s voice loudly heard in Congress. Mr. Bolcerek called the assembled guests to arms, pleading for checks in support of the looming battle.

Dirty Tricks in Congress

The collective efforts of PPA lobbyists and poker pros Lederer, Ferguson, and Raymer proved no match for the wily, hi-stakes smooth calls of Bill Frist. The UIGEA of 2006 was tacked on to a popular Safe Port security bill, which, after passage in the House, Mr. Frist successfully rammed through the Senate in the very last moments of the Congressional session-without an iota of debate.

The UIGEA legislation was signed into law by the President, October 13, 2006. To be sure this could not enhance the birthday celebrations that day for tournament player extraordinaire T. J. Cloutier, or Henry Orenstein, creator of the popular High Stakes poker show on GSN, not to mention Yours Truly, who spent the day fielding calls from international gaming clients far beyond the world of poker.

Fallout Expands

Numerous online gaming businesses, particularly public companies, determined with their counsels that they were on the ropes in America. The remaining active players were put into a tailspin, scrambling for the most prompt and savvy advice to help them through the maze of the new legislation. There has been a domino effect. Related businesses are evaluating the economic fallout, as pressures mount for online gaming companies to abandon the American market.

Senator D’Amato Knows his Stuff

Enter Alfonse D’Amato. The PPA is putting big chips in the pot, looking to Senator D’Amato as the best advocate for the poker industry. If he and the Federalist Group with whom he will collaborate are able to succeed in their efforts, the benefits will be felt far beyond the interests of big online gaming companies. Senator D’Amato is well known for his commitment to the little people among his constituents as well as big business, and his interest in poker is sincere. He has been an avid player in home games for years.

The Senator will bring to the table his credentials as a mover and shaker about town and on the Hill, and likewise, his passion for winning. He will also bring sincerity to the more global cause of the estimated 140,000 members of the PPA. Indeed, with Alfonse D’Amato on board, PPA President, Michael Bolcerek’s chances of attracting the million-plus members he seeks, may be exponentially increased. Who could be a better pick to advocate for the right to play poker in your pajamas, if you may be so inclined, in the privacy of your own home?

D’Amato Can Be Charming

Alfonso, as he has introduced himself to more than a few ladies during his dating days, following separation and then divorce from his first wife, remarried the youthful Katuria Smith, in 2004. A lawyer, she has been described as the front and center cheerleader of his new career, while bringing him the wisdom one might expect from someone far beyond her years.

A Proven Lobbyist

A review of his company’s lobbying income shows that since marrying Katuria Smith, lobbying revenues have more than tripled. There may be many explanations for Mr. D’Amato’s post-Congress success, but no one describes his formidable talent as an advocate better than the Senator, himself.

In a penetrating interview with New York Magazine, Mr. D’Amato summed up his value as a consultant and lobbyist. He said, “In the Senate, I loved the battles. I loved winning things that everyone thought were impossible to win. Now I do the same thing for clients. I’m the best. I am. If you want an advocate, and you’re bein’ wronged, you want me, because I’ll find where to go, how to go, and what to do.” The PPA is banking on Senator D’Amato.

The key players continue to jockey for position in timing the announcements to various media, but the die has been cast; former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato has been tapped to sit as the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance. The PPA has grand plans, on behalf of an outraged poker community, to fight for a poker exemption to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. This legislation attempts to end online betting by American-based players. The PPA is putting big chips in the pot with expectations that Mr. D’Amato can turn the tide and re-secure the freedom for adults to play poker in pajamas- with a cyberspace seat in the comfort of their homes.

Two weeks ago, a confidential source who holds a powerful post in the gaming industry told me that it was a done deal. I did not let any grass grow under these feet. I called Michael Bolcerek, president of the San Francisco-based PPA and told him what I had heard. The phone went suddenly silent. He then demurred, saying there was no deal, and insisting I was way ahead of any story that might be appropriate.

As a result of my discussion with Mr. Bolcerek, I held up a report, not the least reason being that soon thereafter, I heard similarly from another source inside the Beltway. I was told, ” D’Amato’s election took place at a meeting he did not attend, and no contract has yet been signed.” In a telephone interview today, Mr. Bolcerek still assures me, “There is no signed contract.” But if I were a betting woman, I’d bet the ranch on this one. You can too. For more of the details that I have learned about Mr. D’Amato’s highly anticipated role and the political maneuvering that is in the works, stay tuned for my fuller report over the weekend.

It is easy to miss the subtleties, nuances, and signals that occur in every exchange. It is also easy to catch them by obeying the “listening laws” that are part of my 12-Step System to People Reading Excellence- formulated from decades of experience in reading people in business, politics, and card rooms.

At the poker table, careful attention to these listening laws helps substantially maximize winnings, and minimize losses. The key to this positive state of affairs in my own poker experience is a consistent effort to splice into my read of an opponent not only what he says, but also other audio connections to the hand; the dealer’s interactions, a whispered conversation between two players that are not involved in the hand, the words of a friendly “sweater” at the opponent’s side, or a floor person’s ruling.

Listening for audio clues and taking notice of silence are similarly important, as is eyeballing facial movements and neck pulse.

Common sense and pure logic are your friends at the poker table in validating both oral data and pointed silence.

But no matter how enamored I may be with the notion of womanly intuition, I know that my own results improve markedly with continued validation and adjustments of intuitive impressions of the players in a transaction- from the card room to the board room. In fact, I have watched more bankrolls evaporate in an instant in ‘bet the ranch’ negotiations thanks to intuition that has gone awry.

In a fast paced poker game, the proficient listener has a big edge. One of my 10 listening laws calls for customizing questions for the person and the situation with a view toward eliciting fast relevant answers rather than defensive or nasty replies. Consider the following before you leap into a full on engagement:

1. Are there specific pieces of information you are attempting to obtain? If so, how can you frame a conversation that will lead to this information without direct interrogation?

2. Are you trying to get a “baseline” reading of a person for better interpretation of subsequent interactions?

3. Do you have background information about the person’s current level of self esteem? Do you have information about this person that should be kept quiet?

4. Does the person to whom you will be speaking have specific expectations of you?

5. Is your opposite going to try to rush you into judgment or exert other pressure?

6. How do you feel? Are you clear-minded and in control? Are you calm, grounded, and confident in your own position?

7. Do you appear to be an empathetic listener? Is your demeanor an asset or a liability at the moment?

8. On a scale from ‘life and death’ to casual banter, how important is this transaction or poker hand that is in progress and how much do your feeling show through?

9. If the interaction takes a surprising downturn, will you be able to remain centered?

10. What do you think the other person thinks that you are thinking about his answers?

Listening

Law 5 directs the people reading student to “Be in the Now and Stay There.” The thoughtful listener tunes his ear both to the content of an answer and the style of delivery, recognizing that the care you take in framing questions will be reflected in the time it takes to unmask disingenuous answers. Your people reads are only as good as your understanding of the effect you have on the person you are trying to gauge. In poker, the pros excel at playing the player.

How To Listen To the Answers

Obviously, being a good listener is the flip side to being a good questioner. It starts with a simple precept: allow others to say what they want to say fully. The experienced people-reader does not worry about an orderly probe. It will flow naturally from his progressive read.

Questions can be presented in a wide variety of postures and guises-informational, open-ended, casual, humorous, rhetorical, confrontational, seductive, etc. Likewise answers can be filled with spin. A good listener hears with trained ears. In any negotiation, I listen to answers with special attention to how a person responds. Are there points of emphasis, repetitions, significant pauses, or nervous coughs? The modulation of tone is always significant, as is the speed and the volume of a voice. But in a poker game there is precious little time to chat up an opponent so as to peel away the layers of meaning in his banter. Ergo, the test bet is often the dynamite “listening” tool…

Silence can be a more complex response to unravel than long winded words. I ask myself constantly, “Am I hearing evasion or deliberate omissions?” Visual cues frequently come to the rescue in a crisis of silence; body language and facial expressions reveal much about a person’s comfort level, his attitude, and reactions to certain subject matters. Indeed, the way the person uses his eyes while answering questions is almost always a useful indication of thoughts behind the words. Does he maintain eye contact? Does he blink excessively? Does he look down during some answers and up on others?

Thankfully, all but the most savvy poker players have body and behavior tells that can be deciphered with common sense.

Nevertheless, the silent treatment can be unnerving and frustrating. But let’s face it: you are not always so lucky as to be dealing with a chatterbox!

So what do you do when you are stared down or someone is acting as if he is hard of hearing? At the poker table you can’t afford to let the other party shut down your fact gathering apparatus-part of which is interaction with him. It is in your interest to learn the general modus operandi and habits of an opponent in a negotiation of any sort. If you know that the odds are that the silent treatment will emerge as a regular part of a poker player’s table image, your best bet is to try to create an amiable relationship with him-away from the table…

If you ask innocuous, non-threatening questions when he is not in the throes of a big pot, there is a chance that he’ll exempt you from the silent treatment at a critical moment in a hand against him later. In poker, most players are more on guard while engaged in a hand. The hats, sunglasses, and silence are part of the camouflage outfit that competitors wear for special effect – the Game Face. If you see someone- in any situation- wearing his Game Face, you’re going to have to break through the façade, or go around it, in order to get any revealing insights. Between hands, or before and after the game, poker players are generally more willing to chat and socialize as a means of relaxation.

This is a good time to get baseline readings about an opponent’s demeanor; insure that any prior stress with you has fully dissipated, first. Take special note of voice modulations, and eye connections in a non-provocative environment. When he replies with enthusiastic praise for “Phantom of the Opera,” I note his gestures, how his eyes light up, vocal inflections- loudness, pitch, etc.

These reactions will provide you with reliable reads of the person’s behavior when he is on a more even keel – neither excited by the sudden prospect of a winning hand, nor nervous about bluffing with modest cards.

Well, a few hours or days later when I ask him how he likes his hand, even if he does give me the silent treatment, I may get clues from his demeanor. If he replies with the same tone of enthusiasm, I have reason to suspect that he has a good hand. If his response is slower, lower, with eyes averted- even if he tells me the cards are running hot for him- I might have good reason to suspect that he is bluffing.

Other than the most disciplined pros- who know how to use “the silent treatment” as a powerful weapon- most silent players have “tells” or giveaway behavior that an attentive listener/observer can read and understand. You’ll find that a majority of the quiet ones in any negotiation- at the poker table or the conference table- fall into silence as a form of insecurity. They don’t know what to do to protect themselves from giving out revealing signals of weakness and therefore settle on trying to conceal their feelings entirely. With these insecure types, know that your calculated momentary silence in interactions with them can be more powerful than theirs with you. And in any negotiation, sometimes it’s best to wait a second or two before jumping into the dialogue. If you don’t speak right up, a nervous person is likely to keep right on talking in order to fill the awkward void, giving you valuable information that might otherwise go by the boards.

Questions and answers are the most fundamental and formidable verbal interaction people have. By being aware of the different kinds of information that is provided in these exchanges, you develop sophistication as a people reader that most men and women never consciously develop. If you Obey Your Listening Laws in my 12-Step System to People Reading Excellence you will score home runs in the evaluation process of others’ answers.

Ms Eolis has decades of experience as an expert people reader in business, politics, and card rooms. The CEO of EOLIS International Group, she formed the People Reading Institute to offer to the public, seminars, lectures and coaching in her 12-Step System to People Reading Excellence. Wendeen was the he first woman to cash in the final event of the WSOP and has proved that she has staying power with another four WSOP cashes (most recently in 2006) as well as her election to membership on the WPT’s Inaugural Professional Poker Tour.

“Why are you asking?” and “What do you mean?”

These questions are powerful probes – and asking productive questions is a key element of my negotiating strategy in business, politics, and poker parlors. At the poker table your earning power is determined in large measure by your proficiency in the use of the PEP Principle.

Put the PEP Principle to Work

Probe, evaluate, and perform accordingly – PEP – combines the use of appropriate questions for specific situations, with analysis of answers from different vantage points. PEP calls for logic and common sense, both in the development of information, and the use of practical strategies to gauge the relevance and credibility of responses.

In the face of an inquisitive opponent at the poker table, one who asks you needling questions in the midst of the hand, it is well worth considering my childhood practice of lobbing back a query of your own rather than answering the question that was asked. This often allows you to glean more facts about his hand as well as his mindset in engaging you. It also helps you to avoid acting precipitously.

But like most strategies at the poker table, you must be flexible and able to adjust to the particulars of the game at hand.

Long before I arrived at a poker table, I learned that the heart of a winning deal resides in your ability to get the other side to respond usefully to you as you proceed through a negotiation. As a kid, my parents had viewed my rapid fire challenges as cute and as indicators of “smarts.” However, as a young adult, in a common law marriage with three children in tow, my knee-jerk questions frequently led to the dreaded “silent treatment” in the family room. From time to time I tried to dislodge such dismissal by asking my husband, “Am I talking to myself?” The usual answer was “No, I hear you. I don’t want to talk about it.” Then, one night, after a heated debate that I was not anxious to let go, I asked this question and got a different answer: “No, you are not talking to yourself, but you should be!” That incident served as powerful instruction for the poker table: pause long enough to take the pulse of another person’s receptivity, before diving head first into a quiz during a poker hand.

Pause, Reflect, and Evaluate Receptivity

I ask myself: “How would I feel about coffee housing, ‘trash talk’ or just some friendly banter if I were in the other player’s shoes?” I consider the personalities, the complexity of the decisions to be made in the hand, the emotional content of the questions I am inclined to ask, the sensitivity of the opponent to “in your face” tactics, and the pressure of the environment, be it a friendly low level cash game or a final table at the World Series of Poker.

These considerations are critical underpinnings of my PEP Principle in a card room. They can be adapted and/or be applied equally to personnel shuffles in the office, family budget cuts during a recession, and card room deals where worldly pros are more prone to stare in space than bare their soul.

PEP Reflections at the Poker Table

If you take the time to consider another person’s receptivity and ask yourself questions before plunging into a probe you subscribe to my “Slow-it-Down Gambit.” Nowhere is it more necessary to control the flow than in a fast-paced high stakes poker game. Here your adversary is invariably anxious to persuade you to respond without thinking things through carefully. The Slow-it-Down Gambit is a well placed pause that buys time to consider your adversary’s actions and words, and/or to consider and analyze your judgments, reflectively.

At the poker table this component of PEP has turned tough calls into some of my most profitable decisions. Rarely, however, has my Slow-it-Down Gambit gotten as much applause as I got at the 1986 World Series of Poker (“WSOP”).

Ten months after I took down my first pot in a serious No Limit Hold’em game, I jumped into the grand finale of the WSOP, which had a purse larger than the three golf majors combined. At my table everyone was acting relaxed and friendly, that is until I picked up a solid pair of jacks as my hole cards and made a substantial raise.

The good ole Texan across the table called quickly, saying, “Ya’ think ya’ got somethin’ babe?” Since I had a very respectable pair, and my opponent just called, I was pretty sure I had the best hand. I smiled, weakly. I wasn’t about to help him out. Previously slack-jawed and slumped comfortably in his chair, the Texan cowboy pulled himself up short.

Suddenly he was eyeing me as if I was about to become chopped liver. The dealer flipped up 9-7-2 on the flop. My opponent leaned way back, again, as he considered his next move. I followed his lead, allowing myself plenty of time to ponder a bunch of relevant questions (in no particular order):

An Introspective PEP Talk before I Acted at the Poker Table

The questions I ask myself at the poker table are adaptable for negotiations at any other competitive table – including even the round table in my family room!

1. What relevant background information do I have about him?

2. Can I beat him at his own game of banter?

3. Do I have a good baseline reading of his credibility?

4. Does he have specific expectations as to how I will act in this situation?

5. How quickly should I react to his moves?

6. Am I clear-minded in my decision-making process?

7. Is my physical appearance and demeanor an asset here?

8. How important is it for me to be engaged in this matter?

9. If events take an unexpected turn, can I remain centered?

10. How do I think he thinks this exchange is going?

By giving myself a PEP talk while the good ole Texan pondered his next move, I was primed for his cocksure demand: “Honey, how much mo’ money you got?”

An earlier confrontation at the table between him and Betty Carey suddenly flashed before my eyes.

Betty was widely regarded as the most courageous female poker player of all time. The good ole Texan had leaned back right before he made his move against her, calling her a transparent liar as he “came over the top” with a big raise. Betty read him for nothing more than a hand full of perspiration. She made the call, exposing his stone cold bluff. She hauled in a nice chunk of change.

In my case the Texan’s aggression was more playful. I suspected that he had better holdings than he had with Betty. Still, I saw the obvious parallel.

I asked myself, “Is there any other reason he might be trying to intimidate me?”

Sorting through the alternative ways I might solidify my read, I settled on a strategy of understated confidence. If the Texan put his foot on the bully accelerator pedal, I’d give his bravura credit for a bad act.

“Can the dealer just count me down?” I asked the cowboy coyly. “Alrighty,” he replied, waving his hand in disgust. “Dealer, count her down.”

Then as I stacked my chips neatly in front of me, my swaggering opponent said, “Honey, I’m puttin’ it all-in,” as he shoved his stacks toward the center of the table. Smirking, he teased, “Trust me, it feels better in.”

I took a moment to ask myself, “Is he thinking that I am just some sugar daddy’s honey who has no business in this game?” Again I leaned back slowly in my chair, this time pretty confident that I had him pegged, but not ready to go for the kill just yet. I deadpanned, “Should I call?” Then, to test him one more time, I added deliberately, “You are all in, aren’t you?” “Yeah, baby, I already told you, it feels better in.”

That second little lasso of crude innuendo cemented my strategy. My two jacks had to be good. The cowboy definitely wanted me to fold. This was the perfect reason to make the call.

Forced to show me his hand before I had to show mine, he turned over pocket tens. My jacks won. I did better than the Great Betty Carey!

I quietly pulled in all of his chips to a grand round of applause from the ladies in the stands.

The next guy who came to the table to take the good ole Texan’s seat gave the dealer a big “hello there” and cast me a wink. Seeing that I had just taken over as the table leader, he glanced at his racks of chips and added, “Honey, do I have enough to bust you?”

Last month it was the galloping poker economy, rather than a disaster in the making, that sent me scurrying off on a trip overseas. The itinerary was London, Barcelona and Vienna.

I was trying to keep up with Thomas Kremser, the immensely popular European tournament director who has established TK Poker Event Consulting, GmbH to serve the international poker community.

I had barely completed my visits when Thomas was hopping on another plane for Cardiff to oversee the televised Late Night Poker Series. Next he would be in Birmingham and then on to Stockholm where he had just scored a coveted speaking engagement at the inaugural World Poker Congress.

No trip to London is complete without a visit to the bustling Grosvenor Victoria Casino, where no limit hold’em has taken off like wildfire. The Brits used to be far keener on Omaha Pot Limit Hold’em, but these days everyone who is anyone seems to be sauntering over to the No Limit tables where big bankrolls reign in many of the small blinds games.

As luck would have it, I promptly bumped into European Poker Tour CEO, John Duthie. Duthie is a serious force on the European poker scene. In 2000, Duthie made international headlines as the winner of the Poker Million, on the Isle of Man. An experienced television producer, Duthie watched the fledgling World Poker Tour unfold in 2002. There and then he believed the time was ripe to create a European Poker Tour. The hotter the WPT became, the more excited Duthie was about making one of his own across the pond. In 2003, with the support of PokerStars, and tournament director extraordinaire Thomas Kremser as his chief consultant on tournament organization and rules, Duthie’s EPT opened with a bang. Earlier this year, Thomas and John had begun discussions about a third season of collaboration. But by the time I arrived in Europe, the poker scene was so hot that there were conflicting events all across the continent and it was beginning to look like Thomas would not be able to keep up with the growing market, or even figure out who might be the best clients. He says “I had to begin to think in new ways about my tournament consulting activities if I wanted to stay on top of my game.”

In addition to the call from the prestigious EPT, Thomas was mulling queries from both established and upstart companies every day. And then there was Betfair, a most serious gaming force in the UK, that had decided to gamble it up in South Asia.

Betfair was in the process of obtaining a license in Singapore to do a special tournament event (primarily to express gratitude to its online players). Betfair was scouring the continent and reaching across the ocean in search of the right tournament consultant for their project. And at the same moment, POKER4EVER, Ltd., another European poker site, headquartered in Malta, was also in hot pursuit of a poker consultant with impeccable credentials.

Thomas seemed to be on everyone’s radar screen, but overwhelmed and unsure of how he wanted to proceed in this incredibly bustling poker scene. He put aside all of the proposals that were floating through his fingertips, determined to focus on the business at hand in Barcelona. He was on duty there as the overseer of the jam-packed tournament in progress at Casino de Barcelona.

Besides you can only wine and dine so many suitors at once!

Why is the tall, handsome Versace-suited Kremser such a magnet for all manner of poker businessmen? In talking with Thomas over many days, it became clear that his knowledge of the tournament business, his reputation for fairness at the tables, and his proven expertise in dealing with customer needs might be unparalleled anywhere in the world. (Yes I am an unabashed Kremser fan and have been, since I first met him while covering the European poker landscape for another story.) At that time, Thomas was managing the Concord Cardroom Casino in Vienna, but he would soon have a taste for a more entrepreneurial career.

Thomas founded the IPF with top European player Marcel Luske and media maven Nic Szeremeta, the CEO of Poker Europa. Together they organized tournaments in St. Maarten. Thomas ran the show at the tables, recruiting and training the dealers, supervising floor staff, making the rules and watching the transactions. Thomas’ stock continued to grow as a tournament director, nabbing plumb assignments with Late Night Poker and an expanding number of impressive tournaments.

One thing led to another – and then came Duthie’s invitation to be part of the EPT, which surely enlarged Thomas’ “sandbox.”

So while in London last month, I chatted up Duthie during the poker game at the Vic, knowing there would be earnest negotiations coming up for the EPT3. “See you in Barcelona,” I said, leaving him with food for thought.

It was time to hook up with Ben Fried, head of Betfair Poker. A savvy executive, he told me there were plenty of tournament directors eager to go to Singapore and more than one that could probably do the job. But within a few minutes of discussion, he admitted that he fancied Thomas over the rest. Less than four weeks later, Thomas had signed a deal that could pave the way for big time poker tournaments in South Asia – where none have been held before.

The rendezvous with Ben Fried behind me, I packed my bags and hit the road, touching down in Barcelona for a three day visit with Thomas. The entrance to the portside casino in Barcelona is manned by police and security that check everyone’s identification. The registration process gave me time to familiarize myself with the surroundings and meet a few of the locals that know their way around a tournament table.

They proved that in the main event. The locals took home the lion’s share of the prize money, leaving the pros as well as other unsung hotshots behind. Downstairs in the poker tournament room, music summons players back to their tournament seats.

I could see the towering Thomas conferring with his staff in the center of the room. His wife, Marina, a savvy tournament executive in her own right, was dashing toward a film crew to assist as a commentator. Marina is an integral part of Thomas’ team on the poker trail. With the players snugly ensconced in their seats, again, Thomas welcomed me to Barcelona, suggesting dinner in the casino’s fancier restaurant rather than at the buffet that most players favor for fast grub during the tournaments.

Thomas talks excitedly about the biggest poker challenge that has ever come his way. The principles of POKER4EVER are now courting him seriously.

He tells me that it looks like he has a chance to use his expertise, and to work closely with the management of the online poker room, which would allow him to learn a new part of the poker business. P4E honchos tell him they have nothing short of excellence in their plans. It is music to Thomas’ ears.

As is Thomas’ wont, he undersells his formidable skills, warning the suits behind POKER4EVER that he knows what he knows, and that they need to know what he doesn’t yet know. The principles are undeterred.

The senior business executive later tells me that what he likes so much about Thomas is his total candor. “Let’s make a contract,” says the senior suit.

Thomas and I leave Barcelona, headed for Vienna to talk about his creating a new business venture. The time has come for Thomas to open his very own TK Poker Event Consulting, GmbH. “I want it to be special,” Thomas tells me. “It must serve an international marketplace, with a qualified team of professionals to man each station. And it must set the best example for player integrity at the felt.” With contracts all but completed with three “big players” and inquiries from others continuing to roll in, Thomas took the leap, opening TK Poker Event Consulting, GmbH, July 1, 2006. In a matter of days, he assembled a small contingent of highly experienced tournament managers and supervisors that are ready to roll at scheduled tournaments in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean this fall-winter season.

As part of his commitment to the integrity of tournament poker, Thomas promises clients that TK tournament directors do not participate in any manner or form so as to benefit from the results of any player’s performance in the competition. And this is a promise that is offered as part of the contract.

A day before the TK logo became official (July 1, 2006), Thomas mounted the stage of the World Poker Congress to discuss the ABC’s of tournament poker (with the likes of keynote speakers Steve Lipscomb and Jeffrey Pollack in the building). At the conclusion of the meeting, he returned to Vienna to begin signing contracts on behalf of TK and put the finishing touches on TK’s “Recommended Rules for Tournament Competition.”

TK will offer its “Recommended Rules” to all clients and plans to make them available in printed form at all venues for players, throughout the tournament. Thomas says he is grateful for the work that others have done to elevate the professionalism and sportsmanship of the game. TK Rules, he says, reflect the considerable efforts by multiple casinos, poker associations, colleagues and players.

TK tournament rules are organized and presented in clear simple English! In an ever increasingly sophisticated poker world, Thomas Kremser is a trailblazer. This week, Thomas is coming to town, visiting Las Vegas for a close up of the World Series of Poker in this new hotsy totsy American poker world.

With an estimated fifteen hundred poker players on board, the M.S. Westerdam departed from the Fort Lauderdale, Florida pier.

A blasting horn signified the official start of the Party Poker Million V, featuring the most prestigious annual Limit Hold’em tournament on the planet. The biggest poker room in the world moved seamlessly from cyberspace to the elegantly appointed digs of the cruise ship to host the most diverse poker festivities of the season.

The five day battle for supremacy in the big event included a three-handed ping-pong contest for the chip lead at the final table, and as players were eliminated, they still had a second chance in two consolation tournaments that were planned for later in the week, or could simply opt for the non-stop action in the cash games down the hall. There were also plenty of magical moments beyond the felt, with revelers rushing up the famous Ocho Rios waterfalls and swimming with stingrays off the beaches of Grand Cayman Island. A good time was had by all at our ports of call.

The tournament arena was surrounded with bay windows that drew a constantly ogling crowd, as the five hundred twenty-eight runners were whittled down one by one. By the time there were only three men standing, the pros were the odds on favorites to win. But after a ping-pong contest for the chip lead among Kenna James, a popular California pro with Hollywood good looks and a black cowboy hat, veteran player Scott Buller, a railway conductor from Nebraska with three prior cashes at the PPM, and Michael Schneider, a twenty two year old journalism student at the University of Minnesota, it was the amateur, Michael Schneider who turned up as the last man standing. An exuberant, well-mannered kid with scores of cheering friends in the crowd, Schneider withstood the pressure to take down the top million dollar prize. James scored as first runner-up for $700,000 and Scott, the only player to make it to the PPM annual tournament’s final table twice left with $500,000 for his third place finish. In addition to tournament competition, there were all manner of poker games in the card room, including one newly created Hold’em game that had the animated winners laughing it up all night long. The hotshot 5/10 and 10/20 No Limit punters at nearby tables were seen salivating for seats in the game next door, as pots worth thousands of dollars were built nightly from their thirty dollars worth of blinds at the beginning of the hand. When not glued to the card room’s chock-a-block cash games or making a run for the million dollar prize in the PPM V tournament, PPM voyagers were free to feast on gourmet treats from around the world, then encouraged to get rid of the calories with stints on state of the art gym equipment, or a few laps around the ship, preferably during a glorious sunrise or sunset.

The M.S. Westerdam’s gourmet dining room offered high style for guests with discerning palates who seek top-notch ambiance.

On day one, I made a beeline to the gourmet restaurant and booked a table for every night of the cruise.

My first night dinner date was with my good friends (and incredibly gracious hosts when I am in their neck of the woods), the very youthful Card Player Cruises honchos Mark and Lisa Tenner, who with partners Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher, did the hosting chores for the PPM V.

Dressed to the nines but with her mind on business, Lisa worked the gourmet room nightly, and then moved on, while hubby Mark watched over casino transactions throughout the evenings. Jan coordinated all of the tournament details and Linda devoted herself to every cruiser’s good and welfare.

Two days into our trip, Party Gaming welcomed twenty journalists for a dinner party; it was gourmet dinner number three for me. Mike Sexton, one of the best-known poker faces from televised poker shows held court at our table as the hard-working scribes jotted notes discretely as they looked for story hooks between bites.

Tournament poker/movie star Matt Savage made a trip to the gourmet dining room too, hosting a few hardworking staffers for gourmet fare. He invited me to join in the fun. In an after dinner tête à tête, Matt talked about his next poker show for the YES channel, and plans for the new International Poker Association Tour, which is scheduled to open at Hollywood Park Casino in April.

The ship’s dining rooms were filled with poker celebrities every night. Casey Kastle, one of poker’s greatest advocates for enforcement of top shelf ethics in tournament competition enlightened me on the new World Poker Association while chowing down on porterhouse. The WPA is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to unite poker players around the world and upgrade professional ethics and standards in tournament competition; Casey, Barry Greenstein and Kenna James are among the founding members of this organization created by Jesse Jones.

Poker pro Dan Alspach and fiance JoAnn Liu – both poker champs – were regular dinner companions during my trip as were Mike Carson and Steve Metzger, friends of mine for more than fifteen years. To my surprise they both suited up for formal dinners. Mike recently arrived at the final table of a WPT event as the chip leader, and Steve came in second last year at the Party Poker Million IV No Limit Hold’em consolation tournament.

The Party Poker Million offered unending choices for rendezvous. I sipped sparkling water with longtime friend and highly accomplished poker pro Marsha Waggoner at a hideaway at one end of the ship, and met up with WSOP bracelet holder Steven Zolotow, one of my earliest friends from the “big game” at the Mayfair in New York during the 80s, in a lively cocktail lounge a quarter of a mile away.

By week’s end I had dined, drank and danced with, or at least chatted up, most every “seasoned” poker player on board, including the residents of the Presidents’ suites, which were occupied by energetic WPA founder Jesse Jones and the Shulmans. I speak of Barry and Allyn Shulman who hardly need an introduction to anyone in the poker world! Rumor had it that poker prince Phil Ivey had his eye on a presidential suite for this trip, but not before Jesse and the Shulmans had snapped up the fanciest digs on the ship. According to one well-placed source, Ivey had offered to “buy out” a presidential suite from the CardPlayer Magazine honcho, but my mole said, “Ivey was told he might have a chance of getting Barry to consider playing ball, but that he was never going to get his brainy, gorgeous, poker-wise bride, Allyn out of that fabulous room!”

There were many high points on the Party Poker Million V – especially for poker’s newest millionaire, Michael Schneider, who plans to finish his university studies and invest his windfall winnings with care. And there was another magical moment at the awards ceremony. Players were given a glimpse into the character of another poker winner, Brian Saltus, who, as every seasoned poker tournament pro will recall, is the lawyer from Boise, Idaho who won the innovative grand finale event of the 2001 Tournament of Champions. The “TOC” was founded by Mike Sexton and Chuck Humphrey. Brian’s victory speech at that event left everyone spellbound, especially TOC co-founder Mike Sexton, as well as Linda Johnson and Yours Truly, who were handling the commentary chores. Brian Saltus took over the microphone from us to extend his humble thanks for the opportunity to compete against poker greats TJ Cloutier, Scott Nguyen and “Miami” John Cernuto at the final table, and for the chance to share his win with an adoring family as well as an appreciative audience. He added that winning the event had cast an everlasting glow over the sunset of his life, noting his ongoing cancer battle. A few months later, in the spring of 2002, Linda Johnson of Card Player Cruises and Mike Sexton of Party Poker joined together to honor Saltus aboard the annual PPM Cruise. They lauded his heart and courage at the table and his strength beyond the baize. And so was born the Brian Saltus Award. Recipients have since included Maureen Feduniak, Robert Williamson III and Barry Greenstein. This year, the powers that be turned the tables on Linda, leaving her out of the loop in the selection process. Linda Johnson was this year’s recipient of the Brian Saltus award – “for her long and tireless contributions to the industry and her unwavering commitment to do all she can for the good of poker.” The surprise presentation was made by her eloquent business partner and good friend, Mark Tenner. With the awards ceremonies complete, it was time to party again! A talented group of poker players mounted the stage, one after another, to strut their stuff. My buddy Kenna James sang lovingly to his wife, Marsha, and my longtime friend Michael Carson made those piano keys sing before we took off for a last supper and a joyous end to the Party Poker Million festivities.

Ms Eolis was elected to the inaugural Professional Poker Tour, and has received a corporate sponsorship at the 2006 World Series of Poker. She also has recently been filmed for a planned poker-related movie. By day, Ms. Eolis is the CEO of EOLIS, a legal management consultancy. She devotes significant time to public service as Task Force Commander of Hope’s Champion and has served as first assistant senior advisor to Governor Pataki and previously as an advisor to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

When Matt Savage, premiere tournament director and current co-star in the highly anticipated Lucky You movie, calls, poker players listen! Matt has more connections than the ubiquitous poker gods when it comes to putting players center stage on television.

With Matt’s pull and my moxie, I was confident that lightning was about to strike, and that I would soon soar into the galaxy of the most au courant poker stars. So I dashed out to the 2005 WSOP, the obvious hotbed of activity.

The top pros were preening while the second tier and understudies were cavorting about, like one arm paper hangers with a collective itch, attempting to curry favor with ESPN interviewers. And everyone was jockeying for position and stature, comparing their various invitations to red carpet parties.

With no headline-making tournament victories (playing only two of the forty-five tournaments did little to enhance the probabilities), I chatted animatedly about my biggest splash of the day. It was a jackknife dive at a local swimming pool.

And then I bumped into Matt Savage, manning his booth at the WSOP Lifestyles Trade Show. “Hey, Wendeen, there is someone I want you to meet,” he cooed. Pinning his cell phone to his ear and turning toward the wall, Matt excused himself, to make the pitch on my behalf.

“She’s here,” he said. “You want to meet her?” That is how I met The Man. Every savvy tournament player wants to meet him. This guy is paying players to come to the table, and he is putting more money on the felt for those who excel. His GSN televised Poker Royale shows paint not only the story of tournament contests, but also paints vivid portraits of every participant. This is accomplished with footage that shines on their feats at home as well as at the baize, and often in unexpected interactions with their fellow players – from the dance floor to the ping pong table.

Jeff Mirkin, president of Mirkin Productions is The Man. He is the centrifugal force behind Poker Royale.

I was mighty pleased to have the introduction, even if my hair looked like I just exited the pool. Jeff began my “casting interview” for Poker Royale’s upcoming “Battle of the Ages” (which will be seen throughout November and into December) with appropriate incredulity that I was old enough to qualify as one of the six “60+ seniors,” on the team of “Seasoned Pros,” (Matt had informed him that I had just squeaked into the qualifying pit).

The other team would consist of three men and three women under thirty- the “Young Pros”. After promising me that the seniors contingent would not be dubbed the ‘Over the Hill Gang” and that grande poker dames would not be portrayed as “Old Battleaxes,” I tossed my hat into the ring. I also threatened to use my untested tai chi training, if there were any slip-ups by the younger set.

After a couple of minutes of discourse, Jeff said, “I want you.” And then, the interview was over- just like that. He said I would hear from him. Could he be serious? I wasn’t sure if I had aced the interview, or if I had just been given a smooth brush-off. In a call from the Poker Royale offices, A few days later, I was assured the invitation, complete with an all-expense trip and appearance fee, was real. I also learned there would be another $50,000 on the table for the winner. I wanted to think this good fortune had come my way because a group of top pros had enlightened Mirkin that I was among the top six senior poker players on the planet (as the show bills us), but I really think that Mirkin was more overcome by the two ringing cell phones that I answered, simultaneously during our interview, and then replaced and secured, one on each side, close to the vest.

A highly successful television game show producer, Jeff Mirkin (“Greed,” “Card Sharks”) has worked with his sharp-as-a-tack partner Maureen Fitzpatrick for more than two decades. John Faratzis (Olympic Diving Competition, “The American Poker Championship”) rounds out a triumvirate that operates seamlessly. But it is Jeff that stands out as the guy who has been bitten by the poker bug.

Jeff likes to say he “was born a poor black sharecropper” who has sort of made good. While confident about his capabilities, he has a genuine humility about his considerable accomplishments.

Born in Queens, New York in 1958, Jeff was graduated from Richmond Hill High School in 1976. He got interested in poker as a kid, and in television during junior high school, when the teacher brought in a porta-pak. Jeff reports, “It was neither portable nor in a pack”. It was clunky equipment; a black and white camera with a one inch reel to a tape recorder and monitor. He recalls, “The kids were breaking their necks to get on the screen.”

The son of a lawyer/accountant who had many game show clients, including the mega successful duo of Goodson and Todman, (Goodson-Todman Productions), Jeff was immediately hooked up in the television business after graduating from Temple University, making his entry into “reality TV” long before we called it that.

He went off to California in 1981 to work for the People’s Court. Still on the air, this syndicated show connected him to production honchos extraordinaire, Ralph Edwards (This is Your Life), and Stu Billett. Stu became Jeff’s mentor, teaching him the inner workings of the television business.

When not glued to his work, Jeff often repaired either to a poker game or a blackjack table. Jeff started playing poker as a kid. He added blackjack to his arsenal of gaming skills after college but preferred poker, believing that the game of bets and bluffs is less dependent on luck. But while Jeff was intent on moving up the ladder of television, poker was limited to spare time fare.

It was while at Fremantle Media, where he was the executive in charge of development of programming, when American Idol was sold to Fox. And Jeff adds, “We sold a bunch of other stuff which included other game shows, including revivals of To Tell the Truth, Beat the Clock, Card Sharks and Press Your Luck.” No matter what he was working on, however, Jeff was also drawn to poker for its potential on television.

Before the concept of the World Poker Tour was even inked into a proposed business plan, Jeff and Vince Van Patten (commentator for the WPT, joined in an effort to sell a celebrity poker show after seeing some celebrities playing cards at the Bel Air Country Club. Jeff explains, “People looked at us like we were from Mars.”

Intrigued and seemingly forever fascinated by poker Jeff was destined to take an influential spot in the poker world. During his stint at Fremantlle, Jeff says, “We sold Whammy, an update of Press Your Luck- 130 shows.” Rich Cronin, the President of Freemantle loved Whammy. He got to know Jeff and picked up on the idea of a poker show right after the WPT came on the air. But a management change at Freemantle scotched the idea. Soon thereafter, however, Jeff was approached by an entrepreneur representing Louis Asmo, the self-appointed Commissioner Pro Tem of the nascent World Poker Player Association. Asmo had single-handedly founded a poker player association with a multi-pronged mission: to find television opportunities, sponsorships, and added monies to tournament prize pools for a wider selection of longtime experienced players, as well as current hot shots than were reaching center stage on the WPT, and at recent WSOP events.

Albeit feisty and too fiery for the taste of the poker community as a whole, Louis Asmo still must be given his due. He attracted the attention of GSN and Jeff Mirkin. A new collaboration was on course.

Mirkin found Matt Savage (or vice versa) to create a GSN tournament show that included 72 players. Mirkin nods to Savage’s considerable marketing prowess and relationships with poker players in making this initial foray into poker tournaments a respectable affair.

With one poker tournament under his belt, Mirkin thirsted for more. With Maureen at his side and John Faratzis, a nine time Emmy winner who has produced Super bowls and Olympics on the executive team, Poker Royale has already proven a winning gambit. John handles production matters and while Jeff handles creative and administrative matters.

For the next poker venture, Jeff Mirkin Productions tapped into a stellar final table with WSOP champion Carlos Mortenson and Party Poker Million winner Kathy Liebert among the contenders. With good critical and audience response Jeff was ready to push the envelope.

One thing was clear to the team: if the players were paid to participate, the producers could reasonably exert more control over the production values, and turn whines of poker player exploitation into exuberant cooperation. Jeff says that he has learned the benefits of putting up the money, explaining that you can steer the ship a lot better. Mirkin Productions offers the entire cast of a televised poker tournament airfare, hotel, hairdressing, make up and wardrobe assistance, and an appearance fee. While each show has some variations in the way, additional monies are distributed, the base fee is equal for all, and going out early does not banish you from the set. Every player’s story is highlighted in the course of his/her series.

The casts thus far have included movie stars the likes of Jennifer Tilly, James Woods and Patrick Warburton (a Seinfeld cast member) and champion players like Kenna James, Paul Darden, and Cyndy Violette, among scores of pros that have appeared thus far. Mirkin is always on the lookout for up and comers, as well as unique personalities fully committed to showing the full gorgeous mosaic of proven poker talent.

Rightly proud of his Poker Royale shows, Mirkin says that he and his partners share an unshakable position about how to treat people who come on their shows. To put it simply, Maureen said over breakfast one day, “Everyone on our team is primed to treat them like gold.” Jeff sums up their philosophy: “What differentiates what we do from other poker shows is that our stock in trade is really taking care of the people who come on our show.”

He concludes, “Game shows are reality shows by another name. When we did these shows in the 80’s and 90’s, we saw ourselves as owing them for being willing to do it.” Mirkin Productions is music to our ears.

Wendeen Eolis has put in four record-setting performances for a woman in major poker tournaments in the past 2 years and will be seen in four shows of Poker Royale’s Battle of the Ages this fall. By day, she CEO of EOLIS International Group and currently task force commander of Hope’s Champion, a disaster counseling program that is currently assisting Katrina survivors from the Gulf Coast. You may reach Ms Eolis at wheolis@aol.com.