And a Shooting Star Was Born

By Bay 101 Tournament Director Far Mofidian

I have often been asked to offer my theory behind the immense success of the annual Shooting Star Tournament, which is set to take place April 6-8 at Bay 101 in San Jose, California. Neither an old hand of the industry nor a tournament guru, I have humbly suggested the following: "Just like any success story, it has taken great creativity and imagination, passion and intellect, experience and expertise, and a great deal of collective effort."

Let's analyze these components independently:

Creativity and imagination: When Executive Vice President Marko Trapani came up with the idea, you could hear the usual "won't happen, won't work" prophesies being whispered. But the man had an inkling that he had come up with something very special – not for himself or even Bay 101, but for the everyday local player who was yearning so badly to be involved in a major event in the world of poker that possessed a local identity. The advantage of hindsight makes it easy to say that he was dead-on.

Passion and intellect: Marko basically came up with the whole idea and asked the people at the club to "run with it." Chuck Thompson, with his great passion for poker and his fantastic knowledge and experience in tournaments, started working on the infrastructure. My predecessor, the very talented and classy Karl Fox, implemented those directives, mixing them successfully with his own personal style.

Experience and expertise: I am more nervous and anxious during the regular Sunday tournaments than I am during a major event of such magnitude. The explanation is quite simple: During the Shooting Star, I can look around me, and within a few feet there will be someone who can answer any of my questions and find a solution to any of my problems in a few seconds. Years of experience and expertise that I can rely on come from General Manager Ronald Werner, Casino Manager Charles Skidmore, Poker Manager Stan Seiff, Casino Coordinator Susan Deeb, the shift managers, and the floor supervisors, who all are there to offer a helping hand. Also, many employees selflessly take time off from their regular functions every year and in reality run the tournament shoulder to shoulder with me, while Executive Administrative Assistant June Richardson works quietly behind the scenes carrying out her great role, always with a beautiful smile.

Collective effort: Every year at this time there is a buzz at Bay 101, as everyone is busier than normal. Everyone works very hard, but selflessly, toward a common purpose with no personal agenda. That common purpose is to make the Shooting Star Tournament an unforgettable event and a memorable experience for the players, and to never be content with the status quo. There is never a sense of complacency. There is always an effort to make the event better than the year before. However, what I am most impressed by is the fact that all of the hard work and attention to detail is done with great calm and a unique self-deprecating sense of humor, a Bay 101 trademark.

The focus of all of our efforts is toward making sure that our players, who are the finest group of customers any entity could wish for and whom we genuinely consider to be part of the Bay 101 family, are satisfied and are part of an event that matches their class and style. With that in mind, a new program has been implemented this year through which one of the stars will be a local player.

There may be tournaments with more players or bigger prize pools than the Shooting Star, but by focusing on substance and quality, Bay 101 has found its undeniable presence and place in the poker world.