Matt Savage - A Rising Star

Many of you have heard of the TDA – Tournament Directors Association. The TDA is comprised of a group of tournament directors, cardroom managers, and players from around the country whose objective is to draft a standardized set of rules for poker tournaments. The TDA, established in 2001 by Dave Lamb, Matt Savage, Jan Fisher, and me, meets annually to discuss the addition of new rules and to amend or eliminate any of the current rules.

Recently, Matt Savage, tournament director at Lucky Chances Casino in Colma, California, volunteered to prepare an itinerary for the 2002 TDA meeting. He solicited the opinions of many players and cardroom personnel, and has accepted the task of gathering this information for introduction at the meeting. This is no part-time job, either; Matt's personal E-mail has been flooded with back-and-forth correspondence between committee members, often surpassing several hundred communiqués in one day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Matt several years ago, when I attended a weeklong tournament at Lucky Chances. I was so impressed with him that I remember writing an article praising his skills as a tournament director. Matt is young and energetic, and has a real passion for poker. I caught up with him recently and asked the following questions:

Linda Johnson: What is your poker background?

Matt Savage: My first experience in a poker room was working as a chip runner at Garden City in 1991. From 1994 to 1998, I worked as a dealer, floorman, and tournament assistant at Bay 101. In 1998, I became the tournament director and promotions coordinator at Lucky Chances. Part of my job is to plan and help with employee events like the Christmas party and employee tournaments, and to help with community events like the Heart Walk. I even got to be a disc jockey for a few nights in our nightclub.

LJ: What do you like best about your job?

MS: I like interacting with customers. Also, I have enjoyed the opportunities that Lucky Chances owner Mr. Rene Medina has afforded me to travel and meet some of the wonderful people in the industry. My biggest break was meeting my wonderful wife, Susana, at work.

LJ: What do you like least about your job?

MS: Dealing with people who don't appreciate their jobs. Thankfully, there aren't many in this category.

LJ: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

MS: Being one of the founding members of the TDA. The TDA has the ability to accomplish what many people have tried to do for so long.

LJ: How did the TDA originate?

MS: While at the 2001 World Series of Poker, I had a conversation with Dave Lamb, Jan Fisher, and you. I asked why there was so much talk about tournament rules standardization and nothing was being done about it. I remember that you laughed and said forget it. When you realized I was serious, we all agreed it could become a reality. We set up a meeting and more than 20 tournament directors attended. The meeting lasted all day, but we finally were able to agree on 14 rules that all of us would try for a year. More than 30 cardrooms are now using TDA rules, including most that have major tournaments.

LJ: Analyze some of the obstacles of the TDA.

MS: There really shouldn't be any, since both players and tournament directors benefit if they know that the rules will be the same wherever they go. The reality, though, is that some clubs have to follow local regulations that differ from TDA rules. Another problem is that there are many different opinions on even basic situations. The whole key to making the TDA viable is that people must be flexible enough to adhere to the rules that have been approved by the majority of the members.

LJ: Which rule is the most controversial?

MS: Rule No. 9, which states that all cards must be turned faceup once a player is all in and all action is complete. Many players object to the rule because they believe it encourages players to play better and gives others "a line on their play." I like the rule because it speeds up play, prevents slow-rolling, and adds excitement, and if it prevents even one player from colluding or the perception of collusion, it is a worthwhile rule.

LJ: What rule would you like to see standardized that will be difficult to adopt?

MS: I would like a rule that states that anyone proven to be guilty of cheating will be banned from all TDA-sanctioned tournaments.

LJ: What advice would you give to new poker room employees?

MS: I would recommend that they get to know as many people's names as possible and say hello to them. You can make someone's day just by being friendly.

LJ: Do you have any closing comments?

MS: I am much better at running tournaments than I am at playing in them.

This is very true. In fact, after doing our interview, Matt accepted a position as co-tournament director at the 2002 World Series of Poker, along with Steve Morrow. I asked him to comment on his new job.

MS: Steve and I will do everything we can to make sure the World Series is run professionally and with integrity. I am excited to be working at what most people consider to be the crown jewel of poker, and look forward to meeting many people from around the world. I have received a great deal of support from people I love and respect, and I will do my best to make the 2002 World Series a well-run event, not only for Binions but for the poker world, as well.

Matt is one of my favorite people, and I wish him all the best in the future.

Now, let's play poker!

For information about Card Player Cruises poker vacations, the World Poker Players Conference, the World Poker Industry Conference, or poker in Costa Rica, please contact me at [email protected].