Lifting Poker to a Higher Level: Jeffrey Pollack is Implementing a 'Shift and Lift' Strategy at the World Series of Poker

When Harrah's bought the World Series of Poker in 2004, the tournament was already experiencing unprecedented growth. That year, the championship event tripled in size, from 839 players in 2003 to 2,576. It was obvious that Binion's Horseshoe was pushed beyond its limits, and the WSOP would suffer as a result.



Harrah's devised a two-part strategy called "shift and lift." The "shift" would involve moving to a larger venue, capable of handling the increasing number of players, fans, and media. The "lift" would be even more ambitious – to not only improve the WSOP for the players, but to increase its stature among mainstream sports.



The shift was completed in 2005 with a successful move to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. But to execute the lift, Harrah's would need someone with experience and vision beyond the casino industry – someone like Jeffrey Pollack.



Jeffrey Pollack:Sports Marketer Extraordinaire

Jeffrey Pollack has a deep resume when it comes to sports marketing. Back in 1994, he created The Sports Business Daily, the first daily trade publication for the sports industry. It was an immediate success, hitting the market just as the National Hockey League suffered a lockout and Major League Baseball canceled the World Series due to a players strike.



Pollack had sold the publication by 1998, when NBA Commissioner David Stern asked him to consult during that year's NBA lockout. Pollack knew nothing about collective bargaining, but he understood politics, the media, and how to run a campaign. After crafting a marketing plan to relaunch the league after the lockout, Pollack accepted a full-time job as the NBA's president of marketing and corporate communications.



In 2001, Pollack tackled a fresh challenge as the managing director of NASCAR's broadcasting and media group, where he played a critical role in the marketing of the sport. Pollack led NASCAR's new media ventures on the Internet, cable television, interactive television, satellite radio, and mobile technology, and directed the sport's relationships with its broadcast television partners.



Over the next few years, television ratings skyrocketed as NASCAR became one of the hottest spectator sports in America. Pollack was recognized for his contributions, even winning two Emmy awards for developing NASCAR in Car, an innovative and interactive television program.



In his own words, Pollack was "deliriously happy" at NASCAR, but he couldn't resist the call from Harrah's last year. The opportunity to bring the World Series of Poker to new heights was just too good to pass up.

Jeffrey Pollack:Commissioner of the World Series of Poker

Pollack has high ambitions for the World Series of Poker. "I view the World Series of Poker as a 37-year-old 'start-up' with a rich history and tradition," he said. "It's very well-established from a poker and gaming standpoint, but from a business and marketing standpoint, there's still plenty of opportunity."



Pollack took the lead in creating an open dialogue with top poker players, forming a players advisory board to elicit their thoughts and address their concerns. Their earliest meetings focused on restroom availability and the price of pizza; Harrah's promises to improve both areas this year. The meetings eventually led to the addition of a $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, combining hold'em, Omaha eight-or-better, razz, stud, and stud eight-or-better in the first event ever to feature a higher buy-in than the $10,000 championship. Pollack stated, "The H.O.R.S.E. event is one way we're responding to our customers, and building on the tradition and heritage of the World Series of Poker."



But Pollack won't stop there. He said, "Poker, basketball, and auto racing – at some point, it's all the same." Poker has made great strides on television in recent years, but compared to NASCAR and the NBA, there is still plenty of room for poker to grow into a mainstream spectator sport.



I visited with Jeffrey Pollack, the quintessential overachiever, and discussed the issues of the 2006 World Series of Poker. This is what he had to say:



Lisa Wheeler: How would you describe the sports industry as it relates to poker?



Jeffrey Pollack: The sports industry is a multibillion-dollar industry with dedicated professionals who work within that industry. Examples are sports leagues, sports teams, and divisions of television networks, Internet sites, publishing companies, talent representation, sports law, and sports-facility design; all require a sports-management expertise. Harrah's recognized that the sports business is unique and different. Just as the entertainment industry and Hollywood have their own structure and professional sensibility, so does sports.



LW: What is your mission for the World Series of Poker?


JP: My mission is to further establish the World Series of Poker as the most prestigious poker tournament in the world, and as the number one poker brand in the sports and gaming industries. Harrah's has a deep bench of poker professionals and poker experts. We've got the gaming side covered. That's not why I'm here. My goal is to better organize and manage corporate structure supporting the World Series of Poker, and to grow the tournament as an entertainment property.



All of that said, I know that the soul of the business, the soul of our tournament, begins and ends with what happens on the competitive playing field. What happens in our tournament room has to be our core priority and focus. The World Series of Poker is a charmed property. We have a 37-year heritage, but, frankly, I think we can do a better job celebrating it.



LW: Describe the team you have developed to organize the effort and assist in meeting the mark by June.



JP: We have people like Howard Greenbaum, VP at the Rio and the day-to-day director of the World Series of Poker, and all that happens in the tournament room. Gerry Tuthill, corporate vp of table games, is also part of the management mix. Gary Thompson, director of communications, lives and breathes the World Series of Poker, and David Patent is the assistant GM at the Rio. The tournament crew from last year is already in place, and World Series of Poker Tournament Director Robert Daily is committed to making a great experience even better. He and his staff were very successful in their efforts in 2005.



LW: You recently announced the creation of the Players Advisory Council. Who are they, and what role do they play in further developing the World Series of Poker?



JP: The Players Advisory Council consists of six top poker professionals – Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, Howard "The Professor" Lederer, Robert Williamson III, and Daniel "The Kid" Negreanu – along with Marissa Chien and Robert and Maureen Feduniak, who represent the nonpro viewpoint. The outstanding operations team at the Rio and this council will work together with me to further enrich the entire World Series of Poker experience and make a great tournament even better by sending a clear "player first" message. No topic will be off-limits, and while we may not agree on every issue, our goal is to have a clear communications process and give everyone new perspectives to consider.



LW: Is the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event directly related to the Players Advisory Council?



JP: Yes. The introduction of the H.O.R.S.E. event is a direct result of council interaction. I heard them loud and clear. We needed to create an event that was different. H.O.R.S.E. is a variation of no-limit hold'em, Omaha, razz, stud, and stud eight-or-better. It has the highest buy-in in the history of the World Series of Poker, but there will be satellite tournaments offering any player an opportunity to participate.



LW: Has the Players Advisory Council influenced any other decisions in developing the 2006 World Series of Poker?



JP: Universally, I heard that bathrooms were crowded and pizza was expensive and not very good. We have a better plan for bathrooms and pizza. Another player enhancement allows those entering the main event to choose their start dates, as long as seats are available. This will prevent players who register early from having to play back-to-back sessions.



We're finding solutions. It's a work in progress. By the end of this year, I want people to look back and say, "The 2006 World Series of Poker was an improvement over 2005."



LW: You mentioned recently that you'd like the World Series of Poker to become the Wimbledon of poker. Can you clarify that statement?



JP: When people think Wimbledon, they think of the ultimate tennis experience. I want them to think the same thing about the World Series of Poker. Our tournament should be perceived as the ultimate expression of excellence in poker.



LW: How do you propose to achieve this?

JP: We're working on new and enhanced alliances in broadcasting, and new media. We have a great partnership with ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, and another one with GLU Mobile, the leading mobile content producer and distributor. We have a deal with Activision, a leading software developer, for World Series of Poker-branded video games; another with WSM Gaming for World Series of Poker video slot products, and yet another with AOL for World Series of Poker-branded free-play Internet games. We're pursuing more radio exposure and print publishing. And, we have some very successful World Series of Poker merchandise agreements. Soon, we'll unveil our new and improved World Series of Poker website that will be up and running before the event begins this year. When you get the media distribution and player relations right, consumer product companies will want to become more involved. To get that business going, we've hired Ty Stewart, a top NFL marketing executive for seven years, to be our director of sponsorship and licensing.



LW: What efforts are being made to expand brand awareness and improve marketing of merchandise for the World Series of Poker?


JP: We're looking at everything more strategically and building for the long haul. IMG, the top sports marketing agency in the world, is now our global sales agent. It's a world-class effort, and together we're searching for a family of six to 12 of the right sponsors who get who we are and want to promote us year-round on a national level. There'll be an increased effort to bring more attention to the World Series of Poker, not just within the poker community, but also among sports fans in general.

I also see World Series of Poker events in other countries. I'm not sure exactly what that means or how we're going to do it, but I see World Series of Poker events in the UK, Australia, and Europe in the future. They wouldn't compete with the main event in Las Vegas. On the contrary, they would have to enhance the finals here at the Rio. Stay tuned.



LW: Where would the commissioner of the World Series of Poker be found playing poker?



JP: In private – away from the public. Just as you won't see David Stern on the basketball court or Brian France behind the wheel of a racecar, you won't see me at a poker table. But, again, that's not why I'm here.