I found this to be relevant to our situation:
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Inside Scoop on Poker Player Activism, Part 1
by Wendeen H. Eolis filed under Top Story on 2008-08-06 [Originally appeared in the August 18th, 2008 issue of Poker Player]
Wendeen H. Eolis
Poker Industry Leader
The summer of 2006 was a turning point for poker players and tournament organizers alike. Unimpressed with prior efforts to organize players or a player-management advisory board, I arrived at the World Series of Poker with no thoughts of getting involved with either the WSOPs nascent Players Advisory Council (PAC) or the newborn World Poker Association (WPA).
Two years later, I serve on the WSOP’s constructive PAC and am Immediate Past Chair of the World Poker Association, having resigned my post as Chair and member of the board this past June. History is instructive in what can work and what is destined to fizzle, as poker players, tournament organizers and card room executives continue to plow the course of player-management relations.
WSOP Commissioner Forms PAC
In 2006, Harrah’s Vice President and World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack established a Players Advisory Council, consisting primarily of marquee players; most had ties to online poker sites. According to Pollack, it was Daniel Negreanu who approached him about the idea of a PAC in the fall of 2005.
The commissioner seemed to have a soft spot for high profile players, chatting them up since his arrival on the scene in August of 2005, but at the opening bell of the 2006 World Series of Poker, players found little evidence yet of Pollack’s grand plan to improve the customer experience. Poker pros and loyalists who had made the annual pilgrimage for years, railed at the hikes in tournament costs and bristled at the lack of attention to customer service. Players were ripe for an organized effort to change the rules of engagement.
Jesse Jones Pushes to Organize Poker Players
Directly outside the WSOP arena, Jesse Jones was holding court at his premiere positioned exhibit booth, stirring disgruntled players into battle. It was here that Jesse’s Organization came to life as the World Poker Association.
A successful poker pro and three-time cancer survivor, Jones had previously shown interest in organizing poker players. A couple of years earlier, he was an officer of the fast-failed WPPA (which was publicized as a unionizing effort). Jones resigned from the WPPA amid friction immediately following the first tournament.
Soon after, he helped develop plans for another poker player association, the IPPPA. He was reportedly eased off the steering committee of the IPPPA because colleagues perceived his philosophy as too rigid, too extreme, and too close to a union organization plan. The IPPPA never got off the ground.
"Jesse's Organization"
Jones had recently sunk thousands of dollars from his own pocket to return to the business of uniting poker players and related poker entities. Pointing to increased tournament fees, higher-priced rooms, and unprecedented food costs, Jones promised to promote professionalism in poker competition, improve playing conditions, fight against corporate greed and balance the power between tournament organizers and players. He studiously avoided any references to building a poker player’s union.
His pitch attracted supporters like flies. Approximately 80 players anted up $1,000 apiece as founding members, including the likes of Phil Gordon and Daniel Negreanu who were part of the WSOP’s new PAC. Several hundred additional poker enthusiasts raised their hands with smaller bills.
Shortly after the WSOP, Jones contacted me, soliciting support for his cause. We discussed his needs for legal counsel and then moved to his plans: establish a Board of Directors, appoint committee chairs devoted to upgrading professionalism in poker competition and advocate for improved playing conditions. I was hooked.
Poker Player Groups Are Hot Commodities
The promotion of poker industry advisory boards and poker player associations had been fierce and frenzied for the better part of the past two years. In 2004, the World Poker Tour’s CEO, Steve Lipscomb, established a Player Advisory Board though the Committee was criticized as subjectively biased in selecting and excluding various participants for the Inaugural Professional Poker Tour.
During the same period, Louis Asmo, an experienced poker player and businessman formed the WPPA with visions of a poker player’s union and a “play for pay” policy. Jesse Jones served as his treasurer. The WPPA inked a deal with GSN for televised tournaments, but according to players involved there was little appetite for Asmo who promoted strife and mistrust in the burgeoning organization. Jones resigned after the WPPA’s first and only tournament. Both the WPT Player Committee and Asmo’s WPPA went down the tubes.
Other entrepreneurs came crawling out of the woodwork, too, attempting to unify poker players. The chant was becoming familiar: “The time hath come for the poker player to have a voice.”
Among the wannabees were Dallas–based entrepreneur Tommy Eubanks and a long established Denver-based speaker bureau, Brooks International, headed by Maureen Brooks.
Eubanks connected with Texan poker queen Clonie Gowan who in turn helped attract a potential Board that was to include Matt Savage, Tom McEvoy, Robert Williamson, Mike O’Malley, and Eric Morris. The poker personalities were impressive but ultimately players backed away as they came to believe that USPA’s founder would chew up membership dues in salaries for a few.
Brooks first reeled in David Chiu and then the likes of Johnny Chan, Jennifer Harmon, Marcel Luske, Daniel Negreanu, Annie Duke, Amir Vahedi, Alan Cunningham, Mark Seif, Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth, T. J. Cloutier, and Chris Ferguson and Chiu for a meeting.
A smaller steering committee included Jesse Jones. One Brooks executive recalls with admiration Jones’ passion to empower players but considered his views too extreme to work effectively in the group. A key meeting to lock in a management team was scheduled. Jones was not invited to attend the meeting. Later the business plan faded away.
In November 2005, Jones incorporated the WPA but it wasn’t until the 2006 that it gathered steam. Throughout the halls of that year’s WSOP players referred potential recruits to “Jesse’s Booth” and talked animatedly about Jesse’s Organization.
WSOP Starts “the List”
At the same time that the WPA was taking shape under Harrah’s nose, WSOP officials were actively responding to players’ biggest complaint: customer service had evaporated into thin air. Pollack and his team convened for a post-tournament debriefing with plenty of notes in hand.
In the next issue, Eolis traces the rise and subsequent unraveling of the WPA, and the PAC’s successful formula.
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Editor's Note: Read Part 2 of Poker Player Activism -- This story is part of material intended for use in Ms. Eolis' updated book, Power Poker Dame.
Wendeen H. Eolis is CEO of EOLIS International Group a legal/business consultancy. In her spare time Wendeen became a poker ace and a leading activist in the poker industry. She has written articles for various law journals as well as poker publications. Visit eolis.com for info on her book and for speaker bookings.
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Inside Scoop on Poker Player Activism Part 2 of 2
by Wendeen H. Eolis filed under Top Story on 2008-08-19
Wendeen H. Eolis
This is the second and final piece about the World Poker Association's rise and unraveling, and the significant progress of the World Series of Poker's Players Advisory Council.
Pollack Hunkers Down to Upgrading Customer Experience
In January 2006, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack launched the Players Advisory Council (PAC). He promised, “No topics are off limits.” The group met frequently before the 2006 WSOP to discuss such basic issues as — food quality, offensive smoke in hallways, and much more about the potential for the new collaborative relationship. The WSOP team quickly saw a goldmine of advice and expertise in the initial group.
Nevertheless, during the summer of 2006, the WSOP team lost ground in player satisfaction with Harrah's/Rio Management. Pollack saw the bright side while focusing on improvements; the tournament itself drew unprecedented player participation, “positive vibes” flowed among thousands of mesmerized customers, and the WSOP also earned staggering income for Harrah's.
The Commissioner walked the halls regularly, expanding his outreach with WSOP executives and staff and also with players. Behind the scenes the WSOP team was brainstorming ways to extend the brand and “enhance the customer experience” with broader help from the Players Advisory Council.
A visit from Pollack while he was in New York after the WSOP, led to my joining PAC and helping to organize a sister Council for European players (IPAC) in the spring. PAC added several additional representatives and advanced dramatically in 2007, with players offering input on structures, payout changes and rules.
WPA Becomes Organized
Although Jesse Jones successfully recruited hundreds of members during the 2006 WSOP, it was not until spring of 2007 that a WPA Board of Directors was elected. Upon learning I was one of the nine elected directors, I decided to review the organization's website. Some of the content gave me pause. Jones was speaking only for himself, but presenting material as if the board had fully ratified every aspect of his personal vision. I called Jeffrey Pollack who had also run for the board and had just been elected. I suggested that he review the website. He withdrew the next day — prior to the first Board meeting. I decided to proceed after receiving assurances from Jones that he would work collaboratively in policy making and decisions.
The first meeting of Directors took place in April. Jones was elected Chair. Yours truly was elected Vice Chair. The devoted group labored for more than seven hours trying to get a full understanding of Jones' personal vision which was as unfamiliar to most of the Board as it had previously been to me—until I toured the website.
It turned out that Jones had a grand plan for tournament poker players (and only tournament poker players)—to empower them like never before through a governance system that would put tournament poker, worldwide, under WPA's ruling umbrella.
Strife
Within a few months it was clear that Jones was not only a fervent supporter of his personal vision but also reluctant to participate in modifications recommended by other board members.
The WPA Board was increasingly hampered by conflict arising from Jones' desire to pursue his ideas strictly on his own terms and fast track his proposals into done deals, regardless of other opinions.
In December 2007, Jones resigned from the Executive Committee. He remained as a Board member and critic. In February 2008, Jones gave up his position as an officer. He was accorded the title of Chairman Emeritus. Yours truly stepped into the Chair.
Once in the hot seat, I moved quickly with two initiatives for the remaining three-month term: 1) WPA's first annual conference with a membership meeting and elections of officers and additional board members and 2) development of a highly capable board to meet the challenges of membership retention and growth and the expertise to create a viable long term business plan.
The 2007-2008 Board sent to the membership a sterling slate of Board candidates for the 2008-2009 year; expanding the Board's number, diversity and collective poker prowess and business skills. The new Board was elected May 28. I was reelected as Chair. I looked forward to a collegial group building on the mission of promoting poker as a sport with improved playing conditions and concrete membership benefits. However, shortly after the elections, Jones was in the halls of the 2008 WSOP, promoting his personal vision mostly through criticism of the leadership—especially the Chair.
WPA Board Unravels
Among the estimated 1400 members listed in the WPA membership directory, an estimated 1100 voting members were asked to make renewal dues payments in 2008, but only 135 (estimated) elected to do so as of mid-June for the June 2008-2009 membership year.
At the June 10 Board meeting I resigned, after concluding that Jones' views on how to handle critical membership issues, coupled with his pervasive negativity would be a recipe for probable failure of the association. For the record, I should say here that I tendered my notice of resignation before I considered the consulting assignment I am doing in connection with the upcoming presidential election. Jones “warmly accepted” my decision to resign, and immediately announced his desire to be reinstated as Chair asking the others to remain— with a passionate plea for their continued loyalty.
Return to “Jesse's Organization”
My last act as Chair was to nominate Jones to retake the reins of the association. I urged the full support of his nomination after the Board voted (unanimously except for Jones’ abstention) to return membership dues payments made for the 2008-2009 year. Nine of the 11 voting board members walked en masse, returning the WPA to its roots as Jesse's Organization.
After his month-long membership drive at the 2008 WSOP, Jones took in only nominal dues revenues. In July, he declared that all unpaid renewals would be converted to lifetime memberships, effective immediately. It is yet to be seen how and whether he can attract voting Board members to assist him in a bid to empower poker players based on his personal formula. At this time, the WPA is an inconsequential organization.
PAC's Winning Formula
In contrast, PAC has matured productively. Issues of personality are checked at the door. Intellectual differences are bridged by a commitment to progress. Pollack and his team rarely exercise management prerogatives summarily, ever-mindful of retaining respect for the collaborative effort.
By all accounts the 2008 WSOP was the best-run tournament in its history. WSOP Management opened the access door. PAC Participants have been encouraged to provide input. And WSOP's PAC has gained visible influence in charting the future course of the WSOP. The comparative analysis of WPA and the PAC provides a history lesson for future poker player advocacy.
Editor's Note: Wendeen H. Eolis is CEO of EOLIS International Group a legal/business consultancy. In her spare time Wendeen became a poker ace and a leading activist in the poker industry. She has written articles for various law journals as well as poker publications. Visit eolis.com for info on her book and for speaker bookings.
Read Part 1 of Poker Player Activism -- This story is part of material intended for use in Ms. Eolis' updated book, Power Poker Dame.
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/09/18/the-driver
The Driver
Ron Blount enlisted an army of cabbies to battle the parking authority. Is he the man to lead them?
by Isaiah Thompson
Published: September 17, 2008
ON A DAMP, WINDY NIGHT IN JULY, SOME 50 CAB DRIVERS GATHERED IN THE CORNER OF A VAST PARKING
lot abutting the airport to await the outcome of an election that would determine who would speak for the taxi drivers of
Philadelphia.
.......
