WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:15.800 Hello, everyone, Welcome back to a new episode of the Poker Go Podcast 2 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:20.640 special episode today. Obviously, if you are in tune with the poker world, 3 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:24.879 you know that there is a lot going on in Vegas during the summer 4 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:29.719 months June and July. Talent of May does play into that now. But 5 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:34.079 of course Tim and I have talked at length about the World Series of Poker. 6 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:36.479 We will continue to do so, but we're gonna take a little bit 7 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:40.039 of a break from that for this episode. We're going to hit on the 8 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:46.560 Aria Poker Classic, hosted at Aria Resort and Casino, which is where, 9 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:50.920 of course, the Poker Growth Studio is held. They announced their series The 10 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:57.320 Aria Poker Classic May twenty ninth through July thirteenth, in partnership with bet MGM 11 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:02.600 Poker a whole bunch of guarantees. There's about twelve million dollars or exactly twelve 12 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:07.400 million dollars in guarantees across the entire series. They have buy ins ranging from 13 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:11.319 six thousand, sorry six thousand, six hundred dollars up to thirty five hundred 14 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:17.719 dollars. The biggest and baddest event of this series is the thirty five hundred 15 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:23.159 dollars Bet MGM Poker Championship. It has a three million dollar guarantee, multiple 16 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.400 starting flights. It will be live streamed in the Poker Ghost studio when they 17 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:30.760 get down to a certain amounts of what day three, day three. You're 18 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:34.040 in charge of this thing. So during the summer, as we've done in 19 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:38.400 some some recent years, we will have an additional stream coming out of everything 20 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:45.000 that we're doing from the Poker Go Engine here with that'll be to have to 21 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:48.280 do with the BETMGM at Poker Championship. They got a bunch of other like 22 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:51.319 crazy guarantees in here. They got a sixteen hundred dollars mystery bounding with a 23 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:55.439 five hundred K guarantee. They got another eleven hundred dollars mystery bounding with a 24 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:59.959 five hundred gay guarantee. They got a sixteen hundred dollars No limit Championship event 25 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:04.120 that's a two day event, five hundred K guarantee. There a PLO Championship 26 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.040 event. PLO is hot, we all know that much. On schedule. 27 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:08.280 This is the place to be if you play faul cos I know it's it's 28 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:14.520 pretty wild, but we're going to bring in Ryan Kirk and Paul Campbell both 29 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:19.840 representatives of ARIA. Ryan is the director of Poker Operations for ARIA, and 30 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:23.000 then Paul Campbell. If you followed the PGT, if you follow anything that 31 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:24.520 we do here at the Poker Gri Studio, you know who Paul Campbell is. 32 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:28.919 He is tournament poker manager for ARIA. He is a two time winner 33 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.960 for the Global Poker Awards Tournament Director of the Year. So with them and 34 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:37.960 your assistant, I thought you we switched. We switched. Okay, We're 35 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:40.560 going to talk with those guys about what people can expect from the ARIA Poker 36 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:44.879 Classic and if you are venturing out here to Las Vegas and looking to play 37 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.879 some stuff, maybe you can put some of these events on your schedule. 38 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.199 All right, we are joined by Ryan Kirk Paul Campbell from ARIA Poker Ryan 39 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:59.520 Kirk, Director of Poker Operations, Paul Campbell. I'm going to lead with 40 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:04.400 two time Tournament Director of the Year, tournament poker manager and assistant too. 41 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.599 No, not assistant to you're his assistant. That's how it works. I've 42 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:09.280 seen you guys in action. You are much more his assistant than he is 43 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:15.199 yours. But we are here to talk ARIA Poker Classic, a pretty massive 44 00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:19.919 schedule. I would say, but by you know, building every single year, 45 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:23.840 it seems like it's it's awesome. Took you guys a little bit to 46 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:24.840 come out with it. I know how that works. And you know we'll 47 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:28.960 touch on like the logistics and all the I guess the balancing act, you 48 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.639 know, with everything that's going on in the summer. But welcome, Happy 49 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:35.039 to have you guys here, Happy to be here. Yeah, thanks for 50 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:38.479 inviting us. For those out there living under a rock, Aria Poker Classic 51 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:46.680 forty five events, more than twelve million dollars in guaranteed prize money. Buy 52 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:50.879 ins are starting at six hundred dollars for like the regular event, the trophy 53 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.240 events as i'll call them. They got some eight hundred dollar events, they 54 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.520 got a handful of eleven hundred dollars events, and then of course the BEDMGM 55 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:01.879 Poker Championship, the thirty five hundred dollar buying that will ultimately finish here in 56 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:06.680 the Poker Groth studio where we are recording this podcast. So first question, 57 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:10.560 I guess I want to hit on because a couple of years ago it was 58 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:14.439 like mostly four hundred dollar and six hundred dollar events. Then it was six 59 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.720 eight hundred dollars a few one ks. Now it kind of seems like it's 60 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:19.920 it's has like a next evolution. Still got those six hundred dollars, eight 61 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:25.480 hundred dollar ones, a handful of eleven hundred dollar ones. They come with 62 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.480 some big guarantees on those. You got sixteen hundred dollars in there. Of 63 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:32.160 course, you got that thirty five hundred dollars bet MGAM Championship, so that 64 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:36.519 that evolution to me is pretty noticeable, you know. So can you just 65 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:41.399 peel back the curtain a little bit and discuss kind of the long term vision 66 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:45.160 for like the Aria Poker Classic and how it's come along over the years. 67 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.240 Yeah. First of all, I just want to say thanks again for bringing 68 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:53.680 us over here and giving us the opportunity to talk about this. I'm glad 69 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:58.240 that it's noticeable. That definitely was what we were going for. I've worked 70 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:00.959 in this room now for over twelve years and have seen the evolution, even 71 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:05.560 going back further where we used to have all four hundred dollars events two hundred 72 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:11.319 and forty dollars nightlies, and it's been really exciting to get us to this 73 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:15.560 point. I've when I've talked about it before it's kind of like playing a 74 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.439 video game, and there are certain achievements you have to unlock before you're able 75 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:23.160 to get up to this, before you're able to get up to some of 76 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:28.240 the price points that we really were aiming towards. It's a big credit to 77 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:32.000 Paul and his team and the vision that he has for our tournament poker landscape 78 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:38.560 at Ario Poker and making sure that we, you know, maintain relevancy when 79 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.920 it comes to what we're doing in the tournament poker space, and so knowing 80 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:47.199 that we had to continue to push the envelope and move us up towards these 81 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:51.680 price points that we're seeing this year. You know, just last year we 82 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:55.920 went from the four hundred dollars to six hundred dollars price point, and we 83 00:05:55.959 --> 00:06:00.079 saw an over forty percent increase in the number of entries across all of our 84 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:04.240 events. And we were thinking naively at the time that that might stunt a 85 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:08.120 little bit of it, of course, from those price points, you know, 86 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:11.720 pushing them up a little higher. And so now we've just gotten emboldened 87 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.279 thinking that well we could we could go up to eight hundred dollars and eleven 88 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.639 hundred dollars one days, and you know, increase all the guarantees what we 89 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:23.279 have, and these players want to play at Aria, and that's what we've 90 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:28.480 really embraced, is this understanding that people love playing at Aria poker. Paul 91 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:30.160 always says that, I don't hate to steal the words out of his mouth, 92 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:34.720 but our poker room is as big as many tables as we can get. 93 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:39.639 That's whatever tables we can get, that's how many we will fill. 94 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:43.560 People want to play here, and we are excited about we're going to be 95 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.319 able to do this summer. I guess that's a perfect jumping in point. 96 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:48.959 Tim and I have walked over in front of the ARIA room. There's no 97 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:51.879 more slot machines. Now, I'm assuming that's where some poker tables are going 98 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:58.199 to go from. From a logistics standpoint, what is ARIA doing to accommodate 99 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:00.800 the fields that are going to be coming? Like how much of a lift 100 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.759 is that? It obviously starts multiple weeks in advance, with this series starting 101 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.600 on May twenty ninth, That is running May twenty ninth through July thirteenth, 102 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:11.199 So how does that whole thing come together? I'm assuming it's a big juggling 103 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:15.879 act. Yeah, for most people. The World Series of Poker starts around 104 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.759 you know, May and May for me this year, it started last July. 105 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:27.240 Once we realized the lift that we had already experienced from an entry, 106 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:30.560 you know standpoint in the amount of business that we were doing, we knew 107 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.279 that we had to expand, and it was really easy sell to a lot 108 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:39.439 of people here on property making that argument that we can do bigger and better. 109 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:42.399 Just give us a little bit more space, give us a few more 110 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.279 tables, and we're really this is the most space we've ever had going all 111 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:49.800 the way up if you're familiar with the space out there in front of Poshberger, 112 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.600 all the way in front of the poker room over towards the bed, 113 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:59.399 MGM race and sportsbook, and the number of tables that we're going to fit 114 00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:01.879 in there. We're going to we're gonna we don't even know yet. We're 115 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:05.199 as it's like you said, empty. We're gonna find out here in the 116 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:07.199 next week or so, but it's going to be as many as we can 117 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:13.040 cram in there to make sure that we have not only a lot less impact 118 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:16.839 when it comes to alternates having to make people wait to get into our tournaments, 119 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:20.480 but we really want to make sure that we are offering players a place 120 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:26.600 to play over the summer cash games. You know, when Paul and I 121 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:31.959 talked about getting more tables, maybe Paul is a little bit more towards let's 122 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.360 let's get more tournament entries and expand it that way. And I'm kind of 123 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.919 the cash game player at heart, and I'm thinking, you know, I 124 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.840 would really love to have some more one, two, plo and two five 125 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:46.000 games going all year round or excuse me, all day long. And that's 126 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.440 where my focus is going to be with these extra tables, making sure our 127 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:52.799 cash game players have a home. What's the customer based like in the summer, 128 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.600 obviously all around Vegas is like very tournament heavy. So do you see 129 00:08:56.600 --> 00:09:00.600 that same sort of thing from the players, Like are they like we want 130 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:03.240 tournaments or do they also want cash games? Like how does that kind of 131 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:07.039 break up? We get a really good mix. I mean, people do 132 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:09.919 want to come here and play tournaments, but we are also known, you 133 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:15.919 know, pound for pound all year round. Our room is filled with cash 134 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:18.759 games as many tables as we have, and so we want to make sure 135 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:22.600 that we're not displacing those players who play with us all year round. We 136 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.320 noticed last year when we were able to open up let's just even say like 137 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.759 two five no limit tables, there was a night where we got up over 138 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:33.759 twenty tables of two to five no limit. That's a staggering amount when you 139 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.200 consider that we only had forty four tables or excuse me, forty six tables 140 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:41.200 in the entire room last year. So we know that people want to come 141 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.320 here and play, and we know that early on. As long as we 142 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:46.720 can show them that there's going to be space for them, they'll keep coming 143 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:50.080 out all summer long. So twenty twenty two, the bet MGM Poker Champion 144 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:54.600 has a million dollar prize pool guarantee. Last year it doubles, it goes 145 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:58.240 to two million. Now it goes to three million. Like from an operations 146 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:03.960 side of things, you know what goes into to not only setting a guarantee 147 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:07.559 but also like pushing that envelope every single year. I'm assuming you know you 148 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.039 do look at you know, the prior your success, and then you try 149 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:11.759 and engage the market and all that sort of stuff. So what kind of 150 00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:16.440 goes into that process of a guarantee. Yeah, like you mentioned, are 151 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:20.440 the inaugural bet MGM Championship was in twenty twenty two. We had the million 152 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.399 guarantee. It was our first event that we'd run with the bet MGM partner, 153 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:30.240 and we ended up with three hundred and forty three entries in that event. 154 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:35.120 We covered the million. It was a sweat. Admittedly, how much 155 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:39.879 of a sweat were you actually sweating? We were. We covered on redge 156 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:45.279 clothes, on break cloak, so it was a perfect guarantee sounds so it 157 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.720 was. But again that was the inaugural event, and then we decided that 158 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:52.559 the following year we wanted to do it bigger and better, and we had 159 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:58.480 a little more planning, a little more lead time. More more lead time 160 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:03.039 helped bet MGM send us some more qualifiers, so we already knew that we 161 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:05.879 were going to be aggressive. We're very selective in what weekhend. We chose 162 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:09.200 that it was going to be a unique championship event in the summer landscape, 163 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:15.519 and we've put a two million guarantee on it, and the numbers jumped exponentially, 164 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.960 went from three hundred and forty three entries in our inaugural event to oney 165 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:24.840 twenty six. Huge gen here, it's a huge jump and easily covered the 166 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:28.879 two million. We actually were over three million dollars in prize school, so 167 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.559 now you know the trains off the tracks here. We're just going to keep 168 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:39.080 building bigger and better every year. So we we're going to three million guarantee 169 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:43.080 this year. I'm fully expecting us to cover the three million, easily, 170 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:48.879 hoping to hit hoping to hit four, maybe even you know, approach five 171 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:54.440 so that you know, as years come, years come, we can target 172 00:11:54.480 --> 00:12:01.519 a bigger guarantee. So we'really looking forward to that event. My expectation is 173 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:07.039 to easily surpass three and approach somewhere between four and five is my realistic goal 174 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.919 for that event. Yeah, So if you're if you're out there listening and 175 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:13.840 you got this event kind of on your schedule, you've sort of penciled it 176 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.440 into something you want to take advantage of. Sounds like that's going to be 177 00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:20.240 a very juicy prize pool. A lot of runners in this one, as 178 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.039 Paul just hit on. So sounds like you can pretty much pencil it in, 179 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:26.639 which is which is good. You know, sometimes players go into events 180 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:28.840 and they're like, I don't really know what to expect. It sounds like 181 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:33.360 there's some pretty solid expectations there, I would expect, so just you know, 182 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:35.840 going from a million to two to three, like that's you know, 183 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.960 that's a big noticeable evolution there, and it's it really is great to see. 184 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:45.360 In addition to that bet MGM Championship six Mystery Bounties events. You guys 185 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:46.519 are all in on the Mystery bound events, huh. I mean we love 186 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.200 them. They're like all the rave everywhere. So it's it's good to see 187 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:54.879 you guys jump on board because so many people like that. You know, 188 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:58.240 I would probably say much more like the casual player with that kind of lottery 189 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.879 element to it. You have multiple price points for it. So what goes 190 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:03.480 into being like, you know, we got to kind of have these on 191 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.159 our schedule and we got to have more of them on our schedule. That's 192 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:11.440 a great question. So yeah, we've really embraced the mystery bounty event and 193 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.960 we try to offer something that a lot of venues don't, which is one 194 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.519 day mystery bounty tournaments love it. Because mystery bounty tournaments, it is just 195 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.120 an incredible innovation in tournament poker. A lot of them to attain these high 196 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:33.159 guarantees to where you're drawing big envelopes require multiple days, and we understand that, 197 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:37.440 you know, for someone who has a job or even during the summer 198 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.600 when they want to be playing a different event every day, they don't always 199 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:45.360 have the luxury of playing a three or four day event or have their chips 200 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:48.679 in the bag which prevents them from playing an event, you know, at 201 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:50.840 a at a different venue or playing an event at aria that day. So 202 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:56.519 we've really tried. Knowing full well how labor intensive it is to do a 203 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:00.120 one day mystery bounty, We've really embraced it. Our team loves doing it. 204 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:03.159 It's a fun environment for the players, and yeah, they do kind 205 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.519 of like the lottery dynamic of it. It is pretty cool to you know, 206 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.279 show for a one day event and not even be anywhere near the final 207 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:13.159 table and in one day pull a twenty five thousand dollars bounty. It's just 208 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.000 really cool. There's a lot of vibes going on, you know, are 209 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:20.559 those days are always the funnest. Those days are the ones if you're looking 210 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:22.279 to see me here late at night, those are the days where I'm just 211 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:26.480 happen to be staying a little bit later to watch some of the bounty polls 212 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.960 and see all the excitement and the players when, like Paul said, you 213 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:35.240 know you you might finish seventieth in the tournament, but you're walking out with 214 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:37.559 like fourth place money. How does the mystery bounties work in one day events? 215 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.559 Like I said off the registration, was it like in the money the 216 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.360 one day events, it's once you hit the money. Once you hit the 217 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:50.159 money, everyone effectively has a bounty on their head. Roughly sixty percent of 218 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:56.159 the prize pool goes towards the finishing place and then forty percent goes to the 219 00:14:56.200 --> 00:15:00.440 bounties. That's pretty must be pretty labor intensive for you. Got I got 220 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:03.559 to give Paul and his team a shout out because that that moment that we 221 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:09.480 hit redge clothes to the moment that the payout the time you know it starts 222 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.159 and he knows he's under the gun to make sure that all the envelopes are 223 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.879 and we know we know poker players are not patient, so that you know, 224 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:20.759 they want to know, ye ye closes, they want to know give 225 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:22.960 me a list of all the bounties. I want to know exactly what they 226 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.720 are. But we've got a pretty good system for doing it. So yeah, 227 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.559 we usually have all their information within about thirty minutes of quote redge clothes 228 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.600 of all their posted payouts and what their bounties are, so they have usually 229 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.240 a couple of hours even before they hit the money to strategize of what kind 230 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.120 of you've got to strategize that ten BB stack. You know you gotta fall 231 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:46.639 to the you can strategize the ten BB stack to play. These tournaments are 232 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:50.279 so fun to watch too, you know, I uh, you know. 233 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:54.200 With all this, you know talk about ICM and people playing shorter stacks, 234 00:15:54.679 --> 00:16:00.000 Mystery BOUNDI is a different dynamic where you are so rewarded for having a lot 235 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:03.120 ard stack in that tournament because you have so much bounty equity, where if 236 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:06.399 you have a short stack, only sixty percent of that money goes to the 237 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:11.960 posted payouts, so survival is not nearly as important in that one ship accumulation 238 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.799 is kind of the driving force in the mystery bounty tournament. So it's a 239 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.159 lot more fun to watch. You see a lot more unorthodox plays to people 240 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:25.120 gambling try to win pulls in the bounty drum. So it's definitely my favorite 241 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:29.399 event to watch. Look at this. Paul's turning this into a strategy podcast 242 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:37.399 now he might be the best player I'm charging for this podcast. Just a 243 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:40.879 quick question on mister Bownie. When can we expect to see the three hundred 244 00:16:40.919 --> 00:16:45.720 dollars stud high mystery bounty on the ARIA Public Classic schedule. That's the one 245 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:51.360 I'm really high low. It's no, I want the highlight. That's what 246 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:53.799 I want to say. Bring that on the schedule. Chopping mystery bounties up 247 00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:00.639 quarter in Mystery bound that sounds like an absolute night Aria poke like May twenty 248 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:04.119 ninth through July thirteenth, want to hit on this bet MGM Poker Championship thirty 249 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.960 five hundred dollars buying so pretty good price point. You know. It's it's 250 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:11.960 big enough that it creates a really juicy prize bol of course with that three 251 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:15.640 million dollar guarantee, but it's also accessible enough that you know a lot of 252 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.880 people can get in a lot of people can get in through satellites as well. 253 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:23.799 Just quickly, that is June seventh is when it starts for Day one 254 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:27.599 A. There are two starting days, so June seventh, that's a Friday 255 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:30.960 Saturday. June eighth will be Day one B. Day two on June ninth, 256 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.880 and then Day three and day four our plan to be here in the 257 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:40.000 Poker Grot studio. How many satellites are we expecting? Well, and before 258 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.240 I even I'm going to have Paul answer that. But before we do, 259 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:45.680 I do want to mention that we're talking about the bet MGAM Championship. Yeah, 260 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.240 and that kind of we actually have what we call Championship Week here, 261 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:56.200 and so that week actually starts with a five hundred thousand dollars guaranteed one day, 262 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:02.240 eleven hundred dollars mystery bounty on the sixth, bet MGM is going to 263 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.000 be sending. You know, we we have an idea. I'll let Paul 264 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.680 kind of reveal the number on the number of qualifiers, but they're gonna be 265 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.720 sending qualifiers to that event as well. So a ton of great value when 266 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:18.000 it comes to you know, that guarantee. That's the one I'm sweating the 267 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:22.160 most of the entire schedule that I'm looking at a one day, five hundred 268 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:26.319 K guarantee for an eleven hundred dollars price point. I haven't done the math 269 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:30.160 yet. I'm sure we only need what Paul like one hundred people to enter. 270 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:33.799 Yeah, that the guarantees covered you wouldn't put me in a position where 271 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:37.200 we need over five hundred players to play this one day event to cover right. 272 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:40.799 We would never do that. So sweats are good. When it comes 273 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:42.880 to guarantees, it means it means you're trying. They're not good for my 274 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:47.880 hairline. Okay, it gets the hot pumping, sure, sure does. 275 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.759 To talk a little bit about the qualifiers, Paul, we're excited about that. 276 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.559 Yeah. So of course, whenever we run an event that we consider 277 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:57.880 some sort of championship event at are you, we run some internal satellites. 278 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:02.519 There's going to be a satellite the night before day one A. There's going 279 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:07.759 to be an internal satellite the night of one A going into one B. 280 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:11.799 So you get two opportunities to win your seat here at Aria the night prior 281 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:15.079 to each of the flights. Those are going to be well attended satellites. 282 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.759 It's a ten seat guarantee, but I'm sure we'll be given away closer to 283 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:22.119 fifteen or twenty in each of those. We also do have some of our 284 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:26.839 sister properties, not only in the city but around the country running qualifiers for 285 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.039 us. They're sending us some players and then of course some of those have 286 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:36.759 already been taking place National Harbor over there in the DC area. Maryland has 287 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:41.440 already sent qualifiers to US. I know that Kelly over at Borgata and her 288 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:45.279 team are going to be sending qualifiers as well. We're really leaning into the 289 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:49.400 power of a large corporation like MGM Resort with all of you. You should 290 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:55.920 for sure was around the world sending US qualifiers and engaging those player bases as 291 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:59.279 well. Yeah, and it's incredible that in only the third year of our 292 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:03.039 bet Mgmchampionship at Aria, we already are drumming up that much interest at our 293 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:07.440 properties on the on the Northeast coast where those players, those regular players say, 294 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:10.039 hey, I know, I know about this bet MGAM Championship. I've 295 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:12.200 heard about it. I watched the stream of that final table. You know. 296 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:17.640 They they they asked for that product to They wanted the opportunity to win 297 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:21.559 a seat into this event. So I'm really looking forward to to some of 298 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.720 those players showing up. And then, yeah, then the bulk of it 299 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:30.799 is, of course, our qualifiers through the bet MGM. They not only 300 00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:33.799 they went an entire package like Ryan said, that includes two tournament entries. 301 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:38.119 The BETMGM week actually starts with the eleven hundred, so they're winning seats into 302 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:42.880 that eleven hundred Dolomit Mystery Bounty and seats into the thirty five hundred Championship. 303 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:49.759 Are you know? The BETMGM just started running their qualifying packages. We've already 304 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:55.960 hit over thirty five package winners. We're in the process of getting them signed 305 00:20:56.039 --> 00:21:00.279 up for the tournament, getting their rooms booked, and they're can be continuing 306 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.799 to run packages over the next couple of weeks. We're expecting a qualifying number 307 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.960 that exceeds last year. So I'm going to say somewhere probably in the one 308 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:12.359 hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty qualifier range from your lips to God's 309 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:17.279 ears, my friend, let's hope they send as many as they possibly can. 310 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:19.599 Help me, help me sweat these guarantees a little, a little less, 311 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:23.359 of course, I mean, listen, it sounds like a great opportunity 312 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:26.519 for people to get in at obviously a much more accessible price point. Having 313 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.440 that, you know, sort of two birds with one stone type of approach 314 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:33.960 where you can get two entries as opposed to just one, can make you 315 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.519 feel good. A lot of satellite qualifiers obviously, come out, they might 316 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:37.640 bust and then they're like, oh man, but it is if you bust 317 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.920 the first one, at least you got a second chance, which is very 318 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.920 cool. So it's really good, you know, to have you guys doing 319 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.559 that. Yeah, and that and that and done things bring that. That's 320 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:49.200 exactly why we did it. We actually did it last year and we noticed 321 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:53.920 that in year one, the qualifiers just want to seed into the championship. 322 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.599 With that, I don't know, we didn't get a lot of qualifiers. 323 00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:00.720 It was our inaugural event, then the second and here we decided, you 324 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:03.720 know what, we want to offer a better a better experience for these guests 325 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:07.319 who are winning the seat. Like you said, I would hate to see 326 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:10.720 someone get knocked out early in the thirty five hundred dollars championship and then that 327 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.400 is their one shot. Here you're guaranteed two events and some of these players 328 00:22:15.480 --> 00:22:18.920 have never played in the casino before, so they actually get to play an 329 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:22.039 eleven hundred dollars mystery Bounty tournament. They get a little felt time before you 330 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.920 know, before it's their main event. The it's there man, that they 331 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.359 get a little helps with nerves too, you know. Yeah, yeah, 332 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:30.599 for sure, and you know it's pretty cool. And then it's a mystery 333 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:36.359 bounty tournament. So it's nice with these qualifiers to have some success stories. 334 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:40.720 You know, we love to see a qualifier from a bet MGM you know 335 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:45.240 event pull a twenty five thousand dollars bounty. It's just that's that's the spirit 336 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:48.000 of the event, and we want to get them a little table time and 337 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:52.160 yeah, create a good environment where players who haven't won a package already know 338 00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:56.359 they're going to be coming into a big field tournament because there's already one hundred 339 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.200 and fifty players signed up before they even walk in the door. I mean, 340 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.519 you touched on it quite a bit there, but we can elaborate in 341 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.119 a little bit more. You know how as the Aria Poker Classic benefited from 342 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:08.680 this partnership with with BETMGIM Poker and you know obviously feeding satellites into it, 343 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:11.960 you know, boosting up the fields, ryan helping you feel a little bit 344 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:15.640 easier when you go to sleep at night with these quarrencies. So just talk 345 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:19.960 about that partnership and obviously it just continues to grow year over year. The 346 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:26.079 impact has been immense. Betmgm's partnership has been invaluable to what it is that 347 00:23:26.119 --> 00:23:30.759 we've accomplished over the last few years with our Aria Poker Classic series. This 348 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:34.880 is a series that we've been doing since as long as I've been here, 349 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:40.839 going back, you know, thirteen fourteen years. This series has been in, 350 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:45.480 you know, an event that people want to come out and play. 351 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:48.359 But with our partnership with bet MGM and the qualifiers that they send out, 352 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:55.599 the amount of marketing and promotion that they do on their and there are so 353 00:23:55.880 --> 00:24:00.920 many things that they are doing that have helped us in a land based you 354 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:07.039 know, brick and mortar casino series, bringing these online qualifiers in and we 355 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.240 couldn't be more happy with what with what it is that they do. They 356 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:14.319 really provide a great experience for their qualifiers when they come out to our venue. 357 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.279 How difficult is it to put together a robust schedule like this, go 358 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:22.039 bigger than you did the year before, you know, continuing to build It's 359 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:26.400 it's obviously very jam packed in the summer. It's it's no longer just the 360 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:30.440 World Series of Poker. Everyone's doing something. You guys are doing something. 361 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:34.119 You're doing something big. What goes into that? How hard is it? 362 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:37.240 How long does it take you you mentioned earlier, you start last July. 363 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.079 I mean, like, what's that process like getting this all kind of figured 364 00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:45.880 out? I'm assuming it's one big giant jigsaw puzzle for sure. I'm gonna 365 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:48.960 let Paul pretty much answer the scheduling questions because he's the schedule guru, and 366 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:52.359 I know you alluded to it earlier. Sometimes it takes us a little longer 367 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:56.160 to come up with the perfect schedule. It's better to get it right though, 368 00:24:56.200 --> 00:25:00.279 than slap something out there and they then have to change late, you 369 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.559 know, right, The calculation necessary to provide a product that the players want 370 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:08.599 to play within the timeframe that we have, and particularly something that we're known 371 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:11.759 for. And I want to steal Paul's thunder here, but these one day 372 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:15.519 events. There are plenty of multi day events around Plagus during this time, 373 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:21.079 and you're gonna have your chips in a bag if you're you know, fortunate 374 00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:22.079 enough. I've never had chips in a bag, so I don't even know 375 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:26.440 what that's about, but I hear this is a thing that people experience. 376 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:32.319 And while you're waiting for your day to restart, coming over and entering one 377 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:34.480 of our one day events is a great opportunity to keep your mind fresh at 378 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:40.920 the tables and play what we think is a very value heavy tournament. Our 379 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:47.559 guarantees have increased immensely. Last year we had a little over five million in 380 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:49.799 guarantees total, and that was with a two million dollar guarantee on the championship. 381 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:56.960 I've apparently gone mad by by getting these guarantees up to two hundred or 382 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.519 excuse me, twelve million, with two hundred thousand dollar guarantees on eight hundred 383 00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:07.759 dollars events. You look around town during this time and that those guarantees aren't 384 00:26:07.799 --> 00:26:11.319 that high, and so I know that we're pushing the envelope. Our players 385 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:14.640 deserve that, and I know that these are numbers that we're going to be 386 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.039 able to hit. So with that, I'm sorry, I know that was 387 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:21.599 a scheduling question and I got off on my own little tangent there, But 388 00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:26.359 yeah, Paul, Yeah, like you said, it is a jigsaw puzzle. 389 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:30.519 So obviously the summer it revolves around the WSOP. Everybody knows that. 390 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:33.920 So everyone kind of waits for WSOP to come up with their schedule, and 391 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:41.279 then we look at that schedule if other schedules have come out from other properties 392 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.640 around town. I look at those, we make a huge spreadsheet and I 393 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:51.720 try to find the optimal event for what is missing that day. Are the 394 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:55.000 holding players, you know, going to be looking for something to play? 395 00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:57.319 Are the PLO players going to be looking for something to play? If we 396 00:26:57.400 --> 00:27:00.920 want to throw in a you know, a horse tournament, where where is 397 00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:04.960 there kind of a gap where on that day the mixed game players have nothing 398 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:08.160 to play. So it does take me a while, and I get a 399 00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:11.400 lot of help from Ryan and our poker host Jake on making the schedule, 400 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:18.319 but it's it's we don't make the schedule based on what's convenient for ARIA and 401 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:21.359 just put something out there and say, you know, we're just gonna run 402 00:27:21.400 --> 00:27:23.400 these events. We don't care what's going on around town. We try to 403 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:29.599 make the most player friendly schedule we can to where you know, if you 404 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:33.799 regardless of what you game, you play, we're cognizant of what's going around 405 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.400 around town, and you're always going to have an opportunity to play it. 406 00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:41.279 And if you're gonna be playing at one of our competitors one day, that 407 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:44.240 just means you're going to be coming back the next day at ARIA. Because 408 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:48.799 we have that game for you. And then once we are comfortable with a 409 00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:52.519 very player friendly schedule, then we discuss what we want to do for the 410 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:57.160 guarantees. And I was shocked, and thank you and kudos to Ryan for 411 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:02.359 opening up the wallet and saying, yeah, let's just go bigger and better 412 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:03.960 than ever before. And it is a thank you. It's a thank you 413 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:07.920 to the players who have been with us for years and years, who just 414 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.519 keep showing up, who unfortunately sometimes had the way as an alternate because our 415 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:15.400 you know, our events were so well scheduled that you know, everyone wanted 416 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:19.640 to play. So this is kind of a thank you for and we wanted 417 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:23.000 the guarantees to be meaningful. You know, a lot of places, uh, 418 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:26.920 you know, and even maybe us in the past have thrown a number 419 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:30.359 up there that was almost laughable. I mean, I like to call them 420 00:28:30.359 --> 00:28:36.079 fake guarantee on this podcast. Okay, you don't have to say. There 421 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:38.400 are plenty of fake guarantees out there, and they're hitting the guarantee before the 422 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:42.079 tournament even started, you know, like we did that last year. Frequently, 423 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:47.319 we would have a guarantee and we're ten minutes before kicking the tournament off, 424 00:28:47.319 --> 00:28:49.799 and the guarantees already been hit and you know, we kind of want 425 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.039 the sweat, like it's it's fun for Ryan doesn't want it, but you 426 00:28:55.079 --> 00:29:00.759 know, slight sweat like he's about to have a hot attack. I If 427 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:06.240 there's a little bit of a sweat, it means that you correctly gauged your 428 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:08.480 market, Like you don't want to be so under. You obviously don't want 429 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.559 to be so wrong that you're screwed, right, but you also don't want 430 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:15.319 to be so under that it's kind of and it's not that it's a bad 431 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:17.480 thing at the end of the day, it's more of just a bad look 432 00:29:17.960 --> 00:29:21.640 because you still make the guarantee, you make money. That's fine, but 433 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.240 it's still like, well, why they only have five hunder k when they 434 00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:26.519 got three million in the prize pool. Where were their calculations off? You 435 00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:29.640 know, did they not think that they would draw a bunch of people? 436 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:36.599 So that's necessarily the guarantees are just about the money. Guarantees guarantee people, 437 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:40.960 They guarantee entries, They guarantee that people are going to show up, and 438 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:42.839 that's what we're focused on. We want to make sure that these field sizes 439 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:48.200 are commensurate with the product that we feel that we're offering and the value that 440 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:51.599 these players are going to get plain in our event series this summer. And 441 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:55.440 I think overall, you know, I know that within the Vegas space on 442 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:56.960 the summer, there's obviously competition, but it's also a bit of you know, 443 00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:00.039 a rising tide lifts all boats. I mean, you know, like 444 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:03.799 Paul said, you know, you work within the schedules. You find slots 445 00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.960 here, you find slots there. Everyone kind of works because ultimately poker will 446 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.880 benefit, the players will benefit, and if those things benefit, then your 447 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.160 personal venue where you work will benefit. So I think you guys have done 448 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.119 a really good job. As I said earlier, like this schedule to me 449 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:22.880 looks like incredible evolution from where it's gone, and I'm excited to see what 450 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:26.279 happens in this summer. And then I'm also like excited, I'm already looking 451 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:29.200 forward to next year. I'm like, you guys gonna go to four million, 452 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:30.759 You're gonna go to five minutes? Is Ryan gonna come out and be 453 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:36.599 like twenty million? Let's just let's go nuts. So I think it's great 454 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:41.559 overall. I guess last question here, you know what what sets Aria poker 455 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:45.440 apart from the competition. And then I guess for the players out there who 456 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:48.799 are thinking of maybe where should I play? Where should I go in the 457 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:51.720 summer? Why should people come here? Why should they come into Aria? 458 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:53.920 I've played here, I will say this. I've played here plenty of times, 459 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:56.759 used to play cash here back in the day. I've played some tournaments 460 00:30:56.759 --> 00:31:00.279 here. I love it here. It's a great venue. You perfectly located 461 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:03.720 in the middle strip. Listen, I'm a bit of a diva. I 462 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:07.920 like the luxury. Okay, So I like Aria, right, So that's 463 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:12.440 my little and we like you Donnie make my rake. Of course we like 464 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:15.799 you Donnie. But yeah, but why why should people come play here? 465 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:19.720 Other than the twelve million dollars? For sure, that's a big draw, 466 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.759 right. You know. The where I want to start is saying that we're 467 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:27.079 very thankful that we have very good relationships with a lot of the other some 468 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:30.480 of our counterparts around town. And so when you talked earlier about a rising 469 00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:36.079 tide lifts all boats, we really all do believe that we're not trying to 470 00:31:36.119 --> 00:31:38.519 be in direct competition with anyone. We want to make sure that poker players 471 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:41.720 come here during the summer and they have a place to play that they're comfortable 472 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:48.160 with that's offering great value. And you know from the guarantees are the guarantees 473 00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:49.920 and the forty five events that we have, we think we've put together a 474 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:55.359 very optimal schedule. But one thing that we've done this year is that what 475 00:31:55.359 --> 00:32:00.880 we're looking to do is enhance the guest experience when you're here. We know 476 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:04.480 that we can't compete with the number of tables that a lot of other places 477 00:32:04.480 --> 00:32:07.960 around town have. Even with our expanded space, we're only going to have 478 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:13.279 We're hoping to be right around sixty total tables. What we do want to 479 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:15.240 offer and what we think that we can offer better than anyone else, is 480 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:19.480 a great experience when you show up and play in one of our tournaments. 481 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:24.799 We've We're gonna probably hop on social media here in the next day or so 482 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:30.559 and unveil our trophies that we have set up for the summer series. I'll 483 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:32.960 let you know those set us back up. I'm a soccer trophy on the 484 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:37.480 lookout. I think our trophies are what are the kids they slap is what 485 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:45.160 they say? The teenage Yeah, I don't have any kids myself so I 486 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:50.039 but beyond that, anyone who makes one of our final tables this year is 487 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:52.279 going to be receiving a swag bag. And I don't want to reveal everything 488 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:55.640 that's going to be in there, but we'll definitely be asking you for your 489 00:32:55.640 --> 00:33:01.640 hoodie size. There's some other branded Aria Poker merchandise in there. And then 490 00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:07.039 BETMGM is going to be including some stuff in our swag bag as well because 491 00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:10.480 they are our presenting sponsor for the Aria Poker Classic this summer, and so 492 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:16.240 little things like that. The food service that we offer this is not something 493 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:21.240 that you can get at other places around town. The game attendants coming and 494 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:24.839 taking food orders for you at Poshburger, Moneyline Pizza, some of the great 495 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:29.839 places that we have in Tai Fong, Lemon Grass, Proper Eats, Food 496 00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:34.200 Haul everything up here at Aria. These are great food options for players. 497 00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:37.119 We don't offer a dinner break so we can make sure that you get some 498 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:39.000 sleep at the end of the night, but in lieu of that, we 499 00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:45.279 offer some great food options. And so if you haven't experienced Aria Poker at 500 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:50.279 all, it should be and I do believe it's like a bucket list item 501 00:33:50.839 --> 00:33:52.079 for a lot of players. It was for me when I lived out of 502 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:55.680 town and knew that I wanted to come here and experience what this is about. 503 00:33:57.119 --> 00:34:00.559 And we embraced that. We're looking forward to all of the people that 504 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:06.400 will be coming around, coming here from around the world looking for that experience 505 00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:08.239 playing in our poker room and in our tournaments as some one of the things 506 00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:13.199 that I always love. I know you guys have are great at obviously, 507 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:15.519 Paul, and you're like, the tournament management staff is great, but also 508 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:20.079 the dealers. I mean, listen, some of the best, if not 509 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:22.159 the best, in the city for sure, and that when you're a poker 510 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:25.440 player, a tournament player, you're trying to get hands in, you're trying 511 00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:29.840 to play, that is of supreme importance. We see it all the time 512 00:34:29.880 --> 00:34:31.280 here in the studio with the PGT events and the other stuff that we do 513 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:35.880 here. I'm assuming that also extends obviously to the Aria Poker Classic, and 514 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:38.840 that is that is great and it's probably not easy to find good dealers keep 515 00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:42.559 them around, you know, but you know, kudos to you guys for 516 00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:45.599 doing that and having them here because I rarely see them make mistakes unless they're 517 00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:49.960 dealing to John Manette. But other than that, you know, things happy 518 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:53.159 John, Things are good so well. And I'm glad that you've noticed that 519 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:57.480 because it is as a result of the efforts that we put into the training 520 00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:00.760 programs, even for our temporary employees this summer, and so the people who 521 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:05.280 come on here, they have the same expectation of our year round staff, 522 00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:07.760 and we really do invest in them and make sure that they are up to 523 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:12.159 Aria's standards. So I'm glad that someone notices the work that we do. 524 00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:15.639 It sounds like we need to do like a special social media video and let 525 00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:19.280 him go through the training programs. He's a decent dealer, but like we 526 00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:22.199 need to like put him on the spot. I'm not scared at all, 527 00:35:22.760 --> 00:35:24.119 all right, put Tim in the box over there. Yeah, you guys 528 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:27.960 have a gaming license. I mean we actually probably could figure put you in 529 00:35:27.960 --> 00:35:30.840 the just just have you show up like for a PGT event. Just start 530 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:32.920 trying. I would be start pitching him out. That'd be great, you 531 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:38.480 know, a table change request week. Yes, yes, Paul, Ryan, 532 00:35:38.679 --> 00:35:43.920 appreciate you guys for coming on talking about the ARIA Poker Classic again for 533 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:47.239 everyone out there. May twenty ninth through July thirteenth. You guys can tune 534 00:35:47.239 --> 00:35:52.360 in on social media Aria Poker on Twitter slash x. Yeah. I mean 535 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:55.400 I would come play here if I wasn't locked up at the World Series of 536 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:59.760 Poker every single day along this guy over here, I would definitely be over 537 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:04.480 here. Most importantly because I am a one day tournament guy. I need 538 00:36:04.519 --> 00:36:07.480 to get in and get out there. So for me, this type of 539 00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:08.800 schedule, I'm looking at it, I'm like, I'm like salvating, and 540 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:10.920 I'm also annoyed that I can't play a lot of these events, right, 541 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:14.760 But if I could, you know that, that's right up my alley, 542 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:17.079 because like you said, it's hard to get when you're working, it's hard 543 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:20.960 to get locked in for multiple days. So I love the fact that you 544 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:23.400 guys tackle this from from a you know, kind of a one day tournament 545 00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:27.239 aspect for a lot of this stuff, obviously the big guarantees as well, 546 00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:30.239 So a lot to be had here at Aria Poker in the Summer Ario Poker 547 00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:35.079 Classic May twenty ninth through July thirteenth. That's uh, Ryan Kirk, that's 548 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:39.280 tournament director. Two time Tournament Director of the Year, Paul Campbell, appreciate 549 00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:42.079 you guys coming on. Thank you, appreciate you having, thank you, 550 00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:46.280 thank you, thank you. This episode of the Poker Go Podcast is brought 551 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:51.559 to you by storm X. The easiest way to earn crypto just head on 552 00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:57.159 over to storm x dot io to activate cash back offers. Then shop online 553 00:36:57.199 --> 00:37:02.119 as normal through the eligible vendors and earn crypto on confirmed purchases. A variety 554 00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:07.559 of tokens are available to earn bitcoin, dochecoin, and much more. Earning 555 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:12.639 crypto doesn't have to be hard with Stormack's Earning crypto is easy. I was 556 00:37:12.679 --> 00:37:17.519 informed before the show that Tim wanted to do a community cards, so I 557 00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:22.559 guess that means rich play the music. Attention, attention, good morning, 558 00:37:22.599 --> 00:37:25.679 good afternoon, and good evenings of the poker radio audience near and far. 559 00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:30.599 It is now time for a brand spanking, spiffy and new shout out to 560 00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:34.480 some of our most loyal listeners who likely got a bit too lucky on the 561 00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:37.400 way to the spotlight. You're listening to the number one poker show in the 562 00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:43.639 land, and it's time for a new edition of the Poker Go Podcast Community 563 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:45.400 Cards. All right, sir, do you what do you got for me? 564 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:49.280 I just want to say It's been a long time since we had that 565 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:52.039 tune, that jingle. It has been a long time, but but I 566 00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:52.800 think we're going to get a lot of it in the summer. Yes, 567 00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:55.960 we got to bring it back. I feel like I wanted to discuss some 568 00:37:57.039 --> 00:37:59.960 things because it's fitting. We know we're about to talk to Ryan and Paul. 569 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:05.360 I've had two players come up to me while here at Aria. Once 570 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:07.760 was in the poker room, one was here in the Podco studio, you 571 00:38:07.800 --> 00:38:10.760 know, saying, hey man, I'm a big podcast listener, you know, 572 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:14.039 big fan. Love what you guys do. I'm horrible with names. 573 00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:15.679 I've already forgotten their names, but I gave him a hat. I gave 574 00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:19.840 him a little card protector. They got a little bit of swag. They 575 00:38:19.880 --> 00:38:22.480 were very excited about that. They're very loyal listeners, and I just want 576 00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:28.440 to preface the people coming. We've got world series coming. We've got something 577 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:31.039 planned I don't want to reveal right now. There's something planned for you guys, 578 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:36.480 you listeners back home, so make sure you stay tuned in for every 579 00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:52.920 episode coming from the world series of Poker Love It