The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure will wrap up today from the Atlantis Resort and Casino in Nassau, The Bahamas. Begun in 2004 aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, the event initially attracted nearly 600 participants. Now, with 937 entrants, the prize pool has ballooned to over $7 million, meaning the victor will walk away with over $1.5 million and a $25,000 seat in the World Poker Tour Championship. One of the most visible people in the event isn’t a poker player, spectator, or even the tournament director. It’s Lee Jones, Poker Room Manager for the largest online poker site. Lee is answering questions from everyone – dealers, spectators, media, celebrities, and poker’s elite. Lee took time out of his hectic day to sit down with PocketFives.com to discuss the 2007 PCA as well as an outlook towards 2008.

A press release distributed to the media before the event began stated that tournament officials were expecting only around 750 entrants. “I am blown away by this event,” said Lee. “There’s a sense of humor and enthusiasm in the air.” Looking around the room, the PCA is unlike any other major live poker event. Many players have on shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and are extremely laid back for an event with millions of dollars on the line. Oh yeah, and there are nearly a thousand players.

“No event should run this smoothly. There are two reasons I think it has. First, our staff and dealers are working very hard. Second, everybody came here with a positive attitude. Everyone can have a good time.” The attitude is the real difference down here in The Bahamas. “It’s so different from any other World Poker Tour event. Part of it is the Bahamian people and the Bahamian culture. Part of it is our proximity to the beach. People here are very relaxed.” The beach is a short walk from the massive convention hall that houses the PCA. A series of trails, many through lagoons with sharks and assorted tropical fish, will take you there. There are poker players everywhere; on the way to the beach, I ran across two out of the past four WSOP Main Event Champions perusing the hotel’s vast grounds.

What a spectator will notice about the PCA is the rather large amount of staff who keeps the tournament running smoothing. “We hired Meridican, and event management company. These people work really hard and are up to the wee hours of the morning doing whatever is necessary. Any person who’s attending the PCA can stop one of us and our people will do whatever is necessary to get the job done.” In addition to the event management company, PokerStars brings a select group of customer service agents who respond to member e-mails on a regular basis to serve a liaisons to the very players they are used to interacting with. The trick: The PCA is a live arena, making the interaction completely different. “We tell our staff that we bring down to treat and respond to players and spectators as they would online. While we expect them to work while they’re down here, they have free time as well. This trip serves as a reward for all their hard work throughout the year.”

What is genuinely interesting is the sheer amount of people who ask Lee questions in person. “Why did this person get banned?” and “What would you say to me if I busted out?” are common questions Lee is forced to face time and time again. While interviewing Lee at one of the empty poker tables, actress Mimi Rogers shouted for him on behalf of another person at her table. Lee hollered back across the room that he was in the middle of an interview: “I want you to write down that I am ignoring Mimi Rogers so I can talk to you.”

Within a few days of the final hand of the 2007 PCA, preparations will begin for next year’s event. It will be up to PokerStars, the World Poker Tour, and, of course, Lee, to make all the preparations and continue running one of the premiere online poker sites. “Lee Jones exemplifies everything that is right about the online poker industry,” said PocketFives.com Chief Editor Adam Small. “His primary concern is always what's best for the players, and that is shown on a day-to-day basis through the patient and understanding manner in which he conducts his business.”

A big thank you to Lee for sitting down with PocketFives.com and for putting on an organized, relaxed, and competitive event in Nassau. We hope to see everyone at the next PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.