By
Dan |
Published
Feb 21 2009, 11:10 PM
Previously, poker was held to be an individual sport. Now, the tables have turned. On March 27th, Dream Team Poker will hold the second tournament in its history, this time at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The revolutionary three-player team poker concept was a resounding success in its inaugural event held a few blocks away at the Hard Rock, attracting celebrities from the poker world as well as Hollywood. Dream Team Poker boasts a price tag $1,650 per team ($550 per player) and registration is now open for the Caesars Palace event. PocketFives.com sat down with Ed Fishman, Co-Founder of Dream Team Poker, to learn more about what has made this version of the familiar sport quite popular.
Prizes in Dream Team Poker tournaments are awarded based on the top individual and team finishers. The former are determined in the exact same way as in a conventional poker tournament. The team scores are computed by taking the top two finishers on each three-person team and adding their positions together; the team with the lowest score wins. Fishman told PocketFives.com, “The team aspect brought a fun and unique excitement to poker for players and casinos. As an ex-casino owner, I felt poker was a necessary game to have in your casino to keep people there, but it was not a big revenue generator.”
The concept of team poker emphasizes the social aspect of the game. From the casino’s standpoint, it not only attracts more people, but it also keeps them gambling longer. Fishman explained that team poker “brought new people into the game. They also stayed longer because they had teammates still in the tournament.” Eliminated players, therefore, remain in the casino and may continue gambling. In a conventional poker tournament, ousted players are often headed for the next flight out of town.
Once teams reach the final 27 players remaining, they’ll be awarded two time outs. Players who have been eliminated from the tournament can discuss specific hands during the time out, which lasts 90 seconds. Strategy among the remaining team members can also be discussed during this pause in play. Teammates will not be seated at the same table until 14 to 16 players are left in order to prevent collusion.
In Dream Team Poker’s first tournament held at the Hard Rock in November, Team Bluff (pictured at left) consisting of Eric Morris, Matt Parvis, and Justin ZeeJustin Bonomo, grabbed first place for $39,000. Each also collected a championship ring for their efforts. The tournament was won by Jason Lilley, who received a ring and a bottle of Cristal. Those in attendance from the poker industry included 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Jamie Gold, Erica Schoenberg, Kenny Tran, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande, Roy Winston, and Chris Bigler. Celebrities in attendance included “E.R.” actor Mekhi Phifer, “24” actor Roger Cross, “The Hills” co-star Holly Montag, former NBA player Chris Mills, “Knight Rider” actor Yancey Arias, and “The Simpsons” co-creator Sam Simon.
Team Poker allows the average player to make the money or even be part of a winning squad. Fishman brings valuable experience to the company as the creator of one of the first casino player clubs. He was the founder of Players International, which was sold to Harrah’s, and created the World Series of Blackjack. He ultimately sees a bright future for team gaming: “Dream Team Poker does not change the fundamentals of tournament poker, so players don’t have to learn a new game. It seemed to us that poker was a solitary sport. I believe that team gaming will eventually enter into other games as well.”
If the legality of internet gambling in the United States is clarified, Fishman sees the team gaming concept expanded to include online poker. He explained to PocketFives.com, “If you look at it, you can see how easily it can be played online. We absolutely see that in the future. If anything happens to legalize internet gambling in the United States, it’s probably going to be in games like poker, bridge, or chess.” PocketFives.com members typically compete in individual and team contests during the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) and PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP).
Dream Team Poker is expecting 100 teams, or 300 players, to turn out for the Caesars Palace tournament, which is open to the general public (the Hard Rock event was invite only). Custom team jerseys will be presented on March 27th during a reception. The tournament begins promptly at Noon on March 28th and will continue until 27 players remain. The survivors will then return on March 29th at Noon and play down to a winner.
Register for Dream Team Poker today.