The Online Poker industry has seen the rise of several poker websites over the past few years. Back in 2004, few would have predicted the eventual popularity that PokerStars would gain from the online poker community. By implementing a flexible tournament schedule and combining it with top-notch support, PokerStars quickly became THE place to play multi-table tournaments – and prevailed in attracting a large portion of the market to its cash games as well.

One of the architects of PokerStars’ climb to the top of the pack is none other than Lee Jones. Lee, a former computer programmer, played poker in brick and mortar cardrooms across the state of California before anyone had envisioned the possibility of online card playing. Lee joined PokerStars and helped as they reinvented the term Customer Service – responding in a timely and relevant manner on subjects ranging from game availability to software features.

However, it wasn’t until the 2005 World Championship of Online Poker when Mr. Jones’ persona gained him celebrity status among online poker players. Thousands of fans tuned in to PokerStars Radio last year to hear all types of stories and quirky punch lines from the good-natured PokerStars Manager. On January 1st, 2006, the site’s VIP Program was an instant success, followed by its 5 Billionth Hand promotion. Almost every Sunday night/Monday morning, Lee can be found at the Final Table of the $1 Million Guaranteed tournament – offering comical words of encouragement to participants as they retire to the virtual rail and count their money.

Our interview with Lee will focus on PokerStars’ overall success, upcoming events, listener emails, and the future of PokerStars.com.