When it comes to tournament directors in the poker world, Matt Savage has earned a reputation for being a tournament director par excellence. He has traversed the world as the arbiter of some of the biggest events in the game of poker and currently is immersed in preparations for the upcoming trilogy of tournaments for the World Poker Tour in Florida and the upcoming Tournament Directors Association Summit, which will be held at the end of June. But it is the creation of another tournament schedule for his home casino, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, that has riled some in the poker community.
The California State Poker Championships are scheduled to take place at the Commerce between April 28 and May 14 and, as the tournament director, Savage is responsible for putting the slate of tournaments together for the event. It is the second event on the schedule on April 29, a simple $350 buy in tournament (with $50 of that for fees and miscellaneous), called “The Social Experiment,” that has piqued the interest of many players. And why not? With a 30,000-chip starting stack –equivalent to what players start major WPT or WSOP events with – and a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool, “The Social Experiment” promises a chance at a big reward for a minimal investment.
There are many players, however, that aren’t taking to this “experiment” lightly…and just why is it called “The Social Experiment?” Savage, who was the creative mind who came up with reentry events (he’s also had some good ideas during his run as tournament director extraordinaire!), has inserted a few rules into the game that many aren’t fond of.
Per the structure sheet for the tournament, “The Social Experiment” is quote “an attempt to create social interaction amongst players. Cell phones, sunglasses, headphones and hoods will only be allowed outside of the tournament area or on breaks (Savage has taken into consideration those with medical necessity or those with special needs and they will not be held to the rule).” On his personal Facebook page, Savage notes that the Commerce “will provide complimentary earplugs…while supplies last.”
To enforce this policy, Savage has enacted a series of penalties for infractions. Starting with a three-hand banishment, the punishments go up to one rotation around the table for repeat offenders. Such punishment at the wrong time in the tournament could be devastating to the chip stack of a participant.
The conversation regarding “The Social Experiment” is slightly leaning towards those who think it is a good idea, but those in opposition are vehement in that stance. One commentator on Savage’s Facebook page suggested that “The Social Experiment’s” banishment of sunglasses, headphones, cellphones, and other electronic devices could be compared to when cigarette smoking was banned in poker rooms in the late 1990s. Many said that poker rooms would die off without smoking allowed at the table; the exact opposite happened, but that could be partially because of the explosion of online poker at the same time. Those who don’t agree with the Savage “experiment” say that they need the devices to pass the time and that they don’t want to be socializing with their opposition.
It is only about 15 years ago that “The Social Experiment” was how poker tournaments were de rigueur in a casino. The players didn’t have all the electronic accoutrements that are available for players nowadays – the occasional newspaper or book was seen at the tables – and there was a great deal of camaraderie for those on the felt. Since the inception of internet poker, however, there’s been a change to players who are constantly looking for stimulation, for action, for something to fill “down time” between hands rather than acknowledging humans around them.
Whether there will be any of the “internet age” players on the tables for what should be a big event or not remains to be seen. It should be well attended by those who don’t have any problems with human interaction, however! Kudos to Savage and the Commerce staff for challenging the players with a twist on the everyday poker tournament and making it something that will be memorable for all involved.
