Tournament Directors can be found at nearly every land-based casino throughout the world. From Las Vegas to Macau, they serve a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the game of poker. Among some of the most talented Tournament Directors in the world are Jack Effel, Matt Savage, Jack McClelland, and Linda Johnson, who is also a guest columnist right here on Poker News Daily.
Savage, Johnson, David Lamb, and Jan Fisher together created the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), which has built the foundation for putting on successful poker events. In fact, many of the major poker tournaments held throughout the world have adopted TDA guidelines. Generally, you’ll find one lead Tournament Director per casino in addition to more conventional floor staff. Johnson told Poker News Daily, “There is no real training. The TDA is considering setting methods for training and licensing Tournament Directors, but I think people gain experience from playing and making rulings in cash games and tournaments.”
Stated TDA rules govern the role of floor personnel, guidelines for racing off chips, explanations of penalties and disqualifications, mandates of when to change decks and rabbit hunt, as well as an overview of balancing tables. Players who suffer penalties are forced to sit out a set number of rounds, ranging from one to four. This was recently changed from the more conventional time penalty. Johnson explains, “If the players didn’t like the person, they would play really fast, so a player could end up missing multiple rounds during a time penalty. If they liked the person, we found players would stall.” It is the high level of experience of TDA’s directors that makes such evaluations and rule adjustments possible.
Despite rules set forth by the TDA as well as house guidelines that exist in major casinos, tournament management often encounter difficulties. For example, Scotty Nguyen lambasted floor staff during the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship. Phil Hellmuth berated several individuals, including Adam “Roothlus” Levy (who, ironically, would go on to become a member of Ultimate Bet’s Star Players Team). Tiffany Michelle infamously called the clock during a hand she wasn’t a part of late in the 2008 Main Event. Why were these situations not addressed according to TDA rules? Johnson responded, “The rules are there. Whether Tournament Directors decide to use them is their call.”
So what does it take to become a successful Tournament Director? With seasoned pros and amateurs alike convening on the poker felts, Johnson explains the number one rule of a successful Tournament Director: “A good Tournament Director should be impartial and consistent in their rulings. However there is a difference between a well-seasoned tournament player and someone who is playing for the first time. If the Tournament Director understands that a player should have known better, then they might get a penalty. If it’s their first event, then the Tournament Director might just give out a warning.”
With tournaments moving at a rapid pace, the ability to think on your feet is another major quality of a Tournament Director. Johnson explained, “Be logical and fair. Sometimes fairness has to come ahead of the rules. You also have to be quick-thinking. It’s not easy to make decisions on the fly.” In the case of Tiffany Michelle calling the clock, for example, Johnson reiterated that the floor person should have assessed the situation, taking into account how long the player involved had thought for as well as how many chips were involved: “The fact that someone called for a clock doesn’t mean the Tournament Director should start it. There are instances when a longer amount of time is warranted.”
Another frequent issue is soft play, which involves friends or acquaintances playing differently against one another than they would against other players. Johnson explained, “One thing that Tournament Directors have to be careful about is soft play. Sometimes with first-time players, they don’t understand it’s wrong and might just get a warning.” The TDA rules address soft play specifically.
Log onto the Tournament Directors Association website to learn more as well as check out all of the rules set forth by this influential industry organization. A special thanks to Linda Johnson for speaking with us.
