The hunt for a new L.A. Poker Classic tournament director has come to a close with the announcement that world famous event manager Matt Savage will take the reins at Commerce Casino come January.
Savage, most recognized for his work with the World Series of Poker during the poker boom, will attempt to make the same type of transition at the World’s Largest Poker Room.
“Being Tournament Director at the Commerce Casino is great opportunity for me,” Savage told Poker News Daily. “I have always felt that the L.A. Poker Classic is one of the four major tournaments in poker and it is my goal to take it to the next level of prestige.”
Savage will take over for longtime L.A. Poker Classic tournament director Cheri Dokken, who retired earlier this month. Tim Gustin, casino manager at Commerce Casino, said management was searching for someone who already had a lot of experience handling prestigious, big-money events, as well familiarity with television production crews. Savage fit the job description perfectly.
“The Commerce is the largest poker room in the world and the L.A. Poker Classic is one of the greatest events in tournament poker,” Savage added to Poker News Daily. “I am honored to have the chance to improve on the high standard already set by Cheri and the Commerce staff.”
According to Commerce Casino Development Manager John Griffo, Savage possesses a lot of personal characteristics that make him the perfect person to replace Dokken, who had been the Commerce Casino’s tournament director since 2000.
“Savage is seen as one of the top tournament directors in this country, if not the world,” says Griffo. “A lot of that has to do with his reputation for running smooth, fair tournaments. But he also oversees tournaments as if he was hosting a party. He is well liked and connects on a personal level with everyone. That is something L.A. Poker Classic players have become accustomed to at Commerce Casino, and I believe that will continue with Savage at the helm.”
In 2001, along with Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher and David Lamb, Savage founded the Tournament Directors Association, an organization that works to standardize poker tournament rules all over the world. The TDA has become the worldwide standard for tournament rules and is now used in most major tournaments. Savage became the inaugural inductee into the Poker Room Manager’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
Savage was invited to manage the World Series of Poker in 2002 and aided in the event’s explosion within a matter of years. He has also directed televised poker games for shows on ESPN, GSN, Fox Sports and Travel Channel.
The WPT L.A. Poker Classic will run from Thursday, January 22 through Monday, March 2, 2009. Phil Ivey will attempt to repeat as the winner of the 2008 main event.