I just had a (brief) chat with Jeffrey Pollack, the Commissioner of the World Series of Poker, in the hallway of the Rio minutes before the start of today’s $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. Because he’s the face man of the world championship of poker, I feel compelled to comment on his face or, more specifically, his hair. Those who were here last year might recall it being gelled into a spiky ‘do each day, which along with his Elvis-Costello glasses made him look like a young L.A. hipster who had just stolen the keys to his father’s (very fast and very expensive) car. In my one conversation with the man last year he came off as nothing more than a spokesperson, literally the mouthpiece through which the corporate tyrant Harrah’s shouted orders. I kept comparing him to Benny Binion, and every time I did I had to laugh.
This year, Pollack is sporting a new look. Gone are the glasses and overly manicured coiffure. The beneficiary of contact lenses or, perhaps, Lasik surgery, he no longer sports spectacles that try to make a spectacle of themselves. His haircut is even more subdued. Sans gel, his hair just lays there, flat but comfortable in its own simplicity. No longer attempting to make any sort of statement has allowed it to voice the strongest declaration of all: I am perfectly content just as I am. The man’s new look has carried over to his demeanor. Whereas before he seemed a bit standoffish, he is now quite affable and relaxed. I would say he is finally feeling good about the state of the World Series after experiencing a rocky introduction last year.
Because I failed to convey my feelings to the man during the course of our (two-second-long) conservation, I will do so now: You’re doing a great job! At times I have been critical of various managerial snafus (the dealers as a collective entity are barely getting the job done and the sequestered tent idea seems like a mistake), but compared to the train wreck that occurred last year the 2007 World Series feels like a smooth plane ride. There are a ridiculous amount of events going on each day, and somehow all of them come off without a hitch. Harrah’s seems to have listened to all the ideas suggested by the players’ committee and incorporated the best of them. It’s this kind of give-and-take that’s going to ensure the tournament’s success for years to come. None of this praise has anything to do with the fact that Pollack personally saw to it that the media was feted with a sumptuous buffet on Tuesday evening. He didn’t buy my vote of confidence; he’s earned it.
