Jimmy Sommerfeld Talks to Tourneyblog

Jimmy Sommerfeld is the Tournament Director of the 2009 Oklahoma State Championships of Poker. A major player in the world of tournament directing, Sommerfeld works with Poker Tournament Consultants, a group dedicated to being “the industry leader in the coordinating, directing, and executing of the most prestigious poker tournaments worldwide.”

A mentee of Jack McClelland, Sommerfeld has helped train other up and coming tournament directors such as Jack Effel and Johnnie Groomes. Recently, he squeezed in a few moments with us here at Tourneyblog to discuss not only his background and Poker Tournament Consultants but also to share his passion for poker.

Tourney Blog: Jimmy, thanks for taking the time out of your hectic schedule, to chat with us. We know you’ve got lots of pre-tournament preparations to finish so we won’t take but fifteen minutes of your time.

Jimmy, to start off, would you mind telling Tourneyblog’s readers a little something about yourself.

Jimmy Sommerfeld: Well, I got started in the poker industry as a poker dealer at the Horseshoe Tunica. Eventually, the World Poker Tour brought the World Poker Open there. Jack McClelland was brought in around this time to oversee that event. I learned all I know about tournament directing from him.

Soon after, I began doing tournaments myself.

TB: Wow! You learned from one of the best and most well-known TDs in the world. What sorts of advice do you have for aspiring tournament directors out there?

JS: I’d tell anyone who wanted to do this job to stay focused yet flexible…and to network. Get to know other tournament directors and attend the Tournament Director Association (TDA) meetings as often as you can.

TB: What kinds of qualifications do you think that a person needs to have to become a successful tournament director?

JS: First and foremost, the successful tournament director will be able to work with the players, proving customer service and triaging requests. You need organizational skills to ensure that things run smoothly, but perhaps most importantly you need to be able to think two steps ahead of potential problems and pitfalls as well as be prepared for what happens next.

TB: Cool. I think my readers have a bit of an idea as to what a tournament director does, but would you give us a bit more information.

JS: A tourney director’s job starts way before the tournament actually takes place. The TD plans the structure and the event itself before the chips are even counted. Poker  Tournament Consultants, the company I work with, is basically a turn-key operation. This means we do it all for the casino from start to finish. During the event, we keep things flowing with the levels and chip ups. We also break down tables and find new spots for players as needed. Finally, we ensure that all players adhere to the rules.

TB: What exactly does Poker Tournament Consultants do?

JS: Poker Tournament Consultants is a company that was started with the smaller poker rooms in mind. We run all aspects of tournaments including the marketing, media services, direction, software set up and more. Visit pokertournamentconsultants.com for more information.

TB: Currently you’re at the Oklahoma State Championships of Poker at the Cherokee Casino in Catoosa (Tulsa). What do you like most about working on this event?

JS: Well, I really enjoy every tournament series I work on. We handle the World Poker Challenge in Reno (a WPT event), Tunica and Rincon for the World Series Circuit/Harrah’s.  I also work closely with Jack Effel for the World Series of Poker. I’m the day shift lead TD at the Rio for the Big Show.

But to answer your question, I really like places like the Cherokee because in the mid-west everyone’s so friendly.

TB: Do you play poker when you’re not directing tournaments?

JS: Not as much as I used to. I like No Limit Hold’em and sometimes Limit Hold’em. I once won an event in Minnesota. I was there running the super satellites and decided to play in the Main Event. Winning was a big thrill.

TB: Wow, that’s pretty cool. I have yet to win my first live Main Event so kudos. Before I let you go, Jimmy, I was wondering if there was anything else you’d like to share with my readers.

JS: Just let them know that we are open to suggestions and have, in the past, made changes to tournament structures based on feedback from the players. So anytime you have a suggestion to make the process go smoother, don’t hesitate to let us know.

 

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Tags: Jimmy Sommerfeld, Oklahoma State Championships Of Poker, Poker Touranment Consultants, Tournament Director