Matt Savage Q&A

In poker, it’s rare for non-players to be in the spotlight. Fans generally care about how Phil Hellmuth is battling his demons, or what Phil Ivey’s doing on the table games. As such, it’s rare for those behind the scenes to grab the attention. But renowned tournament director and now Executive Director of the WPT, Matt Savage, is well known to those who follow the game.

From officiating duties at the WSOP to appearances on the felt himself, Savage is arguably the most famous tournament director in poker today. And when PokerPlayer managed to grab him for a brief chat about the upcoming WPT Season XI we jumped at the chance.

So whether you’re on your way to WPT Cyprus next month or just want to know how Savage is finding his third year with the tour, here’s what he had to say.

Hi Matt. We heard you’re arranging something special for WPT Cyrpus this August. Can you share any details?
Yeah, basically we decided that when you go to a poker tournament these days you really want to involve yourself in other things when you’re travelling that far. And apparently Cyprus has one of the greatest golf courses in Europe and we’re excited to play the course. We decided to throw a few poker players in and see what happens. It should be a lot of fun for everyone.

Have any players put their name forward.
We’ve had a few big names like James Akenhead express interest, but it’s hard to say who. At the moment, it’s hard to get players to commit after the world series but I know a lot of players are going out to Cyprus.

What’s your handicap?
14.1, which is lower than I’ve ever been before and I don’t think I can play to it. I’m not expecting to do too well (laughs).

Have you hosted these sort of events before?
I host an annual golf tournament myself, and the WPT used to do something simialr. There was a lot of bad golf but a lot of fun as well (laughs).

Will there be a bit of prop betting?
Oh for sure.

Cyprus is just a few weeks away, why should everyone head over there, especially after a tough World Series?
I think there are a lot of players that didn’t go over for the WSOP and this gives them a great opportunity to play some poker in Cyprus, which is easily accessible from all over Europe. A lot of Europeans will be happy to go down there and play and there’s a lot of action in Cyprus. People will be there for not only a poker trip, but a vacation. Plus it gives people a chance to get even after the World Series (laughs).

Do you not need a break yourself?
Well, I live in Vegas. And now that I’m not running the WSOP, the summer is my downtime. As Executive Director of the WPT, Cyprus gives me a chance to meet up with players and play with them, but also to talk about future WPT events.

How does your role with the WPT work?
Basically I oversee the relationships between the players and the tour, and the properties/venues and the tour. I’m involved with the scheduling, the structures, the payouts and trying to get everything standardised throughout has really been my goal over the past few years. Right now it’s really happening. We have a great structure on the WPT and it’s probably the best tour out there. We’ve taken some major steps into making that happen.

What can we expect from Season XI of the WPT?
There are loads of new locations that we’re all excited about, Cyprus being one of them and we’re real happy to go there. Plenty of stops in Europe this year are new to the tour, and there are some more announcements to come very soon. It’s all about locations for us. We try and pick places players would really like to visit, not just for poker, but to see the beautiful countries around the world.

What are your tour highlights every year?
I’ve worked a few of the stops for many years, places like Seminole Hard Rock or Bay 101 who I’ve been with for ten years, and I also work at the Commerce. Those are the big ones for me, but Borgatta’s is always a highlight due to the big field. I’m really excited about heading back to Montreal as well. All the stops have their own moments and I’m excited to be part of it.

For more on WPT Cyprus and how you can get involved, click here.