Steve Heller, WPT CEO

InsidePoker Business Have you been surprised at the resilience of the WPT, considering that at one point it seemed to be hanging by a thread?

Steve Heller I'm not surprised by its resilience, because it has such a deep connection with the player community as a trusted brand. It needed to adapt to a changing environment and global landscape, and some of those requirements were met more effectively than others. Since then, we've really stepped up and met those challenges. Even those people who had started to believe the impact of the WPT was softening, were excited when we reinvigorated and reinvested in the brand. For so many people, it's what got them into poker.

IPB Steve Lipscomb famously said that the number one priority was instead to benefit the players and community. Are you confident that it can be a money-making enterprise with that mission statement?

SH I am. Everyone understands ultimately that a company has to be a commercial enterprise, but in doing so it must continue to establish strong relationships. The WPT can't exist by itself. Over the past 18 months, we have modified our business models substantially. I think we're finding a good balance between being a successful commercial enterprise and a strong representative and communication device for the poker industry. I believe that the stronger the WPT is, the more it can do for the poker industry.

IPB Is there an effort to hold events in locations that are not part of the EPT schedule?

SH I can't speak for the EPT, but that is not a particular strategy of ours. Often the venue only has the budget for one big event, and they ultimately decide to go with one or the other. It would be silly to deny that we are competitive, but no doubt the EPT, as well as the WPT, have had a lot to do with the growth of land-based tournaments in Europe. I believe that if you think you're good at what you do, you want the market to grow.

IPB The WPT was very US-focused for a very long time. Do you think that branching out sooner would have had a significant impact?

SH Certainly, the EPT has demonstrated that there is a vibrant tournament market and industry in Europe. Might the WPT have had success in Europe if it had gone over earlier? Possibly. But the WPT saw that the US is a behemoth market and we tried to focus there. We felt a year or two ago that the time was right to start extending our reach and investing the capital necessary to expand into other parts of the world. I think the timing's been good and it's been well-received and we've had several tournaments with over 500 players on the first effort.

IPB Can you give more details on how the relationship works with bwin.party?

SH The WPT operates as an independent entity. Party does sponsor some of the events, and certainly we try to use some of their resources, whether it be influence with networks for distribution, or certain marketing and PR opportunities. Bwin.party's been very supportive in terms of sending players particularly to European events, qualifying players and marketing promotions to send players. However, the WPT is largely a standalone, independent entity, that has had a variety of sponsors.

IPB Is the decision to work with other online operators so that the WPT brand isn't diluted?

SH It's critical that the WPT engages and supports all of its constituencies, and online sponsors and sites are crucial to the success of the WPT. The goals of the WPT are independent goals and objectives, and it would not be good for the WPT to do anything other than be open to promotion and sponsorship from the poker community. The WPT is a brand and an entity that is in many ways almost owned by the greater poker world, and we have no intention of changing that.

IPB What has been the impact of Black Friday on the WPT in terms of attendance at the events?

SH It's early days - we've only had a few events since then. However, I wouldn't say the impact has been substantial. In the US, the two events we've had subsequent to Black Friday, Seminole Hard Rock and our Championship at the Bellagio, were both very successful.

IPB Is live poker in a healthier state due to the lack of online play?

SH We'll have to wait and see. On one hand, there's no doubt that it presents a great opportunity for our tour and for regional partners. Before, often when an event was finished or a player had busted out, they'd leave to go and play online. Now, they're hanging around, so that's very favourable. On the other hand, I think there is a certain percentage of players who will stop playing as much poker as they did, now they are no longer online.

IPB Is it difficult to decide where to pool your resources without spreading yourself too thin?

SH It's what I get paid to do: prioritise, and figure out where the best opportunities are. The expansion has been measured and we don't want to start scrambling all over the world and not be able to focus on giving enough value to our events and our production. We're certainly an aggressive organisation that wants to expand, try new things and take some risks. Some will succeed and some will fail, but we are going to keep looking for ways to extend ourselves.

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