When casino gambling was first approved for Oklahoma in 2004, Cherokee Casinos made sure that poker would be an integral part of its business right from the start when it opened its first poker room in its first casino outside of Tulsa early in 2005.On Sunday, the main event of the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV takes place at the Cherokee Casino in Catoosa (right outside of Tulsa), an annual $5,150 buy-in event that, with the help of Nguyen himself, attracts some of the biggest names in poker.
And why not? Poker in Oklahoma has become a major thing, something that the Cherokee Casinos have both harnessed and helped grow. And Cherokee Casinos, which has poker rooms in six of its seven locations across the state, does have it's share of competition. Residents of Oklahoma have 20 poker rooms to choose from, and it's important for the company to maintain the upper hand in terms of branding and making the rooms the place of choice for players to drive to and set up shop.
David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Casinos, told Card Player that it was the plan from day one to make Cherokee Casino's poker rooms the place to play in the state. They wanted to immediately put out a good poker product and force its competition to play catch-up with them.
"We believe that we have to be the first to market with the biggest and the best," Stewart said. "It allows us to create a brand early on and then keep renewing the brand and reinventing it as it goes. But the first-to-market position is extremely important.
"What we see when we have the Scotty Nguyen tourneys is that poker players want to see that action. They want the excitement, and they want to be around big players, so we really look for those big events to do that and to bring those players in. It's an experience they appreciate and want to come back to."
Stewart said that a poker room is an important part of a casino even though it's one of the poorest contributors to the casino's revenue stream. But Stewart says a poker room "creates more synergy and energy in a casino as a whole."
When Cherokee Casinos hired Nguyen as the face of Cherokee Casinos, it was the first time a poker celebrity would become such an important component to the branding of a casino's poker operation.
Nguyen, who's wife is from Tulsa and helped match her husband and Cherokee Casinos together, was considered the perfect match for the casino chain. Stewart said Nguyen's championship pedigree, as well as his charisma, is just what the casino wants in a representative.
Jimmie Simms, the poker room manager for Cherokee Casino where the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge takes place, says the players love to have Nguyen around, and that he's perfect for the casino.
"It's great for us. I mean, Scotty, he's an ambassador. He's one of the friendliest poker players you'll ever meet. He promotes us everywhere he goes, and having him here is wonderful," Simms said. "He takes the time before the start of most events and shakes hands with every player in the poker room, he's always got time for an autograph, he always has time for a picture, and I think he lends a lot of credibility to our offerings."
He also helps bring in the big-name players that locals enjoy meeting and even playing with. Players like Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Clonie Gowen, and others have made it to Oklahoma for either the Scott Nguyen Poker Challenge or the two other major tournaments Cherokee Casinos runs each year: the Oklahoma State Championship of Poker (February, $3,100 championship event) and the Cherokee Poker Classic (October, $1,060 championship event). Jerry Yang, 2007 World Series of Poker's main event champion is scheduled to play this weekend.
Cherokee Casinos also made sure that women are made to feel comfortable at the chain's poker rooms. Outside of Tulsa, a ladies-only tourney is held every Thursday night and, on average, attracts 150 players.
And, at the start of each poker series, a Jack and Jill tournament takes place. This is a tag-team match where a man and woman take turns sitting at the table. The Jack and Jill event that took place at the start of the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge attracted an astounding 305 couples.
So far, this series had 6,600 participants, and Simms hopes to have between 150 and 200 players playing in the championship, which begins Sunday.
As far as the future of poker in Oklahoma, Stewart sees a rosy picture.
"I don't think poker is going away at all; if anything, it's going to get bigger," Stewart said. "We're committed to it, we believe in it, we believe in Scotty, and we're just going to get bigger and better."
