Poker Interviews

Interview with Bonnie Damiano
By Jan Fisher

When it was recently announced that Bonnie Damiano was reviving the Four Queens Classic, many players asked, "Who is Bonnie Damiano?" For those in the know, Bonnie has been a familiar face in the poker industry for several years now. She lives in Las Vegas with her two children Arthur and Viansa, and her two dogs Fred and Ginger. Yes, the dogs were named after her passion for dancing. Bonnie is an accomplished singer and dancer and has a plethora of interests and hobbies. She has used her business degree, earned at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, to gain success in the meeting and event-planning arena. Bonnie and I are personal friends who used this interview as a good excuse to get together for lunch.

Jan Fisher: You have been in the convention planning business for many years. What are some of the more unusual events that you have planned?

Bonnie Damiano: My company was responsible for coordination of the pre-game and halftime show for the opening of Joe Robbie Stadium for the Miami Dolphins. We also planned events of all types for groups of up to 3500 Re/Max Realtors. One of my favorite annual events is the Russ Hamilton golf tournament, which will be held this year in August in San Diego. This is the fourth time we have had this event and it just keeps getting better. There is so much camaraderie and fun with plenty of evening activities as well. You ought to see some of the poker greats play some not so great golf! On the other hand, many of them have single-digit handicaps.

JF: I know what you mean. I attended the event in Mesquite one year and I had Scotty Nguyen in my foursome. Boy, he showed me some moves I had never seen before. We also laughed and had a ball! How and when did you start playing poker?

BD: Growing up in Wisconsin with such bitterly cold winters, we were forced to find ways to entertain ourselves inside much of the time. My family played cards and introduced me to poker when I was 8-years old. We even played for money…5- and 10- cent games. Talk about a tough way to get a raise on your allowance! My sister Cathy got me involved in playing poker in Las Vegas when I was about 23. She would be visiting Las Vegas and I would come out to meet her and we would play poker at the Fremont. Stud/8 was the game and $3-$6 was the limit. We played for days at a time. Cathy loved to play, as did I, and we had so much fun, met so many interesting people, and laughed so much. Wow, that seems like a lifetime ago!

JF: What is your poker game of choice now?

BD: It still is stud/8, only now I prefer to play $50-$100. That just about counts for inflation with the passing of some 20-odd years! I really don't play any higher!

JF: What is your involvement with Card Player Cruises?

BD: I got involved in the cruise business when Linda Johnson and Barry Shulman mentioned to me that they might want to sell the cruise division. Barry and I spoke on the Mexican cruise last May and it looked like we could make a deal. Mark Tenner, Linda Johnson, and Jan Fisher all agreed to be my partners in this venture. I have been involved in the travel business and have loved poker for more than 20 years so it seemed like a perfect match. Plus I would get to work with my good friends.

JF: It is fun working hard and playing hard with your buddies! Tell the readers what you do for the cruises.

BD: I run the office and handle the cruise bookings. Of course one of the perks is being able to go on five cruises a year, a benefit I truly enjoy. I also coordinate the World Poker Industry Conference and the inaugural World Poker Player's Conference. Both events will be held at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in July this year.

JF: How did you get into the tournament coordination business and what are your plans in that arena?

BD: As a player, I love poker tournaments and I think that I know what players want. I have spent the last year negotiating with several different properties to host poker tournaments. There was a lot of frustration, as many of them do not have the vision to understand the benefit of bringing hundreds of players to their sites. I have been able to secure locations for two tournaments this year. The first one will be April 9-19 at Fantasy Springs in Palm Springs, California. The second will be the revival of the Queens Classic at the Four Queens in Downtown Las Vegas. It will be September 5-23 and I am happy to announce that Jack McClelland will be the tournament director. I am also working on a tournament to be held in Nassau, Bahamas. There will be details available when the plans are finalized.

JF: Tell us how your events will be different than the rest.

BD: My events will all be non-smoking and I have some novel ideas that will be surprising for everyone, but you will have to wait and see. One thing that I can tell you about is the bubble tournament. All players finishing on the bubble (one spot shy of the money) will get to play in a winner-take-all event at the end of the tournament. The prize will be a Card Player Cruises poker vacation for two on the Jack McClelland World Poker Cup at Sea cruise to be held November 25, 2001. Another unique aspect of my tournaments will be the associated golf tournament to be held with each event. Russ Hamilton, former World Series of Poker Champion will host these events for me. It doesn't get much better than that!

JF: Knowing you and your penchant for fun and a good time, I know that your events will be successful, fun, and well-received by the poker public. I wish you good luck in them and have just one last question for you…got a job for me?