Poker News

Frank Meoni

Frank Meoni was born in 1951 in Yonkers, New York. At the tender age of 16 Frank’s father retired and moved the family to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, After Frank graduated high school he enrolled in a junior college and after his first year he tested for several fire departments. He was hired by Hialeah Fire Department and retired after 20 years of service.

Within a year, at the age of 41, Frank picked up and moved to Las Vegas. The decision to move to Las Vegas was a long time dream of Franks. During his career as a fire fighter he and some of the other guys played quite often when it was slow at the firehouse and he spent quite a few vacations in Las Vegas. During those vacations he got to know the dealers and players after talking to them it seemed like a good profession to get into since he loved poker so much.

In 1991 the Maxim hired Frank as a prop while he was attending dealer school. After graduation the Maxim hired him as a full time poker dealer on grave yard. That lasted until the room closed in 1992 and then he went the to old Aladdin as a dealer.

In 1993 Frank moved to California for a dealing and floor position at the newly opened San Manuel. Frank still owned a house in Las Vegas and was commuting back and forth on weekends. In August of 1994, Boulder opened and Frank decided to end the commuting and take a dealing job. Within six months he was promoted to a supervisory position that lasted 11 years.

Frank has recently been promoted to cardroom manager of the nine table poker room atPalace Station.

DB: Will you be instituting any changes in the poker room at Palace Station?

FM: The only changes we’re going to try, is to develop a no-limit hold’em game. There are some other ideas that I have but they are still on the drawing board.

DB: What are you most committed to as a cardroom manager?

FM: Guest services and supporting my team. I learned that in the fire department. If you don’t have the support of your team, bad things happen.

DB: Does Palace Station still offer daily tournament?

FM: No, not at the moment but it’s a possibility in the future. It helps bring guests into the room so we’re looking into bringing them back.

DB: What live games can players expect to be spread on a regular basis?

FM: We spread $2-$4 limit hold’em, $4-$8 limit hold’em with a half kill, $4-$8 Omaha high-low split and occasionally on weekends we spread no-limit and seven-card stud.

DB: What incentives does Palace Station offer it’s players?

FM: Our Jumbo Poker Tournament is one of the best incentives to play poker anywhere. Starting July 1through August 31 is the qualifying period. Players are automatically enrolled in a $200,000 tournament for only 50 hours of live play. The finals are scheduled for the second or third week in September and all players will receive at least $40 for just showing up on the first day of the tournament.

DB: How many players do you usually get for the Jumbo Poker Tournament?

FM: We should have upwards to 2000 players.

DB: Can you explain how the tournament works?

FM: Players who fulfill the 50 hour requirement will receive a seating assignment a couple days after the qualifying period ends. On the first day of the tournament there will be four, possibly five, sessions and the top 75 players will progress to the finals on noon, Sunday.

DB: How many places does the event pay?

FM: The winner will receive $60,000 and there will be 300 places paid.

DB: What should players expect while playing at Palace Station?

FM: We pride ourselves in taking care of our customers and treat them with respect. We listen to there concern and advise and that’s what makes us successful.

DB: Who deserves the credit for Stations poker rooms being poker friendly?

FM: Weldon Russell, Director of Poker Operations. He trusts us to run our rooms the way we believe they should be run because we are the ones listening to our players.

DB: Who deserves the credit for the friendly atmosphere in the Station’s cardrooms?

FM: The dealers and floorpeople.

DB: What is the Jumbo Jackpot that Station’s offers?

FM: It’s a hold’em jackpot that starts at $100,000 and might be the largest poker jackpot in the country. It has gotten upwards close to $200,000. Once it’s been hit it starts over at $100,000, it’s a daily progressive jackpot. The first week you must have four tens beaten, each successive week it drops down a hand, example, week two would

be four nines. This continues until it gets hit then it starts over at $100,000. The Jumbo Jackpot really creates a lot of excitement when the hands get down to four sixes or fives, you can feel the excitement. The lower it gets the more players come in to play. The good thing is there are five Station Casinos involved, Palace, Boulder, Sunset Station, Texas and Santa Fe and all players playing at the time the Jackpot hits in any one of the five rooms receives a player share of the jackpot.

DB: How does the comp system work at Palace?

FM: We have a comp system that is connected to all Station Casinos using a players card. Comp dollars accrued can be used in any Stations but you must redeem you comps at the casino in which they were earned. The comps accrue separately but may be used together anywhere.

DB: Anything you want to add to this interview?

FM: Yes, we also have highhand jackpots for Omaha high-low split and sevencard stud which is currently at $27,000. These jackpots start at four eights beaten and these are also progressive jackpots but the high hand stays the same.

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