Ahead of the 2024 NAPT Las Vegas festival, set to take place between November 1-10, we spoke with Resorts World Las Vegas Director of Poker Operations Leon Wheeler. It’s the venue’s second consecutive year partnering with PokerStars to host the North American Poker Tour stop as well as the sixth time they’ll be hosting our Mixed Game Festival. There’s obviously a lot of preparation that needs to be done ahead of big live events, and Leon was kind enough to give us an inside look at that, as well as offer his thoughts on the upcoming festivities.
The NAPT reemerged last year after a lengthy absence and began a new chapter at Resorts World Las Vegas. Now it’s back once again with an even bigger, more enhanced schedule and set of festivities planned. What does it mean to you to have partnered so tightly with PokerStars and have your room hosting their marquee US event for a second time?
I’m thrilled about the future of Resorts World, and PokerStars will play a significant role in that journey. As time goes on, I envision this partnership becoming second nature, evolving naturally as we grow together. We have some exciting plans in the works, and I’m confident that PokerStars will remain a strong presence in the Las Vegas landscape for many years to come.
You’ve got 36 events on the 2024 NAPT schedule, including some big headliners like the $5,300 Main Event, the $330 Women’s Event, the $550 Mystery Bounty, the $1,100 RunGood Open, and the $25,000 Super High Roller. What kind of energy do you expect in the convention space during those tournaments? Do you foresee that spilling over into the permanent poker room as well with increased cash game volume and more higher stakes games running than usual?
I believe this momentum will definitely carry forward. Unlike last year’s event at the Perdana Garden Event Center, this year we’re hosting it in Lily, our main ballroom, which is conveniently located just above the poker room—just a quick escalator ride from the casino floor. We’ve been getting a lot of buzz from PokerNews Podcast MUG, and in the week leading up to the event we’ll be running several satellite tournaments awarding seats to the main event.
Join @PokerRoomRWLV for #NAPTLasVegas Satellite week from today until October 31st.
Everyday starting at noon there’s a $400 Satellite to the NAPT Main Event. pic.twitter.com/SCGjBNeh8K
— PokerStarsUSA (@PokerStarsUSA) October 27, 2024
The NAPT tournament schedule has been carefully crafted to try and cater to every type of poker player, with buy-ins starting as low as $250 and plenty of game variety. Can you take us through the process that you and your team had in working with the folks at PokerStars to craft this year’s schedule of events?
As you can imagine, this event wasn’t planned overnight. We dedicated countless hours on Zoom calls with everyone involved. Charlie Ciresi, Toby Stone, Rob Levine, and I worked meticulously to create a schedule that caters not only to the big names in poker but also to the everyday Vegas grinders by including lower-limit events. This model reflects our broader strategy, ensuring that our properties appeal to all types of players, regardless of their experience or background.
READ MORE: Behind the Scenes of the 2024 NAPT
Alongside the NAPT from November 1-10, Mixed Game Festival IX will be running simultaneously, from November 3-7. Plus, through our partnership with PokerStars, we’ve got three Cardplayer Lifestyle mixed game tournaments on the NAPT schedule: $550 H.E.R.O.S., $550 8-Game, and $5,300 8-Game. There certainly seems to be a growing appetite among poker players for more mixed games to be spread, and Resorts World Las Vegas has certainly been at the forefront of catering to that. Can you talk about that for a bit?
Our ability to run mixed games really sets us apart from other card rooms, and it’s become an integral part of our culture since we first opened. We offer a variety of mixed games on a daily basis, which brings something unique to our players. Partnering with Cardplayer Lifestyle felt like a natural fit, aligning perfectly with our commitment to delivering diverse and engaging poker experiences.
Massive props to @PokerRoomRWLV manager @Pkrboss1, who came in on his day off just to see if the @PokerLifeMedia #MixedGameFestival kicked off well (and it has). 😃👍 pic.twitter.com/7rCgWagD9p
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 12, 2022
Multiple mixed cash games run regularly at Resorts World Las Vegas all year long at a variety of different limits, with a surge happening each time we stage our Mixed Game Festivals there. Most poker rooms aren’t capable of handling such a demand for non-Hold’em games, but yours stands out as a rare exception. What sort of training is required of your dealers and staff in order to properly accommodate mixed game poker play?
We prioritize keeping our staff informed on the latest trends in the mixed-game scene, and running a daily mix of games helps our team stay sharp. I truly believe we have some of the best dealers in the city, and I know many of our players would agree.
We’re all familiar with the buzz that a big live poker event brings to a poker room versus what a regular day looks like in that room. Can you give our readers an idea of what sort of advance planning is required on a staffing level to adequately prep the property to handle a live event the size of the NAPT alongside the Mixed Game Festival?
We’ve spent the past year planning this event, with an intense focus over the last four months. Coordinating with our partners overseas in different time zones has presented some challenges, but we’ve committed to weekly meetings for the past three months to ensure everything is aligned. We’re excited about the progress we’ve made and are confident it will come together smoothly.
Resorts World has been growing its poker presence year after year, making an even bigger mark on the city’s poker scene through your partnership with PokerStars. This doesn’t just happen passively or automatically, and obviously involves a lot of work behind the scenes to address player feedback, especially after big events. Tell us a little about all that work from your vantage point.
As you know, I’ve had the pleasure of working with PokerStars as a subcontractor for the past 14 years, from the PCA in the Bahamas to the EPT in Monte Carlo. This partnership felt like a natural fit, and that’s exactly what I communicated to my leadership team. Strong relationships like this are rare and have been building for years. I’ve always dreamed of bringing PokerStars to any property I was affiliated with, and Resorts World Las Vegas proved to be the perfect match.
Beyond everything we’ve discussed, something else you have going on on-property while the NAPT and Mixed Game Festival IX are running is the filming of the PokerStars Big Game on Tour. Of course, PokerStars has their experienced production crew handling things, but what role do you and your staff play in helping to facilitate the poker operations aspects of that production?
This collaboration is one of the most intricate we’ve undertaken, with multiple departments—facilities, IT, and Encore—all playing essential roles to ensure we have the power and bandwidth needed for a production of this scale. While the production itself is handled by an outstanding crew, there’s a tremendous amount of work happening behind the scenes to bring it all together. Once everything is up and running, I’m proud to showcase it across the entire property.
Finally, I know you’re always thinking ahead. What sorts of longer-term goals and plans have you set for the room beyond the 2024 NAPT?
We’re certainly looking ahead to NAPT 2025, and while I don’t want to give too much away, we have some exciting long-term plans with PokerStars that extend beyond that. These plans are still in the early stages, so I’ll keep the details under wraps for now—don’t want to jinx anything! You know how poker players can be with their superstitions.
Conclusion
Many thanks to Leon Wheeler for his time and for giving us an inside look at his and his team’s preparations ahead of the upcoming 2024 NAPT Las Vegas and Mixed Game Festival IX. It’s clear that attendees can expect exciting times to be had at Resorts World, with a perfect mix of high-stakes action, casual fun, and something for every kind of poker player. I know the community is going to be thrilled with everything you and your team have in store. Here’s to an incredible upcoming live event, and I can’t wait to be part of it all and join in the fun!
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