Ask anyone who knows Robert Thompson and they’ll tell you he has poker in his blood. And considering he is the son of Bob “Silver Eagle” Thompson, a poker industry legend, poker quite literally does run through his veins.
Robert has been involved in the poker industry since 1980, getting his start as a poker dealer at the Dunes Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A year later, Robert found himself dealing in the grand daddy of all poker events, the World Series of Poker (WSOP). He has dealt in the WSOP on five separate occasions and served as the Assistant Tournament Director, under his father Bob, in 1999, 2001 & 2002.
If you have ever watched the Bravo Channel’s Celebrity Poker Showdown, you may have caught a glimpse of Robert as he is the Tournament Director and Announcer for the hit TV show. To date, he has shot 30 shows with more to come in 2005.
Robert’s most recent full time “gig” was as Tournament Director for Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles, California between 1997 – 2004. Prior to Hollywood Park Casino, Robert held various positions in the poker rooms of a number of major Las Vegas and southern California casinos including Circus Circus, Commerce Casino, Golden Nugget, Hilton, Horseshoe, Palms, Stardust and Viejas.
Robert is one of the premier tournament directors in the poker business and has experience in all facets for poker tournament management including formulating tournaments, setting budgets, preparing profit/loss statements, developing tournament procedures, supervising minor and major casino tournaments, developing structure sheets, creating rules, and scheduling staff. Robert has also been significantly involved in tournament marketing and promotions.
Today, Robert serves as Tournament Director for the Celebrity Poker Showdown and for major tournaments held at Hollywood Park Casino. He spends the bulk of his time however on his business, Royal Flush Enterprises, which coordinates tournaments and other poker-related events.
Royal Flush Enterprises was established in March of 2004. The business was formed to address the growing demand for private tournaments in the Los Angeles, California area. The first major job was for Peace Games charity. The event was held at a private residence in Bel Air, California and was sponsored by GQ Magazine. The event was attended by many notable Hollywood celebrities and poker players including Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Heather Graham, Jack Black, Ron Livingston, Phil Hellmuth Jr., Phil Gordon, Scotty Nguyen, Men the Master and 2003 World Series of Poker champion Chris Moneymaker.
Other events to date include two events for Jane Magazine, with a third planned for early 2005 and for the Remington Hotel Corporation. Royal Flush Enterprises also provides poker equipment and staff for the home games of a number of Hollywood celebrities, producers and corporate clients.
Bob Thompson started as a Poker Dealer in 1963 at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. During his years in the gaming business, he has dealt poker and created and directed poker tournaments for a smorgasbord of legendary casinos including the Aladdin, Bicycle Casino, Binion’s Horseshoe, Cal-Neva, Circus Circus, Frontier, Harrah’s, Hilton Hacienda, Stardust and many more. He also served as a Shift Boss for the legendary Johnny Moss at the Dunes Hotel and Casino from 1980-1990.
Thompson’s biggest claim to fame is serving as Tournament Director for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) from 1999 to 2001. Through his innovations and management, Thompson effectively doubled the number of entrants for the main event in three short years. During this period, the WSOP main event went from 312 participants in 1998 to 613 in 2001. And this was before the advent of poker on TV and the Internet.
Thompson can be credited with the conception of several novel tournament promotions and ideas which are still in wide use today, including the “Best All Around Player” points system, “tag team” events and tournament “bounties.”
Nowadays, Thompson is semi-retired, but you can still find him at the Golden Nugget card room in Downtown Las Vegas, where he is the Tournament Director and Swing Shift Boss.
When faced with the difficult decision of figuring out what to do for your next Las Vegas Event Planning Session, Las Vegas private poker party, or Las Vegas poker tournament, Robert Thompson can make it a smash hit success with his private poker party service. Using the best equipment, and a professional staff, Royal Flush Enterprises will cover every aspect to make your next Las Vegas Charity Event, Las Vegas Corporate Event, or Las Vegas Poker Tournament held in your own venue a complete success. No matter where you are located, you can have your very own private poker party for a fundraising event, charity event, company party, private poker tournament, or any other party that could use the thrill of Texas Hold'em Poker!
