Q. And they other two? What did they do to get barred?
A. They were disruptive or had caused problems in the past.

Q. Did you let professional blackjack players participate?
A. Yes, I did.

Q. Did you get very many?
A. Yes, I did.

Q. Did they try to play on your tables during the tourney breaks?
A. Some did, and they were told that we were glad they were at the
tourney, but we'd prefer that they not play 21. The overwhelming majority
of professional blackjack players are honorable and I think they were
appreciative of the fact that they were not only welcome but were invited
to participate in a casino tournament.

Q. Did inviting them in keep the pros at bay the rest of the year?
A. We did identify a few, but with minor exceptions, they were very
good about it. I actually made a lot of new friends.

Q. That's a pretty progressive attitude. Most casino managers hate
card counters.
A. I've always respected professional blackjack players. Obviously,
my position dictates that the relationship is adversarial, but the majority
of counters I have personally known have been very intelligent, interesting
people. That doesn't mean I want them playing where I work, but I have
enjoyed their company.

Q. The tourney had a great logo. Did you do that yourself?
A. No, that was outsourced.

Q. Did you spend a lot advertising?
A. Some. We advertised in a few of the trades and spent a lot on
collateral materials. Because of the cash outlay, we were somewhat
restricted on the marketing. We were hoping that it would spread primarily
through word of mouth. And it did.

Q. You didn't get much press, especially considering that it was
the first million-dollar prize ever. Any ideas why?
A. I was surprised at that. Nobody had ever done anything where
they gave away a million cash. And this was designed so that the novice and
the pros all had a pretty equal chance. I thought that it would be a much
bigger story than it was.