Jack Effel
Tournament Director – World Series of Poker®
Vice President – International Poker Operations
Jack Effel is the Tournament Director for the 2012 World Series of Poker, as well as the Vice President of International Poker Operations for Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE). The 2012 WSOP will be Jack’s sixth consecutive year to serve as Tournament Director for the most prestigious poker tournament series in the world.
Effel’s poker career began in 1997, and since that time he has held just about every position in poker, including: dealer, supervisor, manager, tournament director, and director of poker operations.
Effel is responsible for staffing, rule enforcement, event structure development and payout percentages, plus overseeing all tournament operations. He is a full-time employee of the Rio, working on WSOP events year-round and overseeing the development and execution of international poker operations. He manages all Caesars Las Vegas properties’ tournament poker operations, as well as any special poker events held at Las Vegas Caesars properties. In addition, Effel provides poker support to all properties within the Caesars enterprise including overseeing the WSOP Circuit tour events.
Possessing an impressive background in all facets of poker operations, Effel was in the thick of things as the boom in poker exploded over the last decade. He has created innovative solutions to manage tournaments in a manner that benefits both players and the host properties. From integrating sophisticated software to manage registration and payouts or crunching numbers to produce an algorithm resulting in the fairest payout, Effel is involved in all phases of poker, relying on a bevy of real life experiences to ensure the right measures are taken to keep the World Series of Poker in its industry- leading position.
In 2005, Effel joined the World Series of Poker staff as the assistant tournament director, just months after serving in the same capacity at several WSOP Circuit Events earlier that year. Effel returned in 2006 to serve as the WSOP’s co-tournament director, and he has served as the sole tournament director since 2007.
Additionally, Effel has served as the tournament director of the World Series of Poker Europe since its inception in 2007. Effel’s tournament involvement began in 2000 with the World Poker Open, and he became a full-time tournament director in 2004.
It’s safe to say poker has always been in Jack’s blood. His father used to organize poker games in the 1930’s and 40’s while serving in the army, for his fellow troops. Effel is married, has four children and resides in Henderson, NV. He is originally from Dallas, TX.