The Triton Series prides itself as being the most player friendly tournament operator in the world. But how come? What does this series offer that others do not?
The short answer is that everyone who plays on the Triton Series is considered a VIP. That means the red carpet treatment for everyone, beginning when a personalised invitation hits the inbox, through assistance with travel arrangements, and a 24-hour dedicated concierge service while at the events.
The result is the smoothing of all of the corners that can sometimes be sharp for a professional gambler. There are enough stresses presented by the game of poker itself without needing to worry about whatever is happening off the tables.
“The players spend so much money, and the deal they get is something they deserve,” says Kate Badurek, Triton’s head of VIP Player Services. “I want to make sure that they’re super happy. They’re here for a long time, and they have a right to be comfortable.”
Badurek formerly worked as a poker tournament director, and has a thorough knowledge of the demands of the game. But she is also sympathetic to the requirements of people whose work means extensive travel, separation from loved ones, and long periods away from home comforts.
Thankfully, everyone at Triton Series is keen to put the players first, and Badurek’s sole focus is their wellbeing. Players can rely on complimentary accommodation, airport transfers, food and drink, for example, plus a clear, “Yes, we can work that out,” to even the most tricky requests.
“Some of the players have PAs, but many of them don’t,” Badurek says. “So that’s what I am. I hope they see me as their PA. They can ask me for anything they need. Everyone is super appreciative of what our VIP services do.”
For this event in Cyprus, any players playing tournaments with a total combined buy-in of $300,000 or more were guaranteed:
The food and beverage offer is especially attractive here in Cyprus, where Paul Phua has arranged a dedicated four-person team of chefs to fly in to provide premium Chinese food, 24 hours a day. All players can order from an exclusive Chinese menu, in addition to the numerous restaurants at the Merit resort.
The Triton team has many years of experience in knowing the kinds of things that poker players want, and Badurek makes sure to travel with bags of phone chargers, adapters, power banks, etc., and anything that gets easily left behind during rapid suitcase packing. “All these things are close by,” she says.
She will also have phone numbers of hotel managers, taxi companies and casino cages to arrange room changes, pick-ups and wire transfers at all hours.
“We have learned. We also always organise extra waiting staff, so there’s never a time when someone is not in the tournament area. There are massage therapists always available. And I can be the ‘trusted person’, the go between, when players are wiring large amounts of money to casinos they have maybe never played in before.”
In Cyprus, the first event since the Covid-19 pandemic, Badurek has also been in charge of arranging lateral flow tests for all players, making the tournament room as safe as possible.
It means that her list of WhatsApp messages now also includes a stream of photos of negative Covid tests, sometimes delivered with a personal message from the high rollers providing them.
With invitations recently hitting inboxes for Triton’s next event — the details of which will be made public soon — more messages have been flooding in than ever before. But coping with the torrent is simple when it’s something you enjoy.
One recent message, sent to a Triton regular, read: “I’m here for you guys and I really love my job. So glad we’re finally back. If there’s anything I can assist you with, please let me know at any time!”
Photography by Joe Giron/PokerPhotoArchive