Counselor Mobile September 2010 : Page 67( People COUNSELOR Good Gamble: Distribut Wins Poker Award F rank Kassela has been playing cards for fun since he was a child, when his future aspira-tions were to be a doctor or an astronaut like any big dreamer. Even he didn’t foresee the life he leads today. Despite being the 2010 World Series of Poker Player of the Year and the first person to win two bracelets in the 2010 WSOP, Kassela says that he remains as grounded as ever. “I have four companies, 100 employees give or take and I have five children,” Kassela says, “I’ve got so many other things in life that can be really stressful that it’s hard for me to get really worked up about a game.” After high school, Kassela worked for a promotional products company Frank Kassela (left), owner of Mid-American Special ties, was named the World Series of Poker Player of the Year in Texas then moved to Memphis, TN, to launch Mid-American Specialties (asi/269625) when he was 25 years old. The Tennessee native began playing poker for money shortly after he began his first business. Living in Memphis, Kassela had easy access to the Tunica casinos and admits that he would always gravitate toward the poker table when he went, playing in his first tournament in 2000. “It was just a recreational thing to do,” Kassela says. Although he does not allow the game to get the best of him, he does recall a moment that poker struck his ego – and his bank account. “There was one hand in particular over the course of this summer,” Kassela says, “where I got all my money into the pot with one card to come and I had two pair and all the guy had was a straight draw so he had to hit one of eight cards to beat me. He hit it. So that one turn of a card cost me over a quarter million dollars. That’s the kind of thing when you go, ‘Damn, that hurt a little.’ ” As far as tying his poker playing to his business, Kassela says that they have some things in common. He believes that any truly successful entrepreneur can learn the game because of the risk and reward factor of the two. “Somebody who takes the risks can be taught to play well,” says Kassela. “It is about managing money, it is about mathematics, it is about personnel management and understanding the other people you are playing with and all the little things that make building a small busi ness a challenge.” With approximately $400,000 in winnings last year and over $1.2 million this y Kassela says that his personality is the same on the table as it is off the table. You won’t find him hiding behind sunglasses or revealing a split personality. “That’s not me,” Kassela says. “I’m basically the same person. I’m always just me.” –AV Execupak AquaCaddy Ball Kaddie Pencil Reel Magnot MoRodZ Dixon Balls *eco friendly Pure Brands orders@purebrands.ca www.purebrands.ca www.counselormag.com SEPTEMBER 2010 67 Pure Brands Management Inc asi/80083 |
