As a money manager and banker, Stephen Kelly went to a lot of corporate meetings and was usually bored out of his skull. After long business days, there was the reception, then dinner, then a long evening in a hotel with nothing out there of interest to him. Same old, same old.

In 2003, he attended a charity Texas Hold em event at Stone Mountain, Georgia, near his home base of Atlanta, and had a great time. He was so jazzed by the experience that at 3 oclock in the morning he was awake, working on a business plan for US Poker Series, a company that adds poker tournaments to corporate seminars, workshops, and conferences, and sometimes charity events as well.

Kellys tagline is, Out of the barroom and into the board room.

Within ten days of putting up a website he had his first client and today receives about 30 inquiries a month. He has a staff of a dozen full-time people. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, with satellite offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

US Poker Series works with corporate event planners, destination management companies, and hotel planners to seamlessly add a Travelin Texas Hold em Poker Tournament to a corporate event. Trained dealers, often recruited from local training schools, casino-grade tables and chips, and a professional tournament director are provided. Play money only is used. There is no buy-in.

No one wins any money; no one loses any money, he says. . Each attendee starts out with 1-2,000 chips. Then they play like The Big Dogs, relishing saying, All in.

Prizes include things like iPods, trophies, and engraved poker sets to the tournament winner, with plaques going to others who made the final table.

Beginners receive instruction prior to play. In 11 of the first 12 tournaments, beginners made their way to the winners circle.

Kelly prides himself on offering a new form of corporate entertainment. Recent clients have included those from the auto, banking, and software industries. Rather than sitting and passively watching someone else perform, the tournament offers interactive fun. It is an opportunity for all to participate in todays poker craze.

The guest is the king of the event and we treat them as such. Our objective, he says, is that everyone has a great time.

A much higher ratio of women play in these corporate tournaments, Kelly notes. He points out that some industries, real estate, for example, have a high percentage of women. About half the tournament top prizes to date have gone to women.

He remembers one event in Newport Beach, California that had about 180 women playing tournament poker. It was the best event we ever had, says Kelly.

The company offers its services to clients with as few as 25 attendees. The biggest tournament, held in Los Angeles, had 600 attendees. The cost typically runs between $75-$125 per person. Usually an event triggers future business, as attendees in one meeting are often meeting planners in another.

Kelly works with clients to determine how long play should last. Typically it is a three or four hour event at the end of a day. US Poker Series has some control over the time factor by increasing the blinds at regular intervals to speed up the play.

A sense of drama engulfs the final table, as it does in the big time TV events: the table is elevated, it is backlighted, and a crowd hugs the rail. The tournament director is on a microphone, calling the action.

US Poker Series also offers to film the event, edit it, and provide a 30-minute VHS or DVD. This additional service costs between $800 - $1500.

There is a Losers Lounge, with a bar and sometimes a disc jockey. There are also consolation tables so players can continue the fun even though they are knocked out of the tournament.

Kelly points out that the essential characteristics of his model are his companys ability to work across the nation, professional presentation and delivery, and experience.

Kelly and his staff are prepared to take an initial inquiry and roll out a complete, customized package. They work out the space, equipment, and coordination of logistics with the client, their event planners, and the hotel.

And then they deliver.

We are trying to put the best product possible into the market. It is an upscale event to enjoy and not forget anytime soon. No one delivers anything close to what we do. Were the Four Seasons of such events, says Kelly.

The companys website is www.uspokerseries.com

(c) 2006 Murphy James