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The House
If you can’t beat him, join him
It’s important to love your work. Unfortunately for Mike Shichtman, when he became a majority owner of the Mayfair Club, a historic bridge club on the east side of Manhattan, bridge wasn’t his game. He would spend hours in the basement establishment with nothing much to do until he asked if anyone wanted to play a friendly game of poker. Arguably, the gaming world has never been the same. There were other poker clubs in New York, but the Mayfair attracted a new breed of player – ones who discovered that there was a method to poker. After all, since you can’t have the best hand every time, there had to be other ways to win. When they played, luck is what the other guy needed. For Shichtman, the secret to the Mayfair’s success wasn’t complicated. He made sure the rake was reasonable. The food was good. And the waitresses were pretty. Poker players never wanted to leave. Unfortunately, the club closed in 2000. Shichtman has moneyed several times at the WSOP, including finishing at two final tables.
