A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Mike Kassinger moved at the age of five with his family to Middletown, New Jersey, where he grew up. For most of his childhood he attended Catholic schools, graduating from Mater Dei High School in 1973. He completed his education with two years at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, then worked for two years as a Manager at Burger King before he decided it was time for a change.
He packed his bags and moved to Las Vegas in 1977, where he thrived. He landed a job as a shill at the Silverbird while training to be a dealer. In 1982 he took a position dealing poker at the Castaways and five years later moved to the Riviera, where within a month he was promoted to Supervisor. Leaving the Riviera in 1988, he was hired to deal poker at the Sahara; there, too, within a month he was promoted to Supervisor.
Then in 1996 he moved farther up the strip to Hurrahs as a combination Dealer/Supervisor until the poker room closed in 2001. After the closing Mike took a six-month sabbatical.
When he came back, he took a dealing position at Texas Station and within a month he was once again promoted to Supervisor.
This year Mike Doe, Cardroom Manager of the Red Rock, and Mike opened a dealers' school for two months to train poker dealers for the new room at Red Rock. When the room opened in April, Kassinger was appointed Day Shift Supervisor.
In September Mike was appointed Cardroom Manager of Sunset Station, where he oversees a ninetable cardroom and a staff of 27.
DB: What changes have you made since your appointment as Cardroom Manager?
MK: We are in the process of upgrading and improving the quality of the room. We are also planning some major changes in the near future but nothing I can reveal at this time.
DB: What is your main goal as the new Cardroom Manager at Stations?
MK: I intend to bring the room back to what it was in the past, the friendliest poker room in Las Vegas. I hope to rebuild our database and revive our clientele. I would like to invite players to come by and meet me.
DB: What live games can players expect to have spread at Sunset Station?
MK: We spread $3-$6 limit hold'em, $3-$6 and $4-$8 limit hold'em with a half kill and a $1-$3 blind no-limit game, with a $100 minimum and $300 maximum buy-in. We will be bringing back several other games as well, $6-$12 limit hold'em, $3-$6 Omaha high, and the $2-$5 blind no-limit with a $200 minimum and $500 maximum buy-in.
DB: What daily tournaments does Sunset offer its poker players?
MK: We run tournaments seven days a week. On Mondays at 10 a.m. we hold a $35 buy-in limit event. Players receive $1,000 in chips and there are no rebuys. On Tuesdays at 10 a.m. we hold a $35 buy-in Omaha high event. Players receive $1,000 in chips and there are no rebuys. Wednesdays through Sundays the events are no-limit with a $50 buyin and the players receive $2,000 in chips. There are no rebuys and we accept alternates for the first hour. We also hold a Ladies limit hold'em event at 3 p.m. on the second Sunday and last Sunday of each month. The buy-in is $50, players receive $1,500 in chips and there are no rebuys.
DB: Do you offer any freerolls or qualifying events?
MK: Yes, Stations is famous for its Poker Plus event that draws upwards to 2600-2700 players with a prize pool of $500,000. The qualifying period for the upcoming event on October 21 ran from June 26-September 26. Players need 75 hours of live play to qualify. The event is held at Texas Station and anyone who shows up is guaranteed no less than $100. There are four flights on Saturday with the remaining players coming back on Sunday to play for the remaining money.
DB: Are there any new promos in the works for Sunset players?
MK: On November 1 we are starting our Moonlight Monthly High-Hand Tournament. Players may qualify by making one or more of the three highest hands of the day between the hours of 12 a.m. and 8 a.m. The highest hand per day will receive $300 in chips, the second highest hand will receive $200 in chips and third will receive $100 in chips. Everyone that qualifies throughout the month will start the tournament with $1,000 in chips plus whatever tournament chips they were awarded throughout the month. The key is, the more qualifying high hands you make throughout the month the better chance you have in the final tournament. The final tournament will be held at 3 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the following month.
DB: Are there any other promos that Sunset offers?
MK: Stations pays $1,000 for any Royal Flush using both cards in your hand. We also have a $1.00 per hour comp policy, using your boarding pass, which is good at any Stations property.
