Eric Drache

Eric Drache is a professional poker player, former cardroom manager and consultant for NBC. Drache is best known for his management contributions to the poker world, and he is also a notable seven-card stud player. He finished second in World Series of Poker stud events in 1973 [World Series of Poker|1973], 1981, and 2009.
Drache was responsible for inventing tournament satellites while running the World Series of Poker in the 1970s as a way to get more entries per tournament. Drache also managed and hosted notable cardrooms at the Golden Nugget [Las Vegas|Golden Nugget] and the Mirage. Drache's innovations as poker manager include: ante structures, dealer training and the invention of the "must-move" table. Drache trained both Donna Harris and Doug Dalton, cardroom managers at the Mirage and Bellagio respectively.
In the mid-1990s, Drache was prosecuted on federal tax fraud charges and lost his Nevada gaming license as a result, which is required to work in casinos.
Drache was named to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2012.
As of 2009, Drache's total live poker tournament winnings exceed $325,000.