Employees Play a Starring Role in World Series of Poker Tournament Kickoff

This year’s World Series of Poker® circuit event began with a bang as a procession of Poker Room employees and past winners marched the big prize – 16 gold rings – to the Event Center at Turning Stone. The trio of enthusiastic drummers leading the way were no strangers to the resort casino’s stages, where they help bring the hottest acts in music and more to our guests as part of the entertainment team.  

While Production Supervisor Fred Cousineau and Entertainment Techs Cody Lengel and Joe Cavallaro are used to keeping things running behind the scenes, our Director of Entertainment and Events Sharon Aguilen knew they’d be the perfect addition to this high-energy event. 

“We were going to source outside drummers, but with the ONE’s Got Talent Show fresh in my mind, I had an epiphany,” she said. “Let’s put these three together to achieve the vision.”

According to Fred, who played the bass drum and is a lifelong musician who describes making music as something he loves – and needs – to do, this unique opportunity was the first in his fourteen years with Oneida Nation Enterprises. 

“The opening event for the World Series of Poker® at Turning Stone  ended up creating an opportunity for some individuals who work behind the scenes to be within their comfort zone, but do something that was completely different,” he explained. “It wasn’t in front of the scene - it was the scene. For us and our MO day-to-day, it was a complete flip of the script, and it was a lot of fun to be able to do that. If there was one takeaway, it’s that for us, that was not a normal Wednesday!”