On June 4th, 2026, I entertained some of the top founders and executives in Silicon Velley at the Monaco Invitational poker tournament. Monaco is an AI-native GTM platform making huge waves right now, and I’ve worked with them in the past. This event had a $100,000 prize pool and took place a the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco.
Event Details
- Client: Monaco
- Occasion: The Monaco Invitational, an invitation-only poker tournament
- Date: June 4, 2026
- Venue: Julia Morgan Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- Region: San Francisco Bay Area, with some guests traveling in from further afield
- Duration: Approximately 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM
- Format: Strolling magic & mentalism
- Attendees: Over 100 players
The Booking
This wasn’t my first dance with Monaco.
I’d worked with Monaco before as their a trade show magician at SaaStr Annual in 2025. And I knew Sam Blond, Monaco’s CEO, from when he was at Brex, another client of mine.
When I heard about the Invitational, I reached out to Sam on LinkedIn to see if he’d be interested in having me entertain his guests before the tournament began. They loved the idea!
That’s one of the things I love about working in the corporate market: Relationships carry across companies, and one contact or client can lead to an entirely new opportunity somewhere else.
The Game Plan
As a corporate mentalist who works often with the San Francisco Bay tech community, I knew this would be a smart, competitive crowd looking to have fun, and looking to win. So I decided to mingle with players during the reception before the cards were dealt, and to be available during the tournament to those who weren’t playing, or busted out early.
Strolling Among Silicon Valley’s Best
The Julia Morgan Ballroom is a historic 15,500-square-foot event space on the 15th floor of the landmark Merchants Exchange Building. On June 4th, Monaco turned it into a glamorous evening of fun.
I arrived early to get a feel for the room. Once the reception began, I moved throughout the crowd performing strolling entertainment for the founders and executives of some of the top software companies in the Bay Area.
The room was loud early on, with music playing while people mingled and got settled. When it’s too loud for guests to comfortably follow a mentalism piece, I’ll shift to sleight of hand magic instead. Magic has a visual quality that plays well in loud environments, and still delivers an astonishing kick.
$100,000 on the Line
Let’s be real: the main draw wasn’t my award-winning mentalism. It was $100,000 in prize money!
Once the tournament started, I took a break while everyone focused on their hands. But as the blinds climbed and players started getting knocked out, I found a new job: entertaining the growing group of founders who’d busted out early. I tried to make losing as fun as possible!
I stayed until the very end, mostly because I wanted to see who won. The final table was thrilling to watch!
People Make it Magical
My favorite part of the night was the people. There’s a stereotype that startup founders are introverted or aloof. But that’s not my experience. The founders and executives I met were engaging, thoughtful, kind, and endlessly curious. They’re not unsociable, they’re just intensely focused on building and scaling their companies. My business is microscopic compared to theirs, but I understand the drive for success. I always want this year to be bigger than last!
Results
Nothing elevates a performance like an elevated environment. The venue was gorgeous, the design was on point, and the entire experience was truly next level. Everyone was happy to be there, and the glamour of the venue elevated my performances.
I reached out to Monaco’s head of partnerships and events and told them that their event was amazing. They replied:
“THANK YOU for making it even more amazing for our customers!! Can’t wait for the next one :)”
Since then, Monaco has asked me to entertain at two upcoming talent events for prospective employees. I’m grateful to have such an amazing client.
Let’s Connect
If you’re looking for a San Francisco event mentalist, or if you’re planning an event for founders, executives, anywhere in the country, I’d love to talk about how I can help. Visit my corporate mentalist page to learn more.
