blonde poker forum

I came up to Luton a couple of weeks ago to register for the 200 NLHE tourney (with MrMoves) and we got the usual "there's no one from the cardroom in at the moment, but you can register by phone". (echoes of Brighton in July).

As we had both travelled a fair distance to "achieve" this registration, a personal visit before the day of the tournament wasn't an option, as I personally had to get back to where I had come from. MrMoves later telephoned the casino to register to be told it wasn't possible and had to be done in person, "but you should be alright if you turn up early on the day" (echoes of Sheffield and Brighton). We find out today via this forum that the tournament has sold out.

What the dickens (polite word policy) has to occur in this country before casinos leave the dark ages? There's a tournament in Lithuania soon and, if I wished, I could log in to the casino website and register on-line knowing I was booked and could pay on the night.

If it was only down to arcane law (then that needs changing), I could accept it, but what beefs me more is the inconsistent "advice" I have received from Sheffield, Brighton and Luton casino staff every time it's happened. There seems to be a fobbing off policy in operation nationwide. And why, if a casino has opened its doors, can a member of the public not be registered by a "non-card room" member of staff. Take the money, make a note of the name and membership number, write in the column "Paid". It's not exactly rocket science.

I'm relatively new to the UK circuit and I'd be interested to know how you guys manage to do it without making a dozen round trips per tournament!

you cant register by phone or on-line, by law.

As for the non-card room staff then my guess would be that they dont know the rules so gave you some bad advice.

I dont think anyone expected this event to sell out so fast.

At Luton you can go to the Cash desk any time and register there, it does not have to be by a member of the card room staff

Why you were given the wrong information I have no idea, but I suspect that it is ignorance of this by staff as the Casino does not appear to gear up for its festival until too late

The alternative is to enter by post. If you do it registered mail you both avoid a journey and have a record that your entry has been received

This is not to say your point is not valid. I would take it up with Carmel Pryce ( who runs the card room) or Helen Biles (who manages it day to day) as clearly your situation is unacceptable

Hi again Tightend,

1. We tried in person and was refused by the nice girl at the desk (nobody in the poker room)
2. We tried over the telephone and was refused (rightly so by law)
3. I asked weeks in advance if 'by post' was ok and was told by a chap over the phone to nip down and pay in cash as it was probably too late to process the cheque by then. (see point #1)

It's not easy to play tournament poker in this country  :)

your point 1. The nice girl at the cash desk has made a mistake.


your point 3. This is ludicrous, and I sympathise


In general, a combination of arcane law and poor customer service/staff training does combine to make it look like casinos don't want our custom (which may or may not be true compared to someone prepared to drop 10k on the throw of a little white ball).

All you, I and people like Tikay can do is make representations. Write the letter, let us know what response you get

I have in my possession a letter from the gaming board regarding this.

I shall quote a paragraph.....

" I have researched the position with regard to entry into poker competitions being recieved from players not on the premises as promised. There is nothing in the guidelines to prevent such entries being accepted, in fact some London casinos are now accepting e mail registrations, although I don't altogether advise this, it has room for errors. The latest version of Guideline 3 states that players must be present 'when the competiton commences' and are not allowed to enter or take part after that. Your card room supervisors must ensure that any cash for entries recieved from would be players who do not make the commencement of the competition; is returned to them against signature of receipt"

As a card room manager, adopting this policy is a logistical nightmare. As people turning up 2 mins late to sit down will give a number of excuses to where they were, in the casino at time of off i.e. toilet, didn't hear the tannoy etc. So each individual will have to have timechecks as when they entered the building via reception's computer. By the time we have done this his chips are in play!!! So we do not encourage this policy although it has been used. Regarding being 2 mins late, successful running of a card room requires discretion over certain situations. Although saying this it is very annoying when people turn up 2 mins late and say "go on, put us in, no-one will know" HELLO!!! So I am going to risk my job, and the casino's license by sneeking an extra player in. It just takes an unrelated incedent or an observant freebie merchant to notice these things, and I am screwed... SO ME THINKS NOT!!!

dik9 - that issue clearly isn't relevant to the Luton tourney :)

My concern is that I can't get casinos to accept my money days in advance when I turn up. The point of contact staff at every casino I have gone to or telephoned have demonstrated a lack of knowledge about the policy of their card room regarding registration and payment for a poker tournament - and that is a fact. It may well be a sorry reflection of how UK plc is run but there it is. Casinos can and should do something about it and stop giving reasons why life is so hard.

Well said, please take the time to write to Luton or Grosvenor as a group and let us know the response

All I am saying is the law states we can accept entries and each cash desk is set up for pre bookings (ours being an endex system) So I cannot see the problem, they should have let you in IMO. (I cannot comment on Grosvenors policy as I do not work in one) I for one would be disappointed if cash desk was turning away potential players.

Hi dik9,

You have a private message.  Thank you.

Dik9, a common theme from my experiences is that reception staff do not often seem to know there is a difference between the card room and the cash desk when it comes to poker registrations. I can only go by the three casinos I have registered at, all with big problems achieving it, Sheffield Napoleons (Owlerton), Brighton Rendezvous and now Luton Grosvenor. There seems to be no distinction between owners!

I completely agree, but sometimes they are expected to know some answers that maybe a little technical. After reading your post I just telephoned the casino posing as a customer. All the basic information was given to me correctly as read off a card. Including Festival dates and competitions in September. When I asked whether we did top ups she paused and guessed (I think) at Yes. Your point has been duly noted and I may have a little meeting with them on the Q T to go through some finer points.

Thank You

Please come down and join and I will show you round

I just faxed my membership dik.  I have some questions though, so when you have time please check your messages on here.

Thanks.


..Just as a side note, it seems the poker room managers and staff who take an interest in players, I'm referring to Yogi Bear and Bluewolf from Blackpool, run a very good show.  I'm sure Broadway will be equally as good.

If you have another Grosvenor Casino nearer to you, you could register there for any other Grosvenor event.

I popped into Walsall last wednesday and paid in there for tonights Luton tourny. I would suggest you do this option at least 3 days prior to event starting, to prevent them saying its to late to process .
Saying that I heard someone regestered last night in Walsall when there was only 2 seats left.

I hope so too although i ave been up now for 23 hours and I have to be in at 7pm, very time consuming lol
Feel free to message
Which one is paul because I have just been on the phone to pokerzone?

I also heard players from The Vic were registering last night, for today.

The problem is having a Grosvenor near by. I don't :)

I'm Paul.

Pokerzone the TV chan.  Or website?

Mr Move you need to move house then :)

....Funny you should say that.

Wanna buy a house?

living in the middle of no where i have problems registering for events unless i get the flyer early and pay by check

recently i tried to pay for the main event in the blackpool bonanaza by cheque i got told that they had gotten the cheque and everything was ok

then to get a phone call saying that the cheque had arrived a day late

boy was i lucky that they said they would keep a seat open for me as long as i arrived the day before and paid cash

i arrived in the casino at 11:30 pm the night before the comp after a long drive down to hear that it was infact sold out but they had kept me a seat as promised

postal is the was to do this but can only work if you know in advance your plans

otherwise you have to send a cheque for the whole festival and get refunded what you dont play

Grosvenor's policy is that you can buy in in person on the premises, or do a postal entry so long as the cheque gets there in ample time to be cleared, or at any Grosvenor casino cash desk up to 24 hours before the start of the competition. However each unit will probably start to take buyins at different times preceeding the comps. In Blackpool we let you buy in a week in advance for any competition, if they are Special events, you will be allowed to enter just as soon as we advertise the event. Y advertise an event then restrict the entries.

As I don't work in Luton, I can't comment upon when they start to take entries. But i am surprised that they wouldn't take an entry because there was no-one in the card room.

Yogi

Yogi, as a matter of comparison, at Owlerton Napoleons, they took our cheques as collateral, didn't bank them but gave them back as a receipt for cash on the night. It kind of fitted in with the overall haphazard, fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants atmosphere I experienced dealing with them, but at least we knew we were registered before the day of the event.

I think one thing casinos should do, in this day and age, is at least confirm registrations by email even if they cannot accept payment that way. But maybe that too is against the law.........!

PS, where do I park my horse and cart?

Please, please let us regester on the phone by debit/credit card. I can do my banking, file a tax return, order a pizza, or a stripper, make an appointment for breast implants and hypnotherapy, book a flying lesson and buy a crossbow.

Why cant I enter a poker competition?

I managed to get in at Luton, but not everyone has my ability to charm the birds from the trees

(I regesterd early)

 

Luton is a great town btw, during the last hour Ive had my hair cut, 4, had a nice meal in the co op 3.75, and am now drinking a nice cuppa in an internet cafe, 1.50 for 2 hours.

Try that in Blackpool, the closest thing they have to an internet cafe is two tin cans and a long pece of string (but I love em really)

150 for 2 hours they saw you coming mate

even the airport in brim only charged 1 for 10 minutes

I've added the decimal point, now get off my case

Red Dog, if there was such a thing as a Luton tourist board you would be a good ambassador!

There actually used to be a few internet cafes in Blackpool. Never really took off tho. Oh well.

I agree they should confirm that you have registered in some way. I sent several pms using Blonde to confirm entries to players, after they had asked me. Amazing to think we have no system to deal with that.

AS for using a card RED-DOG. I don't know why you can't. Perhaps casinos and the Gaming Board would then have to recognize that it isn't the Dark Ages anymore. Customer Satisfaction isn't very high on the list of concerns I wouldn't have thought. They just leave it to the troops on the ground. I must now be careful otherwise I feel a LARGE RANT coming on. BREATHE DEEPLY YOGI breathe deeply.


Yogi

There is, I've been today, very helpful they are too

crikey, now I've heard everything! ;D :D

Debit over the phone, cheque in the post, debit/neteller over the web.

I don't mind which one. If only I could keep my money this well at the table!

At least a bit of customer service would be nice.

Yogi has it cracked, communication is the key. Other poker bosses take note.

Yes Communication is certainly the key, and it's not one of my favourtie things to do. Only coz I'm a slightly fuzzy headed Bear who occassionally forgets other people work there and need information from me. HEHEHEHE. If only they read minds. Glad they don't actually I'd be locked away.

Yogi

I hope Luton tourist board advised you not to walk around bury park after dark, and while walking around the Arndale centre keep ya hand on ya wallet... as someone who was brought up in luton and went to school there, i can justifiably call it the biggest cess pit in england ... i escaped at the age of 22.
Although I hate the place, i have good friends that still live there, and have many happy memories (and scars) of nights out at the "Mad hatters" night club... what a dump that was lol.

Anyway, i will be returning to my roots this weekend lol so if anyone from the tourist board wants to take me on a tour of a new and improved Luton, i would be glad to accept.

Red Dog, if you are there all week, can you get a "Blondeite" table reserved at the bar for the weekend :)

I have been trying to reserve the whole bar for when you all invade Blackpool in November. Especially if the Batfair Boys come along with their female entertainers.

Yogi

No, dont see you as fuzzy bear, Thread bear perhaps....

Just make sure the doolally valet, and wolfies Mrs are both still working there... ;)

They probably will be. Certain others that may not be there.

Yogi

Blackpool in November.  Can't wait!

Isnt this slighly illegal??? my cashier knowledge is a bit rusty so dont hold em to it

And who are these certain others then?? and theres a possibility the missis will still be there Kev and i'll wave from the pit lol

And Mrs Red has just taught me how to spell  r e g i s t e r