blonde poker forum

Ladies, Gentlemen and Poker Players,

I'd just like to say a few words, firstly a big thank you to all of you for you support in my time at luton. I've enjoyed my time there and i've enjoyed working with every one of you thats been there. I'm very passionate about poker as you all obviously are and that why i've so enjoyed working with you people, I know I haven't always made the right decision or the correct ruling and for all those mistakes i apologise, I'd just like to say i tried my best with what was available, and i hope i've learned from every situation.

In case any of you were wondering of my reasons for leaving they are simple; not the staff,  not the job and not even the management of the casino, it's the company. Those of you who have said it's the corporate culture and the way that rank group approach casinos are correct in my opinion, we can all see that they are struggling and in my view they are making all the wrong moves so i left. And before any of you say 'oh he's just blameing the company cos he was sh*t at his job' I'm not shifting blame, i'm not saying how good i was at the job (you people will be the judge of that) i'm smply stating why i decided to move on. This is the same reason i chose dtd, they are only running poker and therefore have a massivley bigger interest in making the best poker venue around whereas rank seem to have other priorites at the moment and mine are with the poker community. I am really looking forward to working at dtd with rob, simon and his team in what i think is the future of poker.

But enough of that, the only reason i so enjoyed working there was because as i think a famous celebrity once said 'the place has a fantastic atmosphere'. He was and still is right, but the key is the atmosphere is created by you guys. The best tourney i ever ran (and the most enjoyable) was the Blonde Bash i ran earlier in the year, it was fabulous, thanks guys. There are 2 blondites i would like to give a special mention to tho,

The first is the gentleman himself, Tikay......
Tikay, thank you for your never ending support of me and luton. without you the world and luton would be a much worse place. I know Carmel will listen to all you have to say and it's people like you that cause the staff at luton to raise ther game to the top, with your support that cardroom will succeed. Also thank you for all your advice and help over my time there (except with regards to women. Tony, 'child-bearing hips' is not a compliment!). Tikay your a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you and i hope to see many more times in dtd.

The other is that little ray of sunshine, young miss DingDell. Tracey, whenever you walked into that room you were always smiling, always happy i have never once seen you in a bad mood. It's people like you that make luton what it is. Thank you for all the sunshine you brought to dull shifts at work, and i hope to see more of you at dtd (preferably all of you  ;) ). (p.s. you can take me up on that offer of dinner now i've left, it won't be classed as fraternisation any more  rotflmfao)

There  are far to many others to mention, you know who you all are, and i thank you all for you help and support. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you, Thank you and thank you. And I hope to see you all at dtd at some point.

It's been a pleasure

Alastair.

Good luck at dtd Alastair , see you there soon.

PS- You can call me Betty if I can call you Al.

Good luck at dtd Al, we are agreed on the root cause of the problems!

Empty Calories?

I only have a handful of experiences there, mostly APAT events, but I thought you did a great job at the APAT event in August, and again in the 1st regional (and no doubt last weekend but I didn't last long enough to comment ;grr;).

I was impressed with the way you both encouraged and then praised one of the dealers during a multi-way all-in that they were trying to sort out towards the end of day 1B in August. It sounds really simple, but there are huge numbers of people in supervisory roles that really don't have a clue about that sort of stuff.

Good luck in your new role.

nice one alistair good luck at dtd  :)up

You are a good man Alistair and I wish you every success at dtd

good luck Alastair

i might not have gotten you to spell your name the pproper way but i am glad the punters (ITB and SNATTY) have done it for you

What a lovely Post by Alastair.

I, & all at blonde, wish you every success at DTD.

These things are wholly subjective, but in my view, the best two CardRooms in the UK, by a country mile, are G-Luton & DTD. Much of that comes down to a single factor - the players & Staff who play & work there. Clearly, DTD do most things better, at the moment, but G-Luton gets the prize for the most spacious Cardroom in the UK, where we can wander freely without tripping over chairs & tables.

I shall continue to support both G-Luton & DTD, & I look forward to hooking up with you in DTD very soon. (I'll be there this Sunday).

Thank you for all yoir efforts & friendship at Luton, & good luck with your new job.

Top Man You.

Yes - good luck at DTD Alastair - I think you'll love it there - the atmosphere is great. Thanks for your kind words too!

See you in Nottingham,

Tracey  ;D

Cheers Al,

Best of luck at dtd.

Lose the kilt tho, the people of Nottingham dont deserve it!!!!

Vince

As I said on the night, best of luck m8.

I witnessed first hand what I suspected you had to endure in being over ruled in certain decisions, yet you were the man at the front that took most of the blame.

G's loss in my opinion and dt (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload)d (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload)'s gain.

Have a good christmas and a happy new year!

 :goodpost: Paul, seen that too on a couple of occasions on Sunday and Al was made to look a bit of a plum, then the afore mentioned maker looker of plumage dissapeared home at 8pm. Nice.

thanks to the blondes resident speller  rotflmfao rotflmfao

Best of luck in ur new role Al, was always handy when you were about and listened to the players. Hope DTD takes you where you wanna go.

Alex

Alastair,
I'm sure you've made a positive move, no point in staying put if that is how the company is run.  Best of luck!

alistair, good luck at d2d-the right move for the right reasons

Tikay, l speak to numerous people who continually say that BLONDE is too nicey nicey and that any controversial posts are removed instantly. I try not to agree with this as l dance near to the edge when l post but Jesus this post must fit into the NICEY NICEY NICEY bracket in respect to Luton.

How can u justify putting the G Casino, Luton in the same sentence as dusk till (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) dawn (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) in comparison to other Cardrooms. Walsall is miles better than Luton, The Vic is miles better than Luton, Speilers, Southend is miles better than Luton. If you keep posting that everything is hunky dorey in Luton, they will start believing it themselves. Surely, Steive Wonder would know that the two best cardrooms in England at the minute are the Vic and dusk till (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) dawn (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload), with the latter miles ahead in professionalism and service.

Come on Tony, your not doing the old table chat now mate.

I would love to do a SIMPLE experiment: Bring an American who has never played in England to each respective Cardroom on an individual Saturday with a check list of all things relevant to a poker player. Be interesting to see the results, below is a rough idea how l would mark it.

CARDROOM APPEARANCE   C/ROOM STAFF     SEAT/TABLES  CHIPS/CARDS DEALERS  T/DIRECTOR   INF/SCRS VALETS  FOOD/DRINK     ATMOSPHERE  TOTAL

The Vic                  8                 5                        9                      7                      7                   9                   6                    8              8                         9                 76

Dusk                     10                9                       10                    10                      7                  10                 10                   9              10                       10                95

G Luton                  8                 7                       5                      6                       9                   9                   8                   5               6                         7                 70

Mick you are not comparing like for like though, dtd is a dedicated poker room etc etc , the others parts of national chains where other interests take precedence

Not criticising dtd at all, I beleive its great for poker players, but its hopeless to expect any casino based card-room to score well against it

by all means compare the Vic and Luton.

When you do, for average buy in type tournaments (especially structures), atmosphere to play in (ie the regulars smile, converse etc) and ease of reaching it (for those outside London) then Luton scores well IMO. Both are recently refurbed. Where Vic scores well is TDing, dealing etc

Neither though are doing a good enough job on valets....However at Luton tonight..4 tables start at 8.30pm on the dot and all four are served by a valet each immediately

Progress!

and tighty home early out of the money -----some things never change  rotflmfao

Richard, when the great G Luton opened it was advertised to have a separate cardroom. When l first visited l was not impressed as it had been hyped up to be a great cardroom. I have slowly grown to hate it. The Casino has tactically placed the cardroom so that u have to pass all house games and u cant even close a door or pull a panel across to stop hearing the bloody music or sound of the table games.

well I agree with you on some of this

I hate the music too, but the G concept is as a destination venue for all sorts of casino visitors. As it happens most acts play to empty rooms, no one paying attention. Waste of money really to book them

Also the original design allowed for massive doors at both entrances to the card-room. These turned up and it is not for me to speculate why they were not installed, as I don't know the facts

As to design of casino, what you say is entirely true, but the room is exactly the same design as G Manchester, only built 12 months later with "enhancements". From their business point of view, one such "enhancement" is to make sure we have to pass the tables. In Manchester you don't, but the poker room is far more open.

As I said before, its a casino business not a dedicated poker club....different priorities. Its frustrating!

you have got to see grosvenors side of things as the place is an absolute goldmine on a friday and saturday night but its not because of the poker. So why should they sacrifice what is obviously working business wise to keep a few poker players happy.

they need to find the balance, personally i think the live music mon to thurs is a waste of money but can see the need for some sort of entertainment fri to sun to keep the clientel they are attracting.

cant understand why the two entrances to the poker rooms have not got sliding doors to be used at weekends and during festivals. even if you just shut off the top end it would make a massive difference sound wise.
wouldnt be practical to shut the far end as the smoking area is reached via that end of the cardroom (another stupid idea when designed)

the cardroom is self contained with toilets and its own bar(which is never used apart from the gukpt event) so it should be very easy to run staff wise imo.

Hi
In your post you give the Vic cardroom staff 5 out of a possible 10, could I ask why the score is so low?

I've been a dealer/supervisor at the Vic for about 5 years now, I'm the first to admit that everyone there could do alot better in the customer service department and maybe even smile sometimes. Most of the staff there however,are very professional and hard working.

The type of players we attract,expect alot more then most, they also have  massive ego problems, this can be  a very challenging and often unpleasant environment to work in.

 Is there any specific area's, where you feel we could improve? We must be doing something wrong to score so low and I for one would like to improve.
 Thank you in advance for any constructive criticism.

I haven't been to the Vic and nor I have yet been to DtD. But I see no problem with poker players comparing casino card rooms directly to DtD. For a poker player with no interest in a casino's wider service offering they both represent only one thing: a place to play poker. That's like for like as far as I'm concerned.

If that gives DtD a competitive advantage in any comparative exercise, so be it. They have focused on their market and tailored their offering accordingly, so they deserve it.

And if they aren't like for like and comparable, why did the casinos fight so long and so hard to prevent DtD opening?

Yes but the poker players are a minority of the casino group's customers. I don't wish to stand up for the casinos per se, I have stated often enough that I find them baffling to deal with and their strategies make me scratch my head..but to compare them to dtd and expect them to match dtd's levels of service and experience for the poker player is a bit harsh I think considering the casinos have other priorities

as to why they tried to stop it (and not talking about Grosvenor here clearly), well its entrenched provider mentality to prevent new competition by whatever means but in one area of their bsusiness only. I also suspect they feared that Rob would open table games etc etc

I hear what you say Richard and of course their varying priorities might mean they can't match the experience DtD provides to poker players.

But it doesn't make a direct comparison harsh - it's just a logical thing for poker players to do where they have alternative venues they can use.

Hi there,

l enjoy the Vic and certainly know where ur coming from, when you talk about the egos who play there, but that is a general thing in poker. You definitely have problems though, which could be simply rectified. Also, before l say anything, l'm sure this is only relevant during Festivals as this is when l visit.

Before l came for your last fessie, no one but Jeff could tell me structures, times, chips etc. When l got there the staff weren't much better, everyone needs to be singing off the same sheet. The organization and numbers of dealers means that massive lists for cash tables start forming and hardly NO one table sats ever get going. The other thing is you need to get a few more screens as there are many blind spots which require you to get up or shout to someone for tourney details.

One last thing is your frequent structure changes. You need to stick to what you say initially and not change to accommodate a few players as this spoils it for lots of others. Alot of people who travel are spending alot of money to play a £300 FO for the first time and they deserve a good structure, otherwise they wont be back.

In my eyes the Vic has turned into a great cardroom this year and lm sure it will get better as it has competent management.

Mick

Hi Mick,

I really don't mind if folks do or don't say blonde, & my Posts, are too "nicey nicey". I write as I find (perhaps you've never read my Diary, where I say exactly what I think), and Alastair had Posted a "thanks" thread. I happen to think the guy is a well-intended guy, of pleasant disposition, who - & this is key - did his best. As such, my thanks to him were genuine. Is it really such a bad thing to say "thank you" to a guy who has taken the trouble to Post a "thank you & goodbye" Post?

I also note your views on Luton relative to other Cardrooms, & I'm fine with that. Because they are just that - views - NOT facts. My comments on Luton & DTD are the same thing - they are my views, or opinion. They are not, of course, facts, because the matter is subjective. You yourself were openly & strongly critical of DTD earlier this year - & that's fine, that's your right. Subsequently, you recognized the place & the people for what they were & said as much. The Posts were not "nicey nicey", but they were not removed, because that's your right - to Post opinions & views. It's my right, too.

I like, & dislike, lots of things about lots of Cardrooms, & I say what I think. I happen to be of the view - just a view, not a fact - that luton & DTD are the best two Cardrooms in the UK right now. Personally, I'm not comfortable in The Vic, but you are. That's fine - each to their own.

I have been praiseworthy & critical of Luton, as the cap fits. Witness my comments about their recent "League", which stole & plundered players money.

I have been praiseworthy & critical of DTD, too. Critical? Yes, there was something there - a very important detail - that I thought was wrong. Simon & Rob both asked for such comments to be made directly to them, so I did just that - I told them personally. So they sorted the "problem" & we (the players) got something extra from DTD that many of us wanted.

We all go about the same things in different ways Mick. But we must differentiate between opinion & facts.

I have no problem with your views on the relative quality of UK Cardrooms. I don't agree with them, but so what? Each to their own!

See you Sunday, at DTD. But presumably not on Monday, at Luton.

As it happens, I would give the same score on the Dealers & Staff at The Vic. It's probably because I always catch them on a bad day, (or maybe they catch ME on a bad day!) but smiles, eye contact, & "hi" are free, & I don't see much of that there. The Reception Staff in particular are renowned for it. I have always found Jeff, Brian, Joe & Niall to be ultra-friendly though.

I pretty much quit playing at The Vic a few years ago because of the frequency with which they amended Tournament Structures mid-comp, which I happen to think is very wrong. And, oddly, it's not a lucky venue for me -, I freely admit - I've Cashed in just about every Cardroom I've ever played in, but never at The Vic, so perhaps that clouds my judgement.

I played some cash there last week, & I'm sorry to say, as I Posted in my Diary, it was not exactly to my taste, shall we say, everyone seemed so glum. Immediately prior to that, we (APAT) had held the Onlive World Amateur Final there, parallel with Regional Qualifiers, & they Hosted those both beautifully, I must say. I wrote & thanked The Vic the next day, by the way.

The Dealers for that were, on the whole, bright & cheery. With one exception. APAT consists, in the main, & as is well-known, of largely inexperienced players. One player, clearly never having played much "Live" Poker, made a string bet. In fact, he placed 3 stacks in the middle, one after the other. Clearly a "no-go", & the Dealer rightly rejected the bet. But he never said a word - just, one by one, returned the three stacks to the other side of the line, & the player was non-plussed, until I explained how it works.

A little word from the Dealer to the Player would have gone a long way, yes?

Finally, how bizarre that you are (very rightly & fairly) defending the Staff at The Vic, given your blonde alias.....! (I know, I'm being tongue-in-cheek, but it tickled me).

Have a good Christmas, fella, & see you soon.

Oh, & Mick. Do try & arrive a llttle earlier this Sunday at DTD. Like, before I bust out.....

I thought it was rather rude of you to wait until I'd Busted before showing up. ;)

I shook hands and welcomed Alistair tonight, he seemed to be reasonably happy in the cash game area and we hope to recruit more people like him over the coming months.  I knew him from Luton and I am sure he will have a good time with the guys (and ladies) working here.

There seems to be a few comparisons of dt (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload)d (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) v Casino Card Rooms at the moment......

one point I would like make is that most of us at dt (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload)d (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) knew/know absolutley bugger all about running a card room /poker club, we are amateurs compared to the casinos. Personally I would say the biggest difference is the "atmosphere" (noone has or is thinking of doing their mortgage on the roulette!, its just more relexed and friendly), I would be pleasantly surprsed if we are much better run that the casinos, as I believe we are only operating at 60% efficiency at the moment, but I do expect dt (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload)d (http://www.dtdpoker.com/aff/BlonditesDownload) to improve substancially over the course of 2008 in all areas..............but thanks for the support anyway!

Cheers Rob

Tony, no matter how much we disagree about cardroom issue's,  you crack me up. I seen this just now after a bad beat in a Full Tilt comp. and had a good chuckle, thanks. ;D

 rotflmfao ;yippee; >:? rotflmfao ;sark; ;yippee; >:? rotflmfao ;yippee; ;sark; >:? rotflmfao

Well, arrive earlier next time, You were 3 minutes late on Sunday, & I was in the Cash-Game by then. I still can't understand why my 9 high never held on against his trip jacks, or how he made the call.