Get off your ass, Tim.. the tournaments are far too boring and take themselves a tad too seriously without you.

I have moved back to the States and occasionally check in and was stunned to see the news.

For those who don't know Tim, he is one of those guys who helped change the image of poker, arguably for the better!

Out of the shady surroundings with shady players and into the mainstream, drawing people not afraid to laugh along the way.

All the best to you both, Tim and Hazel.

And when you're up for it, come out to California and we'll giggle over dinner. Then spoof for the bill. Brian

Great reporting, team! This is my second post...I finally got round to registering the other day (I blame this bone idleness) to throw in some DTD support. Anyway, I played on Day 1A and as reported went out on the hand just before the dinner break. My pocket 10s were no match for Steve Vladar's pocket deuces. But not sure where the story came from about me forgetting to call the bet with my pocket KKs before revealing the hand, thereby having the hand declared dead. A gripping tale...but it definitely wasn't me. Sadly, I'm the schmuck who keeps calling the all-in bets with my pocket KKs in these GUKPT events... and I've gone out of THREE of them so far by doing so. Twice losing to pocket 88s and once to pocket 10s. Stupidly, each time I did manage to get the chips in before turning the cards over!!  Friggin' marvellous.

Keep up the excellent work in Luton. Wish I was still there...if not for the tournament then for that feisty £500 Pot Limit game.

I’m glad to have a forum to express my full support for the proposed dedicated card room Dusk Till Dawn, for the following reasons:

1) The “concept” of a dedicated, fully licensed poker room is in fact a well-established and successful business model, posing no new threat of gaming abuse or gambling addiction. As a native Californian, I have seen first-hand the development of such card rooms into the largest dedicated poker venues in the world, providing a safe, secure, fully-licensed and well-supported environment – all without the enticements of house games. Throughout the years, these card rooms have been very successful commercially as well as in providing the best in poker events. Why?  Simply, because they are run by people who are certainly profit-conscious but who are also poker enthusiasts themselves. This distinction from casinos means that the service provided is managed by people with the knowledge and interest in the game-of-skill to ensure a well-run and first-rate operation, specifically with the poker player in mind.  Such a service is not always guaranteed in casino poker rooms, where the dealers can be – and sometimes are – ill-trained, under-motivated and supported by management who do not fully appreciate the rules of the game nor the customers they serve.

2) I know the management of Dusk Till Dawn to be trustworthy and reliable, with demonstrated business acumen. Furthermore, they are all well-respected poker enthusiasts and I have every confidence in their abilities to ensure the very best service. So much so, I plan to support their club even though I live in London.

3) I understand that there have been formal objections to the opening of this card room from casinos. This is non-sense as it restricts competition and allows them to trade “as-is” in a market environment which has seen the clear emergence and evolution of poker. While some casinos have dramatically improved their poker product to reflect the market trends, others clearly have not. The poker rooms in some casinos remain are too small, the dealers moved over from house games with insufficient training and the end result can be an inadequate offering.  In fact, the full-service casinos have less to fear and more to gain from this new card room: those which see the added-value in poker are already providing improved services, expanded facilities and a surge in poker-generated revenue. The advent of online poker and televised tournaments has brought the game out of the backrooms into the spotlight as a mainstream sporting attraction, bringing in a new player-base, sanitized brand image and even new variations of the game.  All venues – casinos and poker rooms alike – can benefit from a competitive, market-driven environment. As a dedicated, fully-licensed poker room, Dusk Till Dawn can help show the way in offering what the players really want. The quality casinos should welcome Dusk Till Dawn’s expertise and commitment to bettering tournament and cash play. It can only serve to help the casinos with their own schedules and events.

4) The management of Dusk Till Dawn have done a phenomenal job in investing into this proposed card room: from pre-launch marketing to supporting events through sponsorship to developing a first-class online product to hiring top-notch staff/players. I, along with many, fully support their venture -- which will be beneficial to the local community as well as to the general poker community at large.

Brian Johnson
CEO
London