Ya gotta tell it how it is!!

Eeee when I started playing poker back in 1990 you could go down to Grosvenor Reading for a fiver...have a grand night out and still be home in time for the milkman!!

Of course things have changed a great deal in the past 15 years. Today, instead of forcing yourselves down to the local club for a £10 buy-in at some ungodly hour club operators are trying to accommodate us poker players in ways unheard of back in the 90's.

More comfortable surroundings, earlier start times, better facilities...!!

Only a few years ago I turned up at Luton to play in a £200 Omaha Freezeout event as part of the August Festival they'd have there. Play didn't start until 10pm and at 3am there were still around 3 tables left. Now in those days the casino shut at 4am and there was no way on earth that the game was gonna finish by then.

It was then announced that the last 18 would play the following day at 3pm!! Feck a doodle-doo!

For us working bods (and that was the majority) this just wasn't an option. Not only had I to abandon any thoughts of getting to the final table I had to attempt either a double up (to make it worth my while coming back) or dump my 20K in chips I'd already got. I dumped!

What I'm illustrating here is that clubs have come a great distance in accomodating players since those 'stuff the players' days.

Play starts at a reasonable hour and the games are better organised. Just a pity that most of the festivals that used to take place of a nightime now take place during the day when the majority of us are still working!