Well, its finally arrived, "D" day, the
dusk till dawn case begins at 10am tomorrow and the Magistrates Court has allowed 4 full days to reach a result.
I predict that the result is annouced either way by end of play Tuesday, Wednesday at the very latest. This is based on the fact that I have decided to use only 3 witnesses (Myself,
Simon Trumper and Mike Wiseman) and the fact that the 3 objectors collectively submitted next to zero documentory evidence.
There was always a faint hope that one or all of the objectors would pull out at the last minute, but I never personally expected that, this case has become more that just a "routine casino application V objectors" - somehow it has developed into a bigger fight than that....for both sides
Its been a long journey, I'd like to say full of "highs and lows", but there have not been that many "highs" except maybe looking at the building now that it is finished, and the fact that a few lads who went to school together achieved that.
Looking back, I would never have got involved in
dtd, taking into account the licencing problems and everything else that comes with this industy. I never launched
dtd to make £millions, it was just an idea that sort of ran away with itself, and I stubornly refused to be pushed around by the casinos, so we are where we are. It is always right to stand up for yourself, no matter what the financial costs, as this will make it easier for other people to stand up to these big companies in the future, plus, its hard to really respect yourself if you crawl away into a corner when faced with adversity.
Outside of poker, I run professional successful businesses but my important decisions are always based on gut feel and not based on financial rewards, I liken a "business" to a "community", there are good and bad in both, but if you are "good", you will have respect, which makes you feared, unpredicatble and dangerous to your adverseries. I believe in the poker business/community, I am respected, and the casinos are a necessary evil at the moment, and I also I believe that this will be demonstrated in court, and
dtd will win resoundingly.
If we do get the green light this week, I will take a break to re-juvinate, as I am very tired to be honest. The background work that I have been doing to get us to this position has taken its toll on me, most people don't see what has been needed to be done. I will need time to get my "enthusiasm" back, as there are many things that have really disapointed me to do with this project, not only licencing related.
Despite being pretty fed up with the whole
dtd Project, the last thing that I will do is roll over and let the casinos win this week, in fact, in a perverse way, I am looking forward to finally locking horns with them as I am so sure that the magistrates will see what is really before them, and not be persuaded or influenced by their trickery in court. I also look forward to silencing a few of the so called "experts" who have been predicting my downfall behind my back, after all, I am only human, and crushing your enemies and critics has to feel nice (no matter how humble you like to see yourself).
I'm off to my pub tonight to do the Sunday £1 Quiz, then hopefully get a decent nights sleep. Nick is picking me at my house at 8.45am, then we'll fetch "Aces" Trumper, park up in town, grab a coffee, meet Mike Wiseman and my lawyer, Andrew Woods, at the court..........of course, I will find a way to keep you all updated on this thread, and I know many of you are genuinely behind me, even though we have never met face to face.
Cheers, Rob
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