"Dusk till Dawn" Poker Club In Nottingham Diary (by Rob Yong)

[robyong]

I think you can see from the 15 photos I have posted on this thread that this is a seriously ambitious project - and on a much larger scale that a Gutshot type operation. Before returning the keys I wanted to put a few pics up so people could visualise what the layout of the club is planned to be.

This is not the sort of venture that could hide below the radar of the Gaming Board and is going to cost a bomb to set-up and run. We think we can do it in 9 months, but nearly everything will be getting ripped out and replaced to a high specification.

Putting this amount of money and effort in is a bit daunting, but exciting. That's why is is critical to me that we attract the right customers who will respect and enjoy the club - only if this happens will it all be worth it and get the right reputation. The task with such a large place is to make it comfortable and intimate when the place is only at 20% capacity, which I expect it to be at least 80% of the time.

A lot of posts have focussed on the economic vialbility and risk of this club, but what a great place it will be even if we only get average numbers of paying members. I know that the Nottingham (or East Midlands ) market will not support the club alone, so the task will be to attract players from all over Europe and the UK, corporate customers and extra business through the restuarant (players bring their partners for a meal etc).

However, the priority will be a great place to play poker and I believe we can create a better (but inevitably more expensive) alternative to what currently exists in the UK casinos........also somewhere where I want to spend my time, there are selfish reasons for doing this aswell, of course.

Things will slow down a bit now over Xmas, I go to Hong Kong over the new year for a "non-gambling" holiday. I guess I'll be thinking, planning and working on this venture though, I'm really enjoying it at the moment, and I can see things coming together. Hopefully the people who I have brought in to help will "do the business" over the coming months, there is so much to get done and we all need to be professional to make it work.

Cheers Rob 

[Card_Shark]

Rob you mentioned the Broadway casino in one of your earlier posts and your plans to visit it, i played there for the first time on Tuesday evening and can honestly say that the whole place is superb. Great decor throughout all of the casino, helpful & pleasant staff, the card room is very well run with more than capable dealers.

I would highly recommend a visit !

Steve Read.

[SKA Dealer]

Fantasic pics!! Will be good to see how it changes over the months. I have a few mates in Nottingham who used to work at Smilin' Sams, including Odin-Dealer who I'm off to Canada with!! Small world. He's glad to see it being put to good (better) use.

I honestly believe this place will be a huge hit. All business projects borne out of passion seem to be more succesful than projects started up because "there's a niche there" or "that will provide a nice return".

[Tractor]

Look a great venue, just spent ages catching up on all this as works been manic leading up to xmas and its the first time ive been on the pc for days...
Good luck Rob on this venture it really is looking good.

[robyong]

Had my sf group company xmas do last night, we have a small but growing poker playing base, 6 people went to the poker4 charity event we sponsered a few weeks ago (we managed 2nd and 11th places).

I did a presentation to my employees on the progress of the charity and it was nice to tell everyone that we've raised £3k from my home games. As part of their employment contract, every employee in the new poker business will also have to donate a minimum of 1% of there basic salary to the charity aswell (the total amount raised will then be matched by me). People get full tax relief on the donation so is costs them less than 1% in reality. This should raise another £25k per year to help disabled people.

Theres lots of interest at sf group in the club aswell, mainly because we will be using the hospitality facilities to entertain our employees and clients - one of the reasons why the club needs to an "exclusive" and "upmarket" place. When I picked the £11,000 bar bill up at the end of the night I couldn't help thinking it would have been easier to get my credit card authorised at my own club!

We now have a full floor plan for the club, Nick emailed it to me this morning and it looks great and utilises the floorspace very well. I just need to send a copy to the owners of the building to get it officially authorised but they have already told me that will be a formaility.

Everyone who is helping me seems very motivated and after a lot of groundwork I know we are putting in good foundations in all areas. When I looked at the floorplan it gave me the bigest buzz so far since we commenced the project.

Its nice to work on something that you are genuinely enthusisatic about, I've never been scared of hard work, but I've not always been passionate about some of the business ventures that I've been involved in. I'm very conscious that this should remain fun for everyone involved and not become a "real business, I don't think I could cope with that pressure again.

Have a nice xmas everyone. I'll be doing my shopping tomorrow last minute as always. Some things never change.

Cheers Rob

[Chili]

Have a great christmas Rob and dont think about the club too much!  Yeah right!!!  Give my love to Nick.

[suzanne]

Have a GREAT Christmas Rob and kick your heels up on hogmanay. I am one of many I would assume silent watchers of your threads and so wish you ALL the best in your venture. I almost feel like going round with a mop and bucket just to say ive been a part of it  Good luck and I wish you all the best for the coming year.

[DTD-Nick.W]

Hi Chilli,
your luv is well received, have a good un all.



A christmas quiz how many poker tables can you fit into 517sq mtrs or 5556sq ft. answers on a postcard usual address.

Merry Xmas All

[byronkincaid]

30

[simonow]

55

[byronkincaid]

Just a guess after reading this article

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=4275662&nav=9qrx

The Caesars Palace room has another six-thousand square feet of expansion space that officials say could handle 33 more tables -- and could handle big tournaments

[tikay]

Well, 30, 55, whatever, I hope that in asprirng to reach a big capacity, the tables are not cramped together, that is THE worst thing about most poker rooms.

Ideal spacing between tables? Deauville & Monte Carlo were PERFECT, though temporary venues. Baden & Helsinki, perfect also, & these are permanent venues.

The Broadway has it spot on too, as you will see in January.

Capacity in comfort is far more important than capacity in this case. Poker players will only accept being cramped together - as they are now - for so long. The way that players are squeezed into cardrooms, qute unable to exit unless 3 other people move, is not just plain wronmg, it contravenes Fire Regs, & it's a miracle none of them have been issued Prohibition Notices by the Local Authority or Fire Service.

[Royal Flush]

WHen you can tikay get up to see the improved blackpool cardroom, there is space to move between tables, quite amazing!

[ifm]

The Broadway is ok but still not ideal.

[I KNOW IT]

The Western Club was perfect in every way. It would be worth a visit to there Rob.