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

[Scottish Dave]

I was'nt going to put it in anyway just having alaugh with u dave

i know mate, i think others thought differently tho.

You have email

[robyong]

I read the full thread on the Luton main event final and see again that a deal was done. Most of us have been in positions when a deal has been done, personally I have never wanted to do a deal, but for one reason or another I've have agreed to it. Whether it be that I was being colluded against, made to feel guilty, or the majority wanted it...............most of the time I agreed, to reduce the "hassle factor".

Deals are part of poker currently but I am not sure whether they are hear to stay. Eventually I believe there will be a common set of rules for all poker tournaments decided by some commitee that gets set up. Poker is just too big money for certain people that is will become regualated in the future. Dusk Till Dawn will have a set of rules and all tournaments will be run by them, with no exceptions. What those rules will be I am unsure of, but they will clearly displayed and enforced without prejudice and exception.

Now that I have a full team of people to help me set up the club I need to make sure than everyones strengths are utilised and that we have a organised and systematic plan all the way up to our opening date. I am finding doing this plan quite difficult, as there is so much to do even though we have 11 months to do it.

I think the best approach is to focus on one thing at a time and not get distracted by things that are too far away to worry about. When you bring a number a personalites together everyone has loads of ideas and its my job is to ensure than we get the job done well, don't miss anything, and its on time. For example, what the point of talking about "types on tourneys" when we haven't even got a card room yet, or who we want to get to play in the High Limit Room, when we havn't even specced out what we are going to have in there? Consequently, the team need to focussed on the "phsycial specification" of the club during the next 8 weeks, and nothing else.

The more I discuss this project with people, the bigger and more complex it gets. Sometimes I feel like I am really on top of things, and then the next day I don't know where the hell I am. I think I have good experience of start-ups, and reasonable business skills, but this damn thing is tough. I guess Gala and Grovesner have teams of people who set thier casinos up, experts with experience, we just have me and a few mates from the poker world, so it's bound to be tough, right?

Theres no backing out now anyway, I'm "pot committed". Everywhere I go there are people asking me "how the club is going" but there are some people sticking the knife in with sarcastic comments. Everyone seems to have a view on how the club should run, what we should charge, what we shouldn't do etc etc I don't mind the people who are genuinely trying to help, but I feel like saying to some of the "negative" people, "why exactly are you telling me this?". Here are just some examples of comments in Luton:

"What are you going to do if the Gaming Board turn you down, you'll be really in the XXXX then, won't you"
"Did you know that The Vic are expanding their card room to 300+, this is going to be a real problem for you, isn't it"
"If I were you I wouldn't bother, look what's happened to the Gutshot"
"You're premises are too big, your're wasting your money"
"Noone knows where Nottingham is, why don't you do it in London?"
"The Casino's will shut you down, I guarentee it"
"Poker players don't care where they play, as long as they don't pay for anything, it'll never work"
"You're going to lose all you money, my mate has looked into it and he knows what he is doing"
"Why bother with a gaming licence, you only need soft gaming permission to do poker, my mate looked into it"

Bearing in mind I went out in the £750 and £1000 after hitting sets on the flop (which has really hacked me off), it takes a lot of self control not to tell these individuals where to go and say, "I can do what I want with my money, so why dont you stick your views up your XXXX", but hey, I just grin and nod and try to get away from them as quick as possible.

If it doesn't work we'll have a hell of a place to play a STT instead of my house, altough the bills may be slighly more expensive!

Cheers Rob

[NoflopsHomer]

I'm not a big fan of deals, especially the bubble saver ones, if you're going to deals like that then why not give everyone their money back and just play for bragging rights. Flatter structures are better, maybe even Crypto are learning, the Half Million last night only paid $50500 for 1st, which is only 10.1% of the prize pool.

[Scottish Dave]

Rob, quality post mate, your so right tho!

your doing this because you WANT to do it, not for any particular reason, except to bring some entertainment to the country, some real entertainment by bthe sounds of it.

As you said its your money and you can do what the hell you mplease with it, i bet these same players that said these comments to you will come running to you, after a year or so when they hear all the other players in the circuit ramble on and on about how amazing your club was when they visited it.

forget them, go for the glory mate.

Scottish Dave

[thetank]

I think the only thing worse than allowing deals in a poker tournaments is not allowing deals in poker tournaments.

Players who's financial situation makes them keen to divvy up the spoils prematurely in a tournament will still try and do so whether it is outlawed or not. They may discuss savers etc in the toilet during a break or by other means, through a 3rd party perhaps. Their tactics will change accordingly and it would become unfair on those not involved, still at the final table. There is no real way to stop this.

Rather than go down this path, I feel it's much better to allow any deal discussion to take place openly.

Just my two cents on this issue, I certainly don't want to be one of those "naysayers" that are a bane on your bottom at the moment. Hopefully all the negative comments will make you more determined to succeed in this venture.
If your club is a success it can only be good for poker in the UK and I sincearly hope it does  

[robyong]

Thanks Tank, the deal issue is a tricky one, and will not be made by me alone. It will be a "committe decision" and will be thourughly dicussed. However, the argument that you cant stop them doesn't wash with me, any rule in the club will be possibly "breakable of course", including collusion and slowplay and insulting staff, but that doesn't mean that we should not try and stop it. Its up to use to create the right prize and blind structures to deter deals aswell.

Cheers Rob

[Dingdell]

Rob - as I have always said to you - it is going to be great - it will be a great club - you have great vision for the various rooms and the layout and it will be great. I personally cant wait for it to open, it will make a change to head northwards for a game and meet different players.

Poker players want a good game and if its good they will come. The marketing is key, and everything you are doing is getting the players talking which is all good.

A great opening evening/week, some club players for the cash tables if it ever gets quiet, an ongoing marketing strategy and a positive attitude.   

As for comments such as 'the casinos will try and shut you down' I see that as a positive comment - it means that the speaker thinks your club will be a viable threat - isn't that great?!?

You are right to be focussed on the detail of the building, dont discuss the other stuff - we're already doing that for you !!   

I repeat - it will be great - good luck for the next eight weeks and look forward to hearing about progress as and when.

Tracey   

[Tonji]

Rob - I've been following your enterprise through your posts & I can only wish you the best of luck. I think your ahead off the game. Your ideas & strategy seem well thought out, you obviously know what your doing, & i think your enthusiasm will carry you through to success.

I certainly will become a member (of sorts).

Looking forward to the end of the year when the talk within the UK (& worldwide!!!) poker community will be of the fantastic success of Dusk till Dawn.

Tonji.

[Royal Flush]

If it doesn't work we'll have a hell of a place to play a STT instead of my house, altough the bills may be slighly more expensive!

 

[chrisbruce]

Rob

Would it be possible to levy a house tax on any deals done, say 10% of the prize money remaining. This money would be put into an accumlative pot and added to the prize money of an annual tournament. I am not sure if the gaming board would allow you to do this but it would discourage deals from taking place without barring them totally.

[Ironside]

Rob

Would it be possible to levy a house tax on any deals done, say 10% of the prize money remaining. This money would be put into an accumlative pot and added to the prize money of an annual tournament. I am not sure if the gaming board would allow you to do this but it would discourage deals from taking place without barring them totally.

great idea but so hard to police espically when they turn round and say but it was a saver not a deal, plus the gaming board would have a hissy fit and no way in the world allow it

[Rod Paradise]

Rob

Would it be possible to levy a house tax on any deals done, say 10% of the prize money remaining. This money would be put into an accumlative pot and added to the prize money of an annual tournament. I am not sure if the gaming board would allow you to do this but it would discourage deals from taking place without barring them totally.

great idea but so hard to police espically when they turn round and say but it was a saver not a deal, plus the gaming board would have a hissy fit and no way in the world allow it

it would be good though....

[Ironside]

Rob

Would it be possible to levy a house tax on any deals done, say 10% of the prize money remaining. This money would be put into an accumlative pot and added to the prize money of an annual tournament. I am not sure if the gaming board would allow you to do this but it would discourage deals from taking place without barring them totally.

great idea but so hard to police espically when they turn round and say but it was a saver not a deal, plus the gaming board would have a hissy fit and no way in the world allow it

it would be good though....

aye it would be good

[Teacake]

Rob your doing the right thing with all these prophets of doom, just smile & nod & get away from them as soon as poss. Anyone can see you know exactly what your doing.

In Rob we Trust 

[madasahatstand]

rob

when things start getting overwhelming, its time to take a time out, clear your head and go back to your systematic plan. ie  one thing at a time. all your energy on the next step. i sometimes get overwhelmed at work and find it hard to focus. a quick jog round the block or day out/whatever your poison, and refocus comes quick. good luck and best foot first

mad