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

[Royal Flush]

Nearly there Rob....keep the faith!

[Dewi_cool]

Can't beat telling it as it is, nice one and good luck

[The_nun]

Thanks for the update Rob...Keep up the goodwork .. youmust be getting totaly bollockeds by it all

Sometimes you can end up working for everyone else apart from yourself and certain people always want to freeload or have a piece of you

I know that feeling only too well ..not on your scale .. but ..xx

[M3boy]

Love the Honesty

Great read as always. I think this project would make a good TV
documentry type thing. You want to think about it Rob when
your bored.

Regards

M





 


 

 

Nice idea M - I am 100% sure () that someone has already suggested this

[Card_Shark]

Im still waiting for you to teach me how to play black jack"rob yong style". and all you go on about is DTD.....LOL.

good luck rob,

steve read.

[snoopy1239]

Rob's diary is now up to date in the diaries section of the main site.

If you need to catch up, and wish to read the diary uninterrupted (without other posts), then feel free to click the link below.

http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/1009

[robyong]

Just preparing for a trip to Paris for the WPT. I was in 2 minds whether to go but as usual I just cannot resist it, so I'm booked on the 7am plane to Paris from East Midlands. Chubbs has decided to play aswell after his profitable week in Walsall and I have bought 50% of him on the basis that he is in good form. I don't often buy %'s of people, as they keep asking you once you have done it (even if they don't cash) but I feel that Chubbs has really lifted his game so it's worth a punt.

Walsall was a great result for us all, Nick just missed out on the final table aswell after grinding away in style with his short stack, but it was ironic that me and Chubbs ended up heads-up in the final, as just before the main event started we played 8 £100 heads-up games to pass time away (we drew 4-4). We clashed a few times on Saturday so I was surpised that we both made it down to the last 2, as you can see from the BP updates.

Although we are friends there is a lot of history with me and Chubbs on the poker circuit so there was noway we were going to chop the prize pool 50:50 and get an early night, I thought it was all going my way when I managed to get a 3-1 chip lead but he came back and beat me fair and square when I managed to get 800k in pre-flop with A3off v his QQ. He talked me into calling and I just couldn't bear to pass and let him turn over 52off and call me a "mug".

I'd would like to address one issue about the Walsall final table and the agreement that I have with Nick, Chubbs and Aces. Basically, I put all the money in for buy-ins, travel and expenses and at the end of the year, the prize money less costs is split up based on % prize money won by each player including me,ie. on a merit basis (If we lost money, I take the hit). So, there was NO DEAL done in Walsall, and 1st prize goes onto Chubbs prize money total and 2nd onto mine, simple as that - I LOST MONEY BY COMING 2ND.

If this was not the case, we would have just stuck it all-in pre-flop on the 1st hand and gone to the bar. This "4-way" agreement suits at the moment for networking DTD until the Club and online site opens - when the other 3 might be a bit too busy to play much poker (I should be okay lol).

Right, need to get packed, everything is moving along in the right direction, I now have Darren (General Manager)and Nightfly (Card Room Manager) working full-time on the set up of the Club, I am trying to push licences through as quick as possible but to give you some idea of the amount of admin, here's the licences I need before we open:

1) 2 x White Licences (the biggy for a casino owner)
2) 3 Grey Licences (card room mamagers)
3) Casino Planning Licence
4) Certificate of Consent (Gaming Board)
5) Magistrates Order (local authority)

it just goes on an on and on.............just like Ariston

Cheers Rob

[robyong]

Everyday we make small steps forward and some days we also make big steps backwards, but overall, things are coming to a head and we should make major strides in the next 4 weeks. Here is a summary of where we are at:

1. I have bought my local pub (there is method behind this strange move), The Broxtowe Inn, in Nuthall, Nottingham, at the end of my road. We will use it as a pilot for the hospitality side of Dusk Till Dawn(it also has 2 bars and a restuarant). We will test the same EPOS till systems, restaurant systems, drinks suppliers, employment contracts etc etc, this will give my General Manager, Darren, excellent experience and also give us real premises to recruit and train our staff while Dusk Till Dawn is being re-furbished. On the 1st floor there is plenty of room for additional office space which we are a bit light on in the Club.

2. DTDPOKER, our online site, is fully designed and ready to be intergrated into the banking system. A launch date of September is likley and I fly to Canada on the 12th July to tie up any lose ends with Cryptologic. Pete has done an excellent job, he had to totally re-design over 100 images for the software. I have been playing on the site and I love the graphics........but i would say that!

3. The additional planning licencing is due on July 16th, which means Nick can arrange for the rip out of the premises to take place in the first week of August. To just rip out the place (get rid of all the crap in there) the bill is £45,000, a cost that I forgot to take into account, of course.

4. The Gaming Board have all of our information, I've passed all of the various checks and we are now at the final stage (yes - at last) - this is a formal interview at the head office which will take place in the next6 2 weeks. So far so good, feedback is very positive so fingers crossed. Nightfly has been a great help in this area.

5. We have recruited another Card Room Manager, I'll leave it to him to annouce it in his own time. He will have to go through the grey licence process with Nightfly. I think it will be a popular choice.

6. Aces Trumper has already organised a number of high profile tournamants to be held at Dusk Till Dawn, subject to the gaming licence coming through.

7. I have recruited a White Licence "compliance officer" (every Casino must have one) who will ensure that we adere to all of the Gaming Boards codes of practice. He will also deal with all White, Grey and Red licencing issues for DTD and be the point of contact with the Gaming Board.

8. Chubbs has been winning at internet poker over the last few weeks.

By the end of July the mist will clear, and with only a small piece of luck, we'll be on the way towards creating the largest poker club in Europe and you will be able to come and visit us at the premises and see the club develop. We'll have a porta cabin set up so people can join and ask any questions.

Cheers Rob

[Colchester Kev]

All fantastic news Rob, do I get a free dinner at the pub next visit ??   

only point i find hard to believe is No.8 ... surely thats a missprint ??

[ripple11]

 MEMO ON FRIDGE:

 Next time you want to do some thing new......buy the local pub and test it out first.

 Brilliant.

[littlemissC]

the broxtowe inn is quite a busy pub so it was a good buy.sometimes go for sunday dinner there,will say hi if i do.
good luck rob hope eveything works out for you.

[Div]

1. I have bought my local pub (there is method behind this strange move), The Broxtowe Inn, in Nuthall, Nottingham, at the end of my road. We will use it as a pilot for the hospitality side of Dusk Till Dawn(it also has 2 bars and a restuarant). We will test the same EPOS till systems, restaurant systems, drinks suppliers, employment contracts etc etc, this will give my General Manager, Darren, excellent experience and also give us real premises to recruit and train our staff while Dusk Till Dawn is being re-furbished. On the 1st floor there is plenty of room for additional office space which we are a bit light on in the Club.

Rob, you are my hero. You bought a pub as a training exercise! That's outrageously cool.

Be warned though - Rod may try to marry you. He was set on Chilli til he heard she sold the chip shop.

[Jon MW]

I'm generally too lazy to post to more than one forum, but after catching up on this project I just had to say it's one of the best forum threads I've read - both in terms of it's content and Rob's style [of writing and towards life in general].

What is the website address? - When can I sign up?

[Rod Paradise]

1. I have bought my local pub (there is method behind this strange move), The Broxtowe Inn, in Nuthall, Nottingham, at the end of my road. We will use it as a pilot for the hospitality side of Dusk Till Dawn(it also has 2 bars and a restuarant). We will test the same EPOS till systems, restaurant systems, drinks suppliers, employment contracts etc etc, this will give my General Manager, Darren, excellent experience and also give us real premises to recruit and train our staff while Dusk Till Dawn is being re-furbished. On the 1st floor there is plenty of room for additional office space which we are a bit light on in the Club.

Rob, you are my hero. You bought a pub as a training exercise! That's outrageously cool.

Be warned though - Rod may try to marry you. He was set on Chilli til he heard she sold the chip shop.

 

[robyong]

We have finally been granted a 24 hour alcohol licence for the Club. Even that was 2 weeks late coming through but its another job to cross off the admin list. I think we may be the only place in Nottingham with a 24 hour alchohol licence, not sure if this is a good or bad thing though. When my solicitor asked my what hours I wanted, I just said the most possible, never expected 24 hours to be granted!

At last..........I'm finally being interviewed by Bob Meek, the senior guy from the Gaming Board on Monday at 10.30am. Dealing with all these Government bodies is a nightmare, at the last minute the Gaming Board have now told me that they want a detailed 2 year financial plan (not 12 months as originally requested)...........as if I ever look beyond 12 months (its too scary).

I'm really getting to the wits end with the Gaming Board, the cost of being regulated is over £450,000 per annum for the Dusk Till Dawn Club..........what a joke, and they are still breaking my balls about every single detail. I've passed every check they could think up to do, I've worked my backside off with the information and planning, and it still feels like I have to get the begging bowl out every time I deal with them. They even interviewed my Bank Manager and one of the directors at sf group. My Regional Inspector, Fay Callagahan, knows how frustrated I am getting, but its her first ever casino application (yes, they gave me their newest recruit) so her hands are tied.

On a side issue, I'm also very stressed out as I now have two 7 week old stafforshire bull terrior puppies living in my house. They were barking like hell when I was on the phone to the Gaming Board today, and I was so close to throwing the phone out of the window. Basically, I went to buy a dog for my Mum for her birthday, but they only had 2 left for sale,  I felt sorry for the one that would be left on his own, so I bought both dogs. I thought it would be nice for them to have each others company. Unfortunatley, these "surprise presents" did not go down too well with my parents and the 2 dogs are now mine. So far, they have soiled every room downstairs within 2 days.

Life could definately be better at the moment, I lost a £49,000 pot on the internet when I flopped the nut flush and a guy hit quads on the river, I've got this "dog situation", England got knocked out the World Cup and I had tickets for the final sorted, sf group made its lowest profit in a single month for 3 years, my boiler is broke and I've lost my wallet.......again. The hassle with DTD just compounds things......I definately need a break and maybe the trip to Canada and Las Vegas will refresh me (wonder if I take the dogs?).

Everything just seems so busy at the moment, even my Charity has loads more applications than normal. Its summer madness at the Yong household at the moment.....stop the ride, I want to get off! Maybe when Sarah, my new PA, kicks in, the pressure will ease and I'll stop snapping at everybody and everything.

Oh, and the pub i just bought.......the locals have kindly given me a list of things they want (plasma TV's, projector screens, home made meals, a carvery, a pool table, darts board, completely new furniture and a childrens play area). Give me a break.

Cheers Rob (and sorry for moaning)