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

[Woodsey]

I'll be a regular aswell and can't wait for it to open. It must be quite hard ignoring all the miserable gits who are critizizing you all the time, but from sound of everything youv'e written in this thread so far it sounds like once youv'e got this venture up and running it will give you massive satisfaction and be worth it in the long run. All the best.

[The Nomad]

Hi Rob ,   nice to see its going reasonably well with your project.   A long time ago I remember an interview at the G.B.  It went something like this , Good morning Mr ////  after the pleasantries were exchanged What is Chapter 4 section 6 para 3 of the 1968 gaming act ugh not a clue, sorry no liscence you may reapply next  year,thankyou thats all. Moral of this tale Learn the gaming act, As it happens the next next year it went something like this.......Good morning Mr ?  nice to see you again Hows your wife and son blahh blahh,heres the liscence you wanted,  of course the applicant could recite the gaming act backwards this time not a question in sight.     So there you have it if they dont view you as a suitably qualified person there are a million trip up points .   If you areprepared and have shown diligence in your preparation as it seems to me you have you should be OK.    One thing you have to bear in mind is that from their point of view they are giving you a liscence to print money. They are not just giving you the go ahead for a poker club, who knows how it will turn out or what will happen 5 years down the road as you said 1 year in the future  was a long time.    You have no downside on this if you get approval LOL 

[Phil]

From a player point of view I think Aces is an excellent choice as your Pro. As I'll be a regular player at the club I'm quite looking forward to getting to know the bloke. Obviously I remember seeing great performances from him on LNP but also on a poker documentary when he talk really honestly about the financial pitfalls of poker and balancing it with his drainage (?) business and personal life. Others on the film were talking as though poker was a life of effortless luxury and Simons honesty about it impressed me. His contribution to the Blonde forum is always worthwhile and although I didn't get to play with him at BB1 he seemed to impress everyone he did play with with his character as much as his game.

As soon as it was anounced I thought Simon Trumper was a top draw choice for Live Poker Host at DTD.

Seconded. Great choice IMO.

[robyong]

Bob Meek and Fay Callaghan, the Gaming Board inpsectors, arrived early 1/2 hour at my offices for my interview. Luckily, for once in my life so did I. I had never met Bob before, and found myself feeling a bit nervous and apprehensive. I just had a bad feeling and did not feel in the right frame of mind.

For the first hour Bob gave me a very hard time, he is an ex policeman, and I could feel the control of the meeting was slipping way from me. He was firing questions left right and centre and making me feel like a naughty boy asking for a five penny mix. I knew my answers were not good and found myself getting annoyed, probably more with myself.

Bob asked me some questions on recent changes to the Gaming Act which I did not answer very well. He also told me that the Gaming Board had decided that they were going to make no allowances for DTD, even though we're just a poker club, we would have to operate with all of the regulations of a normal casino, and there was going to be no compromise. I could now feel myself getting very close to breaking point and final lost my self control when he told me that the Gaming Board would even want a "reserve" (casinos have to leave an amount of cash with the Gaming Board based on their maximum payouts on their gaming table).

Before I realised what I was doing, I closed my note pad dramatically and went on a "disjointed rant". I raised my voice and told Bob what I thought of his interogation tactics, how I didn't like his questions and how I am sick of jumping through hoops for them, lets go to court then, did he know that these regulations cost £450k per annum etc etc blah blah blah ( I think you can tell from my previous posts that I was getting a touch frustrated with all of this red tape).

I then stood up and said "I need a break from all this X" and went outside for a cigerette to try and compose myself, I felt I sure I had blew it, I have done this type of thing before, most recently, when I was in court for speeding, I told the Magistrates to "ban me for the maximum" and "fine me enough so they get ther bonus". This sort of behavior lets me down time and time again but I just can't help it. I've even lost very luctrative business contracts with this attitude, rather than "play the game", its a flaw in my personality.

To my surprise, Bob joined me outside and tried to calm me down, he seemed genuinley concerned that I would withdraw my application and do the Club anyway. It suddenly dawned on me that The Gaming Board might need me almost as much as I needed them, the last think they wanted was another Gutshot situation, they were just breaking my balls cause thats what they can do, it was nothing personal.

We then returned to the meeting room and the whole mood of the meeting had changed. It was nice, friendly and contructive. Bob told me that my application was the most favourable that he was handling, that "I had gone too far to go back now", and he would support me as much he could. He even said he would be recommending to the powers that be that DTD be granted the licence. So, ironically, its looking very positive now on the gaming licence, despite my unprofessional tantrum, although if someone who I employed had conducted an important meeting like I just have, I would be very unhappy with them.

I met with the DTD team in my new pub, The Broxtowe, for our Monday meeting. To my surprise, I found Bob and Fay already in my pub having a drink and a bite to eat! After cracking the obvious joke about conflict of interest I made a hasty retreat into the corner before I did any more damage. I've pushed my luck enough today with the Gaming Board.

I can now confirm the appointment of DTD's second Card Room Manager. It is Daniel Bell, AKA "Yogi Bear", who is the Card Room manager at Blackpool Grovesnor. Yogi will be commencing emplyment with DTD on September 1st and will be working with Nightfly and Darren on the set up of the Club. I think this will be a very popular decision amonst the players who have attended the Festivals at Blackpool over the year. Yogi will be moving to sunny Nottingham very shortly, after he takes a 4 week break to spend with his family. He has agreed to lose the goatee beard for DTD.


Cheers Rob

[Chili]

awesome news Rob - see tantrums do work hehe.  Great appointment in Yogi of course he will do a grand job.

[NoflopsHomer]

Anyone else getting tingly and excited?

[Wardonkey]

Good luck Rob.

It sounds like you need a break mate!

[Chili]

Anyone else getting tingly and excited?

I am VERY tingly

[Karabiner]

Sounds great Rob, and I don't blame you for going "into one".

Excellent news about Yogi's appointment, I could not think of anyone better.

As soon as you get the portocabin up I'll be along for a cuppa and a natter, I'm sooooo excited.....

[Royal Flush]

yay for Yogi!

Some lineup you are getting Rob!

And providing the club with fish like Chubbs is just genious

[The Nomad]

Hi Rob, If my memory serves me correctly GB inspectors always spent more time in the Casinos restaurant than in the cage.    Its lucky you have bought this pub. So glad its working out . When you said the gb man was concerned that you would go the way of the gutshot perhaps there is more to this than first thought. If you get the nod  I think they will use your acceptance for a liscence to beat the other poker rooms to death.     Such is life   did I say there was no Downside

[Yogi-Bear]

Yes 4 weeks with the family. Not sure if that will be great or really tiring. Great Im sure.

Then the new adventure starts on the 1st September.

Although I don't remember discussing the removal of my goatee beard.

I was wondering what a RED DOG tache would look like on me.........

HEHEHE.

Yogi

[RED-DOG]

I was wondering what a RED DOG tache would look like on me.........

HEHEHE.

Yogi

Pucker up and I'll show you!

[Yogi-Bear]

HEHEHEHE

[AndrewT]

If you get the nod  I think they will use your acceptance for a liscence to beat the other poker rooms to death.

It certainly would be very handy for the Gaming Commission to have a poster boy when the Gutshot case starts in January...