As I write this I am sitting in my pub working through my huge backlog of emails, PM's and text messages. Its been a tough last 14 days for me, I'm sure that when I was younger I would have loved the pressure and the challenge, but I guess I had much more motivation then. I know I have worked really hard on DTD, and done as good a job as anyone could have ever done, but in the back of my mind, I know that I don't really need this sort of hassle anymore and I want time with my family and friends.
My last couple of posts have shown my frustrations, I would normally keep these to myself in the commerical world, but this diary is supposed to be 100% honest, not a PR thread for DTD. I think I have shocked a few people with my frank comments, but its not intentional.
The poker world is very similar to my recruitment business in so many ways, you have candidates and clients (poker players), employees (DTD Crew etc) and of course strict government leglistation (the Gaming Board). There are the same problems, marketing is a key factor in being successful, as well as your personal contacts. I'm feel very condifident I can make it work in the medium to long term, I had many frustrations and problems with sf group in the early days, but I never shared them with anyone - never mind the world wide web!
I'd love to tell you all of the facts and figures of our first 14 days online, but I guess I would get into trouble from the network. What I can tell you is that we should have well over 1000 players by the end of January, we have 600 in the first 2 weeks. Our players have been profitable as a group online, as the majority of our players are experienced at poker, so you would expect this too be the case.
Although I have no doubt that DTD will be a big online site, because we are giving so much back to the players and our running costs are so high, we do not make 1p of profit until we bring in total rake of $700,000 per month, so we have some way to contributing towards the costs of the live club.
One thing that I am not used to is having no credibility in an industry. When I set up my accountancy recruitment business, sf group, I was already a qualified accountant, and found that candidates and clients trusted me, in what was and still is a "sharky" industry.
Despite being a reasobaly well known face around the UK poker circuit, I don't seem to get that same amount of trust, I guess gamblers are different, always having to look after themselves. For example, you will often see 2 mates on a cash table taking each other money.........I guess this makes poker unique. So, maybe I should be resigned to the fact that it will take the UK poker community some time to believe in what I am doing, and that it is all genuine.
I have not really done much on the live club over the last 4 weeks, Nick has really taken the whole job and responsibility on himself and left me alone to work on the online. Its guys like Tony Minnis (MD of sf group) and Nick that really take the weight off my shoulders, they have worked with me for years and are happy to do whatever it takes to make things happen. They understand that its important to have a "can do" attitude, and that "change is good and should be embraced". I cant stand it when people say "you can't do that", often without thinking, just cause they can't be bothered to work the problem out.
I hope to get the DTD- Blondepoker sponsorship deal in place in early Janaury, its all agreed, we just need to do some admin and IT work so BP can implement it. TK took me to the charity £200 poker comp at the Broadway, this was my exit hand:
Alli Mall limps on button for 100 with
on my BB
I rasie to 500 with
(this is Alli's trademark hand and he bust me in Blackpool with it)
Alli RR to 1500
I call (if no A or K comes, I am moving in, I might be even be ahead with 8 high)
Flop
I check
He moves -in
I call
turn = blank
river =
...................ouch, I've been "out-mallued"
Cheers Rob, happy new year
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