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

[robyong]

My WSOP diary was seemed to be enjoyed by a few people so I am going to keep a diary on Blonde (updated each day) in the same format as the WSOP one. I said I would do this once we had secured the poker premises.

AS WELL as this diary, up until the opening date of the club, I will be asking people to help with for ideas so that we create a Club for the SERIOUS POKER PLAYER, but I will do this on SEPARATE threads (eg. Club Rules & Etiquette - what should they be?).This way I can print out everyones ideas by subject and analyse them in an organised format. I'll probably post a subject every few weeks so I can collate the largest sample of feedback possible.

This diary will also allow me get rid of some of the stress and may make interesting reading for keen poker playersr. I anticipate all sorts of problems as well as the local casinos trying to prevent this club getting a gaming licence. I''ll give you an honest account of everything that happens each day.

Cheers Rob

[robyong]

I know that I have done a lot of background work over the last 6 months, but its not been organised or focussed. I've been liasing with an awful lot of people, the Gaming Board, gaming solicitors, property agents, software programmers, potential employees for the club, "names" in the poker world and my own financial advisors.

Everything has been a bit woolly as without the premises, I'd have been wasting everyone's time and I've sort of done a lot of work but got nothing to show for it at the moment. Also, I was pretty ignorant about the gaming laws which took up a lot of time listening to so many different interpretations.

Anyway, I need to do a proper project plan now, like I used to do when I was working in my recruitment business. I'm playing the £1,500 in Walsall tomorrow so I'll do it on Sunday after I bust out on Saturday. When I play poker I'm pretty reckless/useless, but when it comes to business, I'm the opposite for some reason.

Today I've had a meeting with our IT Manager, Pete Langley, who has been recruited to head up systems side of the business, he's been full time for 3 weeks and is working on a specification for the club. Me and Nick "the Shrew" have also ran through the refurbishment specification of the club which I had orginally costed out at about £500,000, but it looks like I may have not budgeted enough. We've arranged for an architect to redraw the plans next Tuesday so we'll know more then. Nick runs my property business and has experience of all this type if thing.

Two web sites contacted me today, one to do an interview about the club, and the other to ask me about the incident at Notts Gala on Monday. I hope it doesn't look like I have been slagging off Notts to benefit the poker club venture. The link is below if anyone want to read the interview:
 
http://uk.pokernews.com/news/2005/11/rob-yong-interview.htm

[vinni]

good luck mr yong ,and i think i speak for everyone there

[Ironside]

good luck mr yong ,and i think i speak for everyone there

ok vinni you have drinkers dancing and dinning where is the poker?

[Colchester Kev]

what would that mug know about poker ironside ??     

[Ironside]

hey vinni kiv said that not me
i cant be bother chip chins this week

[vinni]

all you have to do with him is stand infront ov him and he cant see you

[booder]

all you have to do with him is stand infront ov him and he cant see you

ROFPMSL

[robyong]

I woke up this morning coughing and spluttering with brochitus. This means I'll miss the Midlands Masters main event today which I was looking forward to playing. Got to stop smoking today. At 7.30am, I chucked 19 cigerettes in the bin and smoked the last one, sort of a "last cigerette ritual". I took all my ashtrays up to my parents, got to stop.

I've asked Tikay and Paul "Action Jack" Jackson to come and have a look at the club premises with me next tuesday. I want to put a dedicated press room in the Club for live updates etc so wanted Tikay's opinion of the best place and what sort of facilities would be needed (network points etc). We are also going to put a TV studio in the Club so need a bit of advice on that aswell.

I also wanted to catch up with Action Jack (after his 600k win in Monte Carlo) to see if he/his business would be interested doing "poker lessons" in the live club, particulary as we be looking to target new internet players. Although Paul has never been able to win anything in my home games, he is very knowledgable on the game and he's great at hand analysis. Above all, he loves the "techncial side of the game" which is great for teaching new players - and believe me, to fill this place we will need to generate new players!

I see the club being run on a day to day basis by a General Manager, Bar Manager, Card Room Manager (x2) and Restaurant Manager. In total I expect to have 50 employees running the club on a day to day basis. This seems a lot but if you are open 90 hours a week, with people working 37.5 hours, you do need this many staff. However, I expect the strategy of the club to be steered by the opinions of Poker Pro's and the Club Members.

Anyway, I need to get on with this project plan, I'll copy and paste it into this thread for anyone that's interested. Good luck to Barry from Sheffied at Walsall today, he came round to visit me when he heard I as ill today...heart of gold..

Cheers Rob

[Robert HM]

Out of interest, is there a hotel near the site?

[Karabiner]

It's only 10 minutes at the most by car from the city centre Robert.

[Robert HM]

I was thinking more of a drunken stagger.

[robyong]

nothing that you would walk to, buy a camper van and you can kip in the car park!

[Ironside]

have you spoken to your new neighbours about poker discounts and suppling the waitresses

[robyong]

behave ironside