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Author Topic: "Dusk till Dawn" Poker Club In Nottingham Diary (by Rob Yong)  (Read 444973 times)
robyong
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« Reply #30 on: November 29, 2005, 10:00:51 AM »

Been trying to follow this as closely as possible but I feel like I've missed something while I was away on holiday. Has a venue been found? If so is there any info on location?

The venue is Smilin sams oppopsite the Showcase Cinema in Nottingham. We have secured the premises subject to contract etc
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« Reply #31 on: November 29, 2005, 10:22:14 AM »

Thats dangerously close to where I live. 

Good work Rob, can't wait for it.
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« Reply #32 on: November 29, 2005, 10:14:07 PM »

Busy day today, we all met at the premises at 2pm and had a look round. I had never met our architect before, he is wheelchair bound and has an assistant who does his measuring for him. I was hoping we would have got all the measurements done but unfortunately we only managed a small area for some reason, he's going back on Thursday to finish off.

Action Jack seemed pretty impressed with the place and I had a coffee with him to discuss his possible involvement with the club. I don't know Action that well really, but I just think I can work well with him because he is straight and loves analysing poker like me. He told me that he would have played the Monet Carlo millions even if there was no prize money involved, just to play against that field, and he meant it. This sort of attitude is exactly what I'm looking for in a venture like this, people who just dont see the £££ signs.

After the property viewing I went back to Petes', the IT guy, and had a coffee whilst running though the online specification he is working on. I've known Pete for 22 years, he's a C sharp programmer who plays poker at a pretty basic level (I give him 5-1 odds at heads up). He packed in his full time "secure" job with Northgate Sofware 3 weeks ago and has taken a risk to join this venture full time, bearing in mind he's a pretty conservative guy, its a big risk for him (which he annoyingly keeps reminding me about). Technology is going to be very important in this venture, I could have used the IT resource in my recruitment business, but I just felt I needed full time help.

My team of people is slowing coming together, there is possibly room for one more person, a poker pro, and then I'll have a full strength team going into next year. Most of the club employees I have "tapped up" are currently still in full time employment around the UK (some even outside the UK!), and I guess a few of them may get cold feet when it comes to joining next year, but this sort of makes sure we get the right people in the end. Its nice that so many people want to be involved, and noone I have approached has told me to get lost....yet.......although I intend to pay the highest wages in the gaming industry so maybe thats why........

Its also nice that people have offered to invest their own £££ in the project, but I feel more comfortable risking my own cash in something volatile like this and rewarding individuals for there contribution to the venture down the line. Everyone in this venture needs to be passionate about poker and be willing to put themselves out for their customers and eachother, I think I'm assembling a team that can do this.  Its my job to put everythng in place and deal with the authorities, and I need to remain focussed on getting the Gaming Licence whilst moving everything else in the right direction.....not getting a Gaming Licence is simply not a option, I cannot allow this to happen or consider it not happening.

One of the key criteria to get the licence will be proving demand, which means getting as many people to sign up before the hearing with the magistrates court, this will be Simon "Chuuby" Nowabs first job when he gets back from St Kitts (although he doesn't know it unless he reads this post tonight!).

Thanks for all your continued support on this site, its much appreciated, and I hope you don't mind me plugging you for ideas - WE NEED A NAME FOR THE CLUB...KEEP THE SUGGESTIONS COMING, I QUITE LIKE "THE BUBBLE"Huh??? I thought we could have a vote on Blonde when I get back from Vegas.


PS - I've removed the "Collusion in Nottingham" topic I started for 2 reasons.

1. I don't want to get on Gala's wrong side, this is going to me NO favours when applying for the Gaming Licence, I want to keep a good relationship with Gala.

2. It's been debated to the hilt and Nottingham Gala have taken positive action in the Card Room, which is all we can ask for.

Cheers, Rob




« Last Edit: November 29, 2005, 10:56:49 PM by robyong » Logged
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« Reply #33 on: November 30, 2005, 08:01:33 PM »

The internet is an amazing thing, yet the many government bodies seem to be slow in embracing the online revolution and just send you reams of paperwork to fill out, which I guess they just input into another computer. I paid my last parking ticket online so why can't I fill all this crap out online aswell, instead of repeating my name and address on hundreds of bits of paper, sticking a stamp on the envelope and sending off to some anonomous mailbox in the government machine. Each form has a reference number on it which bears no logical resemblence to the other, and my forms are 50% tipex by the time I have rectified my errors.

Had a phone call from a guy who I have been speaking to over the last 6 months. he called me out of the blue 6 months ago and told me he's setting up his own Online Poker Skin (goes live in next 2 weeks). He's been monitoring the progress of my club as he is looking to hold big comps in the UK to promote his site but is struggling to find a venue. Seems like he's pulled off a major coup to hold a high profile comp next june in a great location and I'm sure it will be big news soon in the poker world. I've agreed that I'd discuss the possibility if holding a comp for him at our club in the future (even though I remember him strongly advising me against a venture of this scale - in a very nice way though).

I see this as major focus for our Club, to be THE facility to hold the biggest and most prestigous tournamants in the UK and Europe. We will have capacity for 500-700 runners, and we will open negotiations with a number of organisations as soon as we are granted our gaming licence. I see us holding at least 5 major festivals per year, 4 with other organisations and 1 managed by ourselves. This is why the we intend to invest in a state of the art TV Table Studio, Press Room and extensive hospitaility facilities. We need to create by far the best facility in the UK to hold Poker Events, because Nottingham does not have the "pull" of London, our place needs to blow people away. However, the airport is only 15 minutes away and the M1 10 minutes way so we have a good travel network.

I need to pack for Vegas now, taking my camera to get plenty of photos for ideas for the club layout. I'm staying at the Bellagio for a week, playing a few comps and meeting a friend of mine who is just learning how to play hold'em. I also want to find out how £much those fancy shuffle machines that they use on the Bellagio cash tables cost, and have a look at that "automised plasma screen cash game system" that the Wynn use (you can put your name down on a cash game from your room, and moniter your position on the TV!). People who have been to my house will know I love gadgets, and our club will be full of them........and those palm tops that the waitresses use in Denny's to take your order.......

The plans we have will mean that we will be offering an entirely different product from a normal casino cardroom, we will not be a threat to local card rooms in the Midlands, we will not be catering for people who like to play Blackjack and Roulette, so I'm sure we can all exist together (and none of the Casino's will object to my gaming licence application please...................)


Cheers Rob




« Last Edit: November 30, 2005, 09:59:47 PM by robyong » Logged
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« Reply #34 on: November 30, 2005, 08:12:48 PM »

isnt it about time you got yourself a secretary rob ?
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« Reply #35 on: November 30, 2005, 08:15:39 PM »

I like to be hands-on (not on the secretary that is, espcailly if its Colchester Kev)
« Last Edit: November 30, 2005, 10:00:29 PM by robyong » Logged
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« Reply #36 on: December 02, 2005, 03:38:40 AM »

I arrived in Vegas at 12pm with my body clock adjusted to US time (I did not sleep last night and slept the whole way on the plane, flew BMI Manchester to Vegas, so convenient). I was lucky to get on the flight really, I got to check in at 8.45am and the plane was leaving at 9.05am. First guy I bumped into was Neal Channing on the blackjack tables, Neal used to work in the Spreadbetting and I tried to get a few free tips off him but he's giving away nothing.

So much for adjusting my body clock, I'm knackered and it's only 7.15pm, still feels like 2am. Lawrence "dry humour" Gosney is somewhere in the Bellagio but I couldn't spot him, I was hoping to change a few $$$ with him. The Bellagio card room is heaving with a waiting list for every table, no matter what the limits. There seems no be a never ending conveyer belt of sit-and-go's and I can't help thinking we should provide these in the club. I just saw a guy call all-in for £6,000 on the 25-50 NL table on a flop of AKJ, he had AK and the other guy had QT, river card A!! I'm gonna have a go at playing the $100-$200 NL game here when my money arrives by wire transfer. Its $800 to see a flop so I guess my normal starting hands will have to be reviewed before I play in it.

I'm racking my brain for a name for the club, there's been plenty of suggestions on the thread but nothing except "poker in the rear and liqour in the back" really bowls you over. Its annoying me now, and I keep sitting up all night writing down names, but I know a name is important so I must be patient. I want to get the new membership forms up on the web site but they just look stupid with "Poker Club in the Midlands", anyway, must decide on a name before xmas, thats the deadline.

I sent an update email to one of the well known UK pros before I flew out, I can't really say who it is because he's a very private type of guy but he's someone that I'd like on board and have had a couple of meetings with already. I want him to be a sort of "Live Poker" consultant to help orgainse the major festivals and do some "Poker School" courses at the club. I see the day to day running of the club being done by a management team, and the strategy and direction of the club being decided by a committe of respected poker players and the members. I also want to get that committee in place to work on all of the set-up, even down to the detail of the colour of chips/tables we use. The set up is a huge job and Nick The Shrew Whiten will have his hands full managing our motley crew of tradesmen - these guys work BETWEEN breaks if you know what I mean.

I'm getting some very interesting and positive PM's from people who I have never spoken to before, offering various advice, support and ideas, this is great. There is quite a lot of people involved in the casino industry who read Blonde but cannot post due incase their bosses see them mingling with the customers.

Anyway, I have my laptop, printer and modem all set up in my room in the Bellagio, so I can keep the momentum going, every day I am trying to achieve something, even if its just a few thoughts about the restaurant menu or the music system in the bar. I'm really happy with the way things are going, especially the people I have managed to get involved, everything just seems to be falling into place nicely.............I guess its about time something went badly wrong like the property falling through or the Gaming Board ripping up my application............I just have this nasty feeling that something bad is about to happen, I can't explain it. On that positive note,

Cheers Rob (and keep the names coming please)




« Last Edit: December 02, 2005, 03:55:21 AM by robyong » Logged
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« Reply #37 on: December 02, 2005, 05:07:36 AM »

Don't worry about that feeling Rob. It's something between fear annd excitement. You can't play NLHE without it, much less build Europes' biggest card room from scratch!
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« Reply #38 on: December 02, 2005, 10:04:32 AM »

Thursday @ 10am was my fourth visit to the premises and it gets bigger and bigger every time.
Another meeting for me with our Architects  KMS design and Managment, what started with a couple of hours turned into another day wondering around measuring, drawing and generaly getting a feel for the place i even got some lighting on which made the torch redundent and gave me a few more ideas, this place is awsome.
We need some outline plans for the meeting with the Local Gaming inspector on the 13th of December and as our overall budget is in excess of £1.9m we made the wise decision not to turn up with it drawn on the back of a fag packet.
Saturday is going to be the third visit for Andy and John from KMS and they have advised me that the bulk will be finished then with just one more visit early next week to finish off.
By the end of next week i am sure we will have our footprint and then the fun starts.

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« Reply #39 on: December 02, 2005, 10:21:39 AM »

wow!
its really coming together! - great work guys!
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« Reply #40 on: December 02, 2005, 03:20:52 PM »

When reading these updates, does anyone else get the feeling they're reading posts from an expectant mother?

"Woke up with a bit of morning sickness, but then I felt the poker club kick for the first time"...

Here's hoping for a successful birth.
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« Reply #41 on: December 02, 2005, 07:53:04 PM »

When reading these updates, does anyone else get the feeling they're reading posts from an expectant mother?

"Woke up with a bit of morning sickness, but then I felt the poker club kick for the first time"...

Here's hoping for a successful birth.

Not sure how to take this one!
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« Reply #42 on: December 02, 2005, 07:56:10 PM »

When reading these updates, does anyone else get the feeling they're reading posts from an expectant mother?

"Woke up with a bit of morning sickness, but then I felt the poker club kick for the first time"...

Here's hoping for a successful birth.

Not sure how to take this one!

With a little pethidene
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« Reply #43 on: December 03, 2005, 05:01:39 AM »

Got permission off the Bellagio to take some photos of their 2 card rooms and bars. The layout here is fantastic. They have the "original" cardr oom which holds 350 players and have now converted the Fontana Bar to hold another 250 players. The final table is on a raised stage and looks fantastic, I watched the $3000 NL final today when Scotty Nugen finished second holding 45 n a T45 flop, unfortunatley his openand was holding T4 and all the money went in!

Met up with Lawrence Gosney for a coffee, he's loves it out here but he's bubbled twice so far. Lawrence is a good mate of mine on the poker circuit, he says things the way they are and it very opiniated, maybe he's someone who could be involved with the club?

Not played any poker yet, but I've kicked their asses on the blackjack table for $35,000. That must be over $200,000 in the last 2 years that I've won on Blackjack, unfortunatey I've just re-diverted in into losses on football spreadbetting. The key here is to give the casino just enough action on the tables so that you qualify for a free room, food and drinks. My bill will be about $6,000 so as long as I only lose $5,999 I'm in profit. To qualify for these freebies you have to play for 1hr with an average bet of $500, or 3 hours with average bet of $150. Quite a lot of people think that I should have Blackjack and Roulette in the club to subsidise the poker (as the licence will allow that) but I just think it complicates things, I want to everyone to be focussed on making the best decisions for Poker.

Its 9pm in Vegas and I'm off the the Mandalay Bay for a chinese meal and to see if we can get tickets for the boxing tomorrow night, Lawrence has got a freebies ticket but we'll have to pay. He says its WSOP Bracelet perks!

Spoke to Chubby Nowab in St Kitts today who wants to fly out to Vegas to pay the main event, unfortunately I wont be there as I have loads of meetings next week. I really need to sit down with Nowab and calm him down, he's reckons he's halfway to organising a 500+ player event next year in the our proposed Club (currently a non-inlicenced empty building) with Thomas Kremsner, you can't knock his enthusiam but he's forgot that we won't be open till Dec 06.

Got a text from Nick the Shrew who is in love with the name "The Club" (with a club card as  logo), not sure myself.

Cheers Rob

Cheers Rob



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« Reply #44 on: December 07, 2005, 04:13:51 AM »

I'm gonna fly back from Vegas on Thursday and pass on extending the trip. I would like to play the WPT event next week but I've just got too much on and an appointment with The Gaming Board that week. I havn't really played much poker over here (only  2 hours of cash and 1 STT). I've been spending my time talking to people and checking out how the card rooms operate.

I did try and get on the 25-50 NL game that Daneil Alayai and Antonio Estandfari were sitting down at, but after 4 hours on the waiting list I gave up. Its amazing here, they could fill another 15 cash tables easy, if they had the space.

Its poker crazy here and one thing that you really notice is the large amount of women players compared to europe, maybe this will follow suit in the UK. They have had to put an extra nightly £500 NL tourney which gets 150 runners to satisfy the hunger for poker. They do really rake the hell out of you here though, its $35 dollars juice to play a $300 STT and $14 per hour to play a 10-20 NL game. BUT, demand still outstrips supply.

NL STT and NL cash games are so popular over here, as they are on the internet, but the "type" of players are different. Here the average poker player does not play any of the casino games where as in the UK, we find a lot of players graduate onto poker from the casino table games, that's how I started anyway.

The BIG game has been pretty busy in the Bellagio, Gus Hanson, Chip Reese and the boys have been playing round the clock. In fact, I when i went to bed at 1am on Monday, Gus Hanson had been playing at least 7 hours, when I returned to the cardroom at 5pm the next day, he was still sitting in the same seat and same clothes, which means he'd been playing $4k-$8k blinds for over 20 hours, what must the swing be in that session Huh? You hear all these stories that he's skint, but you need $1m to sit down at that game for that period, so if he's skint what about the boys on the $1-$2 limit game!

I met Scott Fishman at the Blackjack table yesterday, he seems one of those people I just keep bumping into, I played on 3 tables with him at the WSOP and then on the Poker Den this year. He said he loved touring Europe, especially England. This guy loves poker, he's played 300 tournaments in 2005 so far which is more that 1 a day, I guess this includes online as well. He asked how that "Chubby guy who never stops talking was", I wonder who he could mean?Huh? Wouldn't it be great if these sort of guys came over to play in our Club one day (and we didn't have to pay their airfare!).

I've taken some great photos of the Bellagio, got told off using my camera in the cardroom, but it really helped looking at the set up here. We've got 15,000 sq ft to fill so we need the ideas. Maybe "Bellagio-On-Tent" is the winning suggestion for the club name?

Cheers Rob









« Last Edit: December 07, 2005, 04:17:00 AM by robyong » Logged
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