Luton 2012 thread, powered by the same old 3-4 posters

[luther101]

will do

[relaedgc]

I admire your ability to construct a verbose and humorous appraisal of your Thursday evening.

Unfortunately, amidst the grandiose verbatim that re-occurs so very often within this topic of discussion I am left bereft of the one important aspect that is so very crucial to making a, or many, positive amendments.

Constructive feedback and criticism.

It's nothing more than negativity and unproductive complaints for the most part. I am so very wearied of being lambasted by the same tired complaints without anyone offering helpful suggestions.

Our competition numbers have improved midweek over a two week sample size. The exception to this rule is Thursday. Why is that? Is it the loss of the £1000 guarantee to the winner? Is it because of the clock and structure? We had nothing like 70 runners last Thursday so there wasn't a drastic landslide as you seemed to have alluded to. The structure was also made far more reasonable for this week.

* We do not control the standard of play. Optimally, the more people that are playing badly the better it is for you.

* Having an extra five minutes per level on the clock is a completely irrelevant addition if the structure in place is different.

I know the things that you do not like. You think there are too many chips and that the clock is too short and so you would prefer less chips and a longer clock.

In so far as I believe, they equate to very much the same thing. The difference is that more chips is more appealing to Joe Public than more time on the clock.

You don't like it, and I am appreciative of that fact. The question I pose is this - how are we going to compromise so that you feel that the tournament provides sufficient value and entertainment while I feel like I am offering a tournament that appeals to the masses?

I need you to tell me not just the perceived problem, but what we should do to amend it and then why it would be beneficial to do so?

Ultimately, nothing that we do is going to please you all. That being said, I still value your input. I just need you to make that input something positive and valuable.

[the sicilian]

George by all that is holy please cut down the chips... Remember when the Wednesday fast clock 10k was introduced you had 100+ runners per week for 4 weeks until everyone figured it was totally unplayable 6 levels in... Numbers dropped dramatically.... It's all about balance..if u think the masses want mega chips..fine.. But can we have 1 comp midweek that the regs want.. Old style please.... Also I can now vouch for how the tables can benefit from the card room drawing certain regs in... Tell ur bosses that I and a few other well chosen regs can easy drop a bag on the wheel during/after poker and it is well worth them sucking up a few hundred on guarantees to keep us coming ....

[luther101]

George     .....      just try reading the previous ten pages, it's not just me that thinks the new schedule is awful.

I'm fine with an 'uber stack' comp on a Friday (though I really don't particularly want to play it for fifty notes with no guarantee), however midweek silly stack/daft structured/small prizepool tournaments really don't float my boat.

Unfortunately the product is flawed, hence I choose not to waste my money on it.

Best of luck with it all though     .....

You might like to note that DTD has just gone to opening 7 days a week due to the success of the nightly £50 £5k guaranteed 10k starting stack comp it was formerly running Wednesdays to Sunday.

It might also help the Luton G cause if the age old problem of the website could be addressed.

[WPIL]

Can't see a Schedule Anymore on the Website - does the 3pm start at 3pm or delayed due to Pub Comp?

[Skippy]

You might like to note that DTD has just gone to opening 7 days a week due to the success of the nightly £50 £5k guaranteed 10k starting stack comp it was formerly running Wednesdays to Sunday.

DTD are opening 7 nights a week due to the success of their roulette and blackjack tables. You're right though- DTD have gone through lots of iterations of trying different things every night only to settle for a vanilla poker tourney 7 nights a week.

[WPIL]

24 runners for a Sat Comp - Pretty Depressing

[the sicilian]

how many last night?

[77dave]

how many last night?

60

[the sicilian]

Nice one.... Still prefer less chips though lol

[Chompy]

OK, constructivitis ftw...

How about this George?

* £30, 40 or £50 buy-in

* 12k, 15k, 20k or 25k (weekends)

* 5 x 25min levels, 15min break throughout, drop the 25-50 level, thus...

50-100, 75-150, 100-200(25), 150-300(25), 200-400(50)

300-600(50), 400-800(75), 600-1200(100), 800-1600(200), 1000-2000(200)

1500-3000(300), 2000-4000(400), 3000-6000(500), 4000-8000(1000), 6000-12000(2000)

Takes you through only till 2.20am

* Re-entries until end of level 5

* Re-entrants pay full reg fee and keep full stack. Late entrants also keep full stack

* Guarantee on every tourney with min-runner stipulation

[nirvana]

Chompy's suggestions not too shabby imo. Was thinking various things yesterday while playing the Sat night comp. (nb 8000 chips and it played perfectly well, the tourn not me obv)

a) When the first Friday 40K comp got 70 runners it's kind of insta judged a success.The following one got 60 so using regression analysis we can already say that it's going downhill - next week it will get 50 and we're back where we were. Obviously that may not happen but the point is you cannot judge things over a period of a week or two.

b) If the only marketing tool or value proposition for the comps you offer is chip stack size then you become like Razor blades and have to keep adding more blades to become newer, better, brighter. Where is the logical extreme for chip stack size, 100k stacks, 200k ?  It's not sustainable, and to press an analogy too far maybe, it's risible to imagine a razor blade with 11 blades so you have to come up with something that has a high perceived value to the customer. You have to offer a customer experience that people want to repeat, frequently.

c) It doesn't matter how many blades you have, the overall market size stays the same so you have to have a perceived value and experience that is ahead of you're competitors

[nirvana]

d) Chip stack sizes are likely to attract the wrong kind of punters - people like me in many ways. I don't spend on pit games, I don't play cash and contribute a lot of rake. I pay a fiver (great value) to play a tournament. The only way I'm different is that I buy some food and drink and make some tips. A lot of these people seem to drink soft drinks and coffee and don't tip.

e) Anyway, how do you deliver a greater experience. I struggle here but there are a range of low cost options that would make people believe the company 'cared' about rewarding loyalty and new players alike.

Some thoughts (none new, but I think they work)
Reduced cash rake on Fridays/Saturdays
Free meals drinks for particular hands
Bad beat jackpots financed out of standard rake.
Added value comps with free tourney entries
Free drinks at a final table
Share success with notice boards that show recent rouney winners etc
Proper poker tables
Decent quality chiips

All of these things require admin and effort from the casion/staff so people know you're investing in their enjoyment

You need to be better than the rest, not aspire to be the same as

[Simon Galloway]

Nothing to add to the structure convo.  But I have seen many people ask if the tables can be spread out and been told "I don't see why not"

We are shoe-horned into one area, the valets can't work inbetween the tables, players often bump into each other and knock drinks over.  Whilst we search for the nut formula to pack the place to the rafters, could we maybe spread out a bit more?  If not physically moving tables, at least leaving vacant tables in the mix?

That can't be seen as anything other than constructive and positive feedback, it requires very little effort and no cost for an instant gain.

[nirvana]

Nothing to add to the structure convo.  But I have seen many people ask if the tables can be spread out and been told "I don't see why not"

We are shoe-horned into one area, the valets can't work inbetween the tables, players often bump into each other and knock drinks over.  Whilst we search for the nut formula to pack the place to the rafters, could we maybe spread out a bit more?  If not physically moving tables, at least leaving vacant tables in the mix?

That can't be seen as anything other than constructive and positive feedback, it requires very little effort and no cost for an instant gain.

Never thought about this but a good point - and nine handed rather than ten please. Avoids extended 6-5 scenario on final table bubble as well - this point shows I'm selflessly thinking about other people