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

[TightEnd]

Stick at it George, I appreciate it must be demoralising and its easy for us - me included -  to criticise

Not going to comment on schedules as I am not active at the moment -but please do everything in your power to get the website updated on time, use facebook and twitter, forums, emails, texts etc

The venue and Head office, you and your team in the card-room aside, do so little to help you out with promotion, its soul destroying just to watch it!

[the sicilian]

George.... Ur priority is to get the message out... U could have the best comp in the world but if no one knows about it they won't come.... It's a business and successful business advertise...

Despite my blunt edged criticism I love the G and all you guys ... Yours is a thankless task because we are at opposite ends of the table..... You want/need a busy vibrant room making money etc.... We as poker players want a good game decent prize pool and not have to joust with a field of pub inbreds who wanna do twenty quid by playing every hand getting pissed and thinking their geniuses.... Yes we/I can adjust easily but is the experience enjoyable... No... But I can live with that to a degree for a normal game and get a true game in fessies etc....

You are never going to achieve a true victory because you can't please us all.... The room will be successful if the message is delivered....  That's your real problem....

[nirvana]

George.... Ur priority is to get the message out... U could have the best comp in the world but if no one knows about it they won't come.... It's a business and successful business advertise...

Despite my blunt edged criticism I love the G and all you guys ... Yours is a thankless task because we are at opposite ends of the table..... You want/need a busy vibrant room making money etc.... We as poker players want a good game decent prize pool and not have to joust with a field of pub inbreds who wanna do twenty quid by playing every hand getting pissed and thinking their geniuses.... Yes we/I can adjust easily but is the experience enjoyable... No... But I can live with that to a degree for a normal game and get a true game in fessies etc....

You are never going to achieve a true victory because you can't please us all.... The room will be successful if the message is delivered....  That's your real problem....

So rare you make any sense at all but even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then xx

[the sicilian]

George.... Ur priority is to get the message out... U could have the best comp in the world but if no one knows about it they won't come.... It's a business and successful business advertise...

Despite my blunt edged criticism I love the G and all you guys ... Yours is a thankless task because we are at opposite ends of the table..... You want/need a busy vibrant room making money etc.... We as poker players want a good game decent prize pool and not have to joust with a field of pub inbreds who wanna do twenty quid by playing every hand getting pissed and thinking their geniuses.... Yes we/I can adjust easily but is the experience enjoyable... No... But I can live with that to a degree for a normal game and get a true game in fessies etc....

You are never going to achieve a true victory because you can't please us all.... The room will be successful if the message is delivered....  That's your real problem....

So rare you make any sense at all but even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then xx

You know something.. I thought the same... think they call it ..Epiphany

[Simon Galloway]

Are you able to talk about what G mgmt want to achieve?  Most people on here (it seems) will all have their individual quirky preferences, but most would ultimately like a 70 runner £3500+ prizepool where you can make £1k+ if you win it.  Not many on here want to play until 6am for a £250 first prize.  What sort of customer is most attractive to the mgmt?  It's a genuine question, I don't know the answer.  Is the goal to maximise footfall, or to target certain types of customer?  Do 100 players playing a £10 comp leave more money behind than the type of players that are attracted to a 40 runner £50 comp?  

Most poker players take the short-sighted view that overlays are great, whereas in reality, they aren't sustainable.  That said, I doubt if the cost of providing an overlay has ever been offset against the increased amount of reg fees received, the increased amount of table drop by said players or the increased amount of bar/restaurant takings?

[the sicilian]

Are you able to talk about what G mgmt want to achieve?  Most people on here (it seems) will all have their individual quirky preferences, but most would ultimately like a 70 runner £3500+ prizepool where you can make £1k+ if you win it.  Not many on here want to play until 6am for a £250 first prize.  What sort of customer is most attractive to the mgmt?  It's a genuine question, I don't know the answer.  Is the goal to maximise footfall, or to target certain types of customer?  Do 100 players playing a £10 comp leave more money behind than the type of players that are attracted to a 40 runner £50 comp?  

Most poker players take the short-sighted view that overlays are great, whereas in reality, they aren't sustainable.  That said, I doubt if the cost of providing an overlay has ever been offset against the increased amount of reg fees received, the increased amount of table drop by said players or the increased amount of bar/restaurant takings?

I cannot believe a corporate entity like Grosvenor doesn't factor these in to the equation..i mean if they see me you and pizzled stroll through the door they open an extra wheel ....

Of course they could always charge those tight fuckers for their tea !

[Simon Galloway]

They should just phone you and gav up and ask you what tourny you'd like each night, preferred start time and put that on.  Would make the casino more money than having a 100-runner £20 freezeout.

[the sicilian]

They should just phone you and gav up and ask you what tourny you'd like each night, preferred start time and put that on.  Would make the casino more money than having a 100-runner £20 freezeout.

Scarily...u may be right

[luther101]

George - no personal criticism of you, or your card-room staff, was intended by myself    ....      I've always had the utmost respect for your hard work, and willingness to take new ideas onboard - but if something is wrong (or perceived to be) I/we have the right to say so.

As Glen has intimated, you've got to get your bosses/Head Office to realise that the Luton G's PR is fucking dreadful - in these days of 'instant communication' the website is the main point of contact for most of your customers.

It's all about     ....     marketing, marketing, marketing - and having the 'main tool' consistently wrong, and often not updated for weeks on end, simply doesn't help your cause.

Once you've decided the Weekly Schedule ensure it is put up promptly/correctly - any changes (GUKPT/SKY/Pub League/Mystic Meg/Car Fucking Boot Sale events etc) list them below the 'usual fare' (with an *)    ....    DO NOT bother putting the whole month's list up (it is unnecessary, and leaves less room for error for the fool that murders/updates your website).

Similarly – keep the ‘card-room flyers’ simple.

A Weekly Schedule - with any changes listed below - is all that anyone needs, but in a reasonably sized font (the ones that are usually handed out are illegible, due to the miniscule print     …..      unless you’re a Bald Faced Eagle enjoying the thermals above an Arizona desert).


Monday;

Without doubt the ‘disaster area’ of the entire week, numbers wise..

Either;

Try a smallish buy-in Omaha comp (£25 double chance 5k + 5k, maybe) – the game is getting more, and more, popular    ….     And at twenty five sovs even the numerically half witted (Chompy) might even be tempted!

Or;

Make it GUKPT satellite night.

Buck the company trend - and promote probably the worst marketed Poker Tour in the UK    ….     your own!

Guarantee a GUKPT seat – for Luton only (any subsequent seats to be used for Luton side events, and only then after for different venues on the Tour).

After you recovered from your dizzy turn      ….      I said guarantee ‘a’ seat!


Stipulate min runners req for a £1k seat     …..       but guarantee a minimum of say a £500 – or even a £300 – side event seat, if the req not met.

Then don’t cock it up in the usual Grosvenor way, by offering some mini crapshoot ‘no chip/turbo re-buy’ - that just pisses the clientele off.

Say 5k for £30, with 1 x 5k addon/rebuy for £15, maybe?

Your card-room    ….      Your Tour     ….    Let’s get Your Players in it (except Barrat, of course)!

Tuesdays;

Always been Rookies Night      ….       £25  for 7k + 1k early-bird (it might stop the half-wits turning up for the better comps during the rest of the week).

Wednesdays;

Ideally – have the GUKPT sat night on Monday, and make this the above Omaha comp.

If not      ….    £40/50 10k + 1k early-bird with sensible clock (25 min throughout?)

Thursday;

Used to be ‘Players Night’    ….     Players got pissed off when it became ‘Comedy/Craft Fayre/Laydeeeees Night’.

Same as Wednesday, I suppose!

Friday;

Maybe keep the ‘Double Stacker’ – but make it 2 x 10k, possibly £40    ….     But make the 2nd stack a £20 rebuy/add-on.

Weekend;

Already works – leave alone    …..    just do something about the drunks (in, and out, of the tournament)    ….     They’re putting people off coming!


Cash Tables;

I would suggest, eight handed max     …..      and the ‘must move’ should GTFO.

The reason?      ….      Too many times players don’t want to move to the ‘main game’, and just get up and leave.

Often the ‘main game’ is too deep for them – and is usually full of Barrats, who want to play 1 hand an hour.

Must move pisses off the smaller player    ….    And they often piss off!

Follow the DTD example – a table opens and that is the game on that table, and that table only     ….    Anyone wishing to join puts their name down, or grabs the empty seat.

Not complicated to administer – a piece of paper as a list beside the dealer shouldn’t tax anyone too hard.

Open some 25/50p 50/£1 tables capped @ £25/50 for the cash rookies to learn/enjoy cash poker in a Casino environment.    …..      they invariably wince as they sit down with £30 at the moment – to be confronted with stacks up to ten times theirs.

Lastly, stop treating the DC players as though they are the only ones that matter in the room.

They only pay session charges (that are probably lower than the hourly rake from a £1/1 NLHE table) and that silly fucking rope to stop  the randoms Adoration of the Tikay     …..       what’s all that about!

Precis;

Marketing    ….     Product     ….     Simplicity      …..     Sense.

‘Constructive’ enough for you George?

Chin up    .... you'll get there!

[Chompy]

Don't give up George!

When you took over don't think there were many, if any, who didn't think you were the man for the job and you definitely get things done. More so in a few months than any of your predecessors managed put together.

Obv the March structures were going to get abuse from at least some but then you're changing again, so all good.

This thread has been G-positive since it started more than two years ago.

[relaedgc]

I understand, and it is just frustration boiling over because I get it from both sides.

I do not wish to come across as a sobbing baby that is searching for the sympathy vote, I just sometimes feel that this thread loses sight of the fact that we are trying to promote a good room for the poker player.

Honestly, what can I say about the expectation? To earn X amount of money per week without jeopardising the company with unsustainable commitments. Not that I think we ever did, but since we are not producing to the bench mark they expect, it is incredibly difficult.

Luton is cursed by the past success it has enjoyed, which means in the current competitive market means we should somehow still be the most successful room bar the Vic. Realistic? I don't think it is. There are too many poker rooms, too many festivals and online poker is huge. Our target audience is rather niche, based on what I can gather from what every other G seems to do.

The potential exists to create what I envisaged when I took the job. I took it believing that I could find a method that works. 12 months later and I begun to question that. I have to submit the April schedule by today so I shall mostly be trying to draw up something that will suit all.

[Poker_Monkey]

I understand, and it is just frustration boiling over because I get it from both sides.

I do not wish to come across as a sobbing baby that is searching for the sympathy vote, I just sometimes feel that this thread loses sight of the fact that we are trying to promote a good room for the poker player.

Honestly, what can I say about the expectation? To earn X amount of money per week without jeopardising the company with unsustainable commitments. Not that I think we ever did, but since we are not producing to the bench mark they expect, it is incredibly difficult.

Luton is cursed by the past success it has enjoyed, which means in the current competitive market means we should somehow still be the most successful room bar the Vic. Realistic? I don't think it is. There are too many poker rooms, too many festivals and online poker is huge. Our target audience is rather niche, based on what I can gather from what every other G seems to do.

The potential exists to create what I envisaged when I took the job. I took it believing that I could find a method that works. 12 months later and I begun to question that. I have to submit the April schedule by today so I shall mostly be trying to draw up something that will suit all.

Chin up m8 and keep trying and in the end you will hit on something that works, that keeps both your boss happy and (as hard as it may seam) the Players.

Wish you all the best in what ever you try and as I have said to you in the parst I hope I works.

One thing I would say is don't only look at other G's there are so many other places to play now why not look into them

[tikay]

George,

Hang in there man. Poker players are the nut worst when it come to understanding business, and not exactly understanding of your side of things, or phrasing their criticisms in a civil & reasonable manner.

It's a tough gig you have there, but you do your best, & that is appreciated by most of us.

It's only a game of poker, but they don't half take it seriously when things are not exactly as they wish. And they all wish different things.

Checkmate.

All being well, (I'm working at G-Walsall today) I'll come up tomorrow for the DC.

[Drain Alien]

George,

I've always been a supporter of your schedule, and the changes that you've introduced.

However, I think March's schedule was just too much, and too drastic.

Changes are good and it's great to try different comps and structures, but I think it was just too wholesale.

The 20 min clock (which you know I am not a fan of) was introduced in February, with the reason that players didn't want it going on too long, and then March followed with 8 gazzillion chips. It just didn't make sense.

The structure in that first Thursday comp was just ridic at the start. Yes I acknowledge that you responded and changed the structure mid-way, but in the meantime some players had started playing bingo and ditched serious chunks of chips in response to the initial crazy structure (which incidentally was different to that advertised on the sheet, which made it even worse). And we get to pay for the pleasure of this experimentation.

RE; website - which we all know is shocking - Dan can develop (& update!) websites, if you're interested.

I really do wish you all the best, and hope that April's schedule delivers what you - and management - hope for, and what the players want.

Good luck!

[relaedgc]

I could do the website myself, it is simply the fact that we are not allowed. It is restricted to whoever it is in Maidenhead.