Black Belt Poker Nottingham Live II

[cambridgealex]

I didn't even know it was 16% for EPTs to be honest. I know that all online and live comps I've ever played have been 10-12% so 18 is a long way off, yes.

Surely it's better that I posted after the event than before when you're trying to promote it?

[Bad Beat]

 I'm definitely in favour of constructive criticism and as I lick my $25,000 wound I'm certainly thinking of some of the things that could have gone better but I am finding it a tad frustrating to think that a whole load of locals didn't play because some people told them it was a bad idea to play because we pay out 20% of the field when we pay 18% of the field ad those same people would snap fly to an EPT who pay 16% which has to be pretty comparable.

 It's pretty easy for the word to go round about something. Is this really what happened here?

 I totally accept that in March when we picked the date the Olympics was the last thing on my mind and that was probably a mistake.

 I do find it odd that over 100 players came to each of the £50 events at DTD that ran during our event but few of those played our's 1st.

 Is buying-in online really such a bad thing?

[Bad Beat]

 I am probably in a bad mood. I have done nothing other than promote this event for a month now and it's cost me a load of money. I thought at least now I'd be able to have a break and think about the next thing.

[ripple11]

 Is buying-in online really such a bad thing?

some players just don't do it!...and its a hard habit to break.

you can do great last longer prizes for buying in online and discounts etc........and still many turn up and buy in with cash.

[TightEnd]

I don't think anyone is meaning to criticise as such Neil, and if I may say so I think you are being a bit sensitive, understandably

FWIW I don't think the payout was an issue at all. Two comments on here, only one before the event....really no adverse noise at all.

Olympics would be a big issue last weekend

Poker player laziness would be another, no matter how easy you make it to buy in online. A lot of the £15-50 regs at DTD will a) not be online regs b) bankroll limited and won't play £140-150 buy ins c) not interested in opening a BBP account even if its presented to them on a plate 

So to answer your issue any barrier put that makes buy in a bit more difficult than handing in cash at the counter is an obstacle

Final issue would be the sheer overcrowding of the market at the buy in level you chose. Lots of competition, and definitely much "worse" than when this event would have been planned

[cambridgealex]

I don't think anyone is meaning to criticise as such Neil, and if I may say so I think you are being a bit sensitive, understandably

FWIW I don't think the payout was an issue at all. Two comments on here, only one before the event....really no adverse noise at all.

Olympics would be a big issue last weekend

Poker player laziness would be another, no matter how easy you make it to buy in online. A lot of the £15-50 regs at DTD will a) not be online regs b) bankroll limited and won't play £140-150 buy ins c) not interested in opening a BBP account even if its presented to them on a plate  

So to answer your issue any barrier put that makes buy in a bit more difficult than handing in cash at the counter is an obstacle

Final issue would be the sheer overcrowding of the market at the buy in level you chose. Lots of competition, and definitely much "worse" than when this event would have been planned

Good post. Any obstacle is an obstacle no matter how easy it is to overcome.

Take "Thank you letters" for example. My parents always made me write to thank each relative for their present every Christmas and Birthday. I'd write them and they'd send them off. Now I live away from them I have to do it all myself. Write the letter, print it out, find their address somehow, take it to the post office buy an envelope, a stamp and send it. The relatives that use email get theirs A LOT quicker than those who don't!

When I do get them sent off I always walk away thinking, that was actually really easy why has it taken me 3 weeks to do that?

Same with online buyin, you register (2mins), you deposit (2mins) and click buyin (10 seconds). I'm sure it's just that simple. People still won't do it though.

[Junior Senior]

Hi Neil, understandably you're a bit sensitive at the moment.. Understood. However genuinely think people here are just offering genuine feedback which of course should be encouraged. FWIW having to open a BBP account and buy in online was a huge turn off and one reason I didn't play, but there were other reasons too. Totally get the reasons behind going this route but like someone else said you could incentivise online buy in without insisting on it and also allow a direct buy in route for cash on the day and for sure there would have been no overlay. A few accidental misdirections between friends and locals on the details of the payout structure would have negligible affect if any.

I wish you luck and hopefully next BBL will be better supported. Just don't pick FA Cup final day, or any other significant sporting event and allow direct cash buy in on the day.

Thanks
Greg

[The Camel]

I don't think anyone is meaning to criticise as such Neil, and if I may say so I think you are being a bit sensitive, understandably

FWIW I don't think the payout was an issue at all. Two comments on here, only one before the event....really no adverse noise at all.

Olympics would be a big issue last weekend

Poker player laziness would be another, no matter how easy you make it to buy in online. A lot of the £15-50 regs at DTD will a) not be online regs b) bankroll limited and won't play £140-150 buy ins c) not interested in opening a BBP account even if its presented to them on a plate  

So to answer your issue any barrier put that makes buy in a bit more difficult than handing in cash at the counter is an obstacle

Final issue would be the sheer overcrowding of the market at the buy in level you chose. Lots of competition, and definitely much "worse" than when this event would have been planned

Good post. Any obstacle is an obstacle no matter how easy it is to overcome.

Take "Thank you letters" for example. My parents always made me write to thank each relative for their present every Christmas and Birthday. I'd write them and they'd send them off. Now I live away from them I have to do it all myself. Write the letter, print it out, find their address somehow, take it to the post office buy an envelope, a stamp and send it. The relatives that use email get theirs A LOT quicker than those who don't!

When I do get them sent off I always walk away thinking, that was actually really easy why has it taken me 3 weeks to do that?

Same with online buyin, you register (2mins), you deposit (2mins) and click buyin (10 seconds). I'm sure it's just that simple. People still won't do it though.

Basically it's LOLpokerplayers.

They'd rather play a tournament with no overlay than one with a 20k overlay.

And we wonder if there's still an edge in poker?

[skolsuper]

I didn't even know it was 16% for EPTs to be honest. I know that all online and live comps I've ever played have been 10-12% so 18 is a long way off, yes.

Surely it's better that I posted after the event than before when you're trying to promote it?

Don't check the lobby much on stars then?

[cambridgealex]

I didn't even know it was 16% for EPTs to be honest. I know that all online and live comps I've ever played have been 10-12% so 18 is a long way off, yes.

Surely it's better that I posted after the event than before when you're trying to promote it?

Don't check the lobby much on stars then?

nah lol am i wrong there too!? I never make the $ on stars.com anyway lol.

[TightEnd]

Keith is right

I run some events/Tour and currently have to fill an event for mid September , and grapple with the same sort of stuff the BBL event has had

No matter what, an allocation of seats has to be left for the venue, I find, to build chatter amongst local players as those seats go...live satellites or just over the counter sale to get a buzz going

Direct buy in on the day is a must too. Of course any Tour/Event is going to want to drive sign ups onto online, but if that's at the expense of missing a guarantee then its cart before horse

All being well you get close to selling before the day and have the different problem of people wanting scarce seats

So many poker players only start to think about an event in the 48 hours before it,  and that can really penalise "Online buy in only" events as so many guys just won't get their arse into gear. Offer to put on staff on the day to open accounts - all well and good but people won't necessarily see or read that you've done this, word has already got round that you can't buy in diurect and that's a very powerful message putting people off

[Bad Beat]

 I really don't understand. I totally get it that some people are a bit hand to mouth. They often have over 50% of their "bankroll" invested in the next tournament, they don't own a credit card, they use uKash vouchers and they don't have a bank account.

 I reckon you are a guy with a laptop and a desktop who plays online, has a bank account,once opened an account with Stars and could would have the skillset to do it again if necessary Greg? How is such a hurdle for you to buy-in online?

 In a world where people fly to South America to pay 20% tax on their winnings is an event down the road with a massive overlay really that bad?

 I understand that having a facility to buy-in on the day would eliminate the guarantee but it would also eliminate a lot of the reason we run the tournament. The first category of guy is not going to do much to cover our bills and we aren't getting the benefits of filling DTD that Rob is.

[cambridgealex]

OK I'll bite. I won a package that included flights, hotels and main event buyin. I'm not going to stay at home am I? It's in a country I've dreamed of travelling in for years. I wanted a break from the UK for a while and I haven't been travelling for a while and miss it. I'd jump at the chance to do it again.

edit: it's also a massive prizepool with first prize of over $150k, 10x that of BBL if you want to compare the two. I'd also argue that the field was softer but you might not believe me there...

[Bad Beat]

 Bit disappointed at the length of time it took you to bite. Was just reading your trip exploits on page 630ish (bit behind). Is a standard open from 18bbs with Qh8h against a load of calling stations fashionable these days?

[cambridgealex]

Bit disappointed at the length of time it took you to bite. Was just reading your trip exploits on page 630ish (bit behind). Is a standard open from 18bbs with Qh8h against a load of calling stations fashionable these days?

It only took me so long because I was having a stroll on the balcony of my suite and decided to pop down to the gorgeous lake beneath it and paddle in the warm water for a few moments.