I like the idea of lower buy-in events that have more credibility, this should help bring more new players into the game, really £50-£300 freezouts have become a bit of a farce nowadays since all the buy-in's have increased over the last 2 years, and many of the pros (and those with deeper pockets) just use them as an opportunity to "let off some steam". This can be frustrating for the serious ameteur getting their AA cracked by 24, so I hope this APAT works out really well. I remember a few months ago in the £100 re-buy at Sheffield, I called a guy all in pre-flop with 36 offsuit, and bust his AA, I'd already bust him 3 times previously with rag hands so he was in for £400. Simon Nowab felt so sorry for him (the guy couldn't afford another buy-in) that Chubbs gave him £100 to re-buy. In retrospect, this was disrespectful play by me, and this APAT circuit will give smaller bankroll players the chance to play a nice structure against similar bankrolls / players, although I'm not sure how the defintion of "amateur" can be 100% enforced.
Anyway, now that most of the "preparation work" for DTD has been done, its time to focus on the real practical issues such as:
1. What is the decor in the Club actually going to be like - how do we make it special?
2. What are our regular weekly/monthly tournaments going to be - types, structures, prize structure?
3. What are our major tournaments/festivals going to be - when, how many, DTD and third party?
4. What about dress code, should we have one, what difference does it make?
5. Membership Fee Scheme (we can't surivve without one with no casino gaming tables, the cost of regulation is £475,000 every year, plus the £300,000 set up)
6. Online Poker marketing - how do we get players onto our site?
7. How do we get 100 staff fully trained for our opening - where are we going to recruit them from/ when should they start?
8. What wages are we going to pay various DTD staff?
9. What are our opening days/hours going to be?
10. How do we manage our own Web SIte - what info should be on there?
11. What about staff uniforms?
12. How do we intergrate this business into my sf group head office?
13. What food and drink suppliers should we use?
14. The TV table - what is involved in actually making this work?
15. WHat is the criteria for the VIP bar?
16. What should the restaurant menu be?
17. Should we advertise the Club..........is word of mouth enough?
18. PR and Media - we have a list of media wanting to know about the club - who should we talk to?
19. Club rules and regulations - barring people, etiquette etc
20. What colour are our poker tables and chips going to be?
.......and loads more
I'm sure that other poker clubs were set up in a much more relaxed way, and the casino chains already have existing systems, procedures and codes of practice. However, I like to have every little detail covered, and I like things to be run in an orgainised manner, the opposite of my personal life. I like everbody to know exactly what their responsibilities and targets are, thats how I run my other businesses. I think this is beacuase I am always risking a lot capital up front and also tend to have higher running costs (I like to pay all employees more and have good facilites), so things are always a lot tighter, more riskier, hence the need for maximising efficiency throughout. Admittedly, DTD has spiralled out of all proportion cost wise, but in a sick way, that makes it more exiting. I guess it could be seen as a bit irresponsible by some people, not really giving much thought to the financial side before taking on these committments, but I can honestly say that I wouldn't have done DTD if I had had a crystal ball...........and could have forseen all the crap I have had to go through with licencing in addition to the crazy costs. But, its happening now, so no going back, just moving forward.
