This diary has also been quite theroputic for me when times have got difficult eg. the delays with the gaming licence etc. This is the most read thread on BP by a mile, 27,000+ hits, when i post I get 300+ readers per post, and I was happy to keep on doing it on BP until the club opened rather than move my diary to the DTD web site that launches in in November.
A number of well known sites have asked me to put the diary on their site, to attract traffic of course, but I have always flatly refused. I hope to always contribute content to this site, and also hope that DTD will become the next home of the Blondebash (so I can come to it!).
However, as DTD comes closer to launch (online Dec, club April) there are some issues that will be unavoidable and may cause problems with DTD and BP. These are:
1. DTD needs a "forum solution" for its members dedicated to DTD (should DTD have their own forum like Gutshot?)
2. DTD will want live updates for DTD players for comps in DTD's club and tournamants on the DTD Tour such as all EPT's (this will be a duplication with BP)
3. DTD online card room will offer players a better deal that BP's online card room as DTD has a higher rake % deal than BP (will DTD inadvertantly poach players from BP?)
4. DTD's live club will be used by Blondepoker people, the live club and online room are linked by the online Player Reward Scheme (so will BP players inadvertantly move over to DTD?).
It is my honest view that DTD will hurt both live and online businesses in the UK, not just BP, I never set this up to achieve this. I wanted to work with Gala & Grovesner Casinos for the best of the poker players but they have given me the 2 fingers after Yogi Bear and Nightfly chose to join DTD. Now the joint founder of BP has taken up a role at DTD, I'm sure a few people will raise their eyebrows at that, and suspect is was pre-meditated. I don't actually blame them as they don't know all of the facts.
The point is, when someone injects this sort money into a new business they are going to have an impact on the industry, however large or small depends on their ability. DTD has done nothing yet accept putting a large team together and pump money in, we have not even dealt one card, live or online. Will we be able to retain our previous good relationships with the various poker businesses............I am not sure, because we will take some money out of their pockets, they can't take any out of ours, because our revenue is £0. I hope sincerly that our relationship with BP can continue, I don't really care about the casinos and other businesses to be honest, when have they ever looked after us?
These BP and DTD issues are for me and TK to discuss, sooner rather than later, as clearly there is a significant overlap between BP and potential DTD members. As I offered to do before, when BP's card room opened, I can severe all ties with BP before DTD's online and live operations are open, this way I can never be accused of adversley affecting the BP card room revenue or membership (or poaching).
I've spent many hours posting on this site, so what to be totally open with all the people that have been so kind as to read my ramblings and keep me company on the bad days. TK has made is public that BP's revenues from its card room and advertising are key to keeping the site and forum running, the last think I want to do it reduce this by £1.
