talks are underway with WPT to include Dusk Till Dawn on its tour

The proliferation of new poker clubs continues apace with the UK’s most ambitious venue to date – gaming licence pending. Rob Yong, well known on the Nottingham poker scene, is the man behind Dusk Till Dawn, which he describes as ‘15,000 sq ft of pure poker paradise, with facilities to accommodate more than 500 players’.

Construction work has already begun transforming Nottingham’s Smilin’ Sams arcade into the main tournament area, housing around 20 tables. In addition there will be a 15-table tournament and cash games overflow area, Bellagiostyle high-rollers room, television studio, and 80-seat restaurant and VIP bar. Talks are also underway with WPT to include Dusk Till Dawn on its ever-expanding tour.

It’s expected to open in Spring 2007 but if you can’t wait, online site, dtdpoker.com launches this month, with an impressive who’s who of the British poker scene involved. Rob Yong enthused: ‘We have a 100 percent hit rate in recruiting all our target people. Our biggest coup was securing the services of Paul ‘Action Jack’ Jackson who has joined DTD exclusively as poker director. His role is hands-on, and with his expertise on both sides of the felt, he’s the perfect candidate.’

Loyalty points

Swinging it for Paul Jackson is his belief that DTD is going to be ‘the most forward-thinking poker site out there’.

Jackson said: ‘All the other sites think only about the profit. DTD is all about loyalty. There will be far more freerolls, giving away more seats and bonuses. A large portion of what we make is going to be put back into the site to benefit players. All the people involved in Dusk Till Dawn are players. If players have a problem, we’ll be there to address it. Plus, we’ll be playing online on a regular basis so players can chat and ask us questions while we’re playing.’

Player-friendly incentives include the innovative 100 percent bankroll and rakeback scheme, and freerolls to win seats to major events as part of team DTD.

The live club will be in safe hands too, with Simon Trumper (see p60), taking on the role of poker director. There will also be four ‘executives’ – Carlo Citrone, Kevin O’Connell, Michael Greco and Paul Zimbler – attending all the key dates of the DTD tour as ambassadors. The tour includes the EPT, WSOP and WPT Paris.