A twitter post by Rob Yong in December 2019 featured “exclusion of all Live gaming tables from Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn Casino”. The latter continues to house UK’s biggest poker card room.

Changes were about to happen outside poker.

Dusk Till Dawn was conceived in 2004 by Rob Yong and old school friend Nick Whitten.

A year had passed since the idea was conceived for a dedicated poker venue, to take shape. They had found a disused pub-turned-bowling alley-turned-arcade that fit the bill, so to speak; (that was) a bill worth £4 Million of a project finance. They needed a minimum of 10,000 sq.ft; and this was 15,000; of space. It boasted a parking lot of 225 cars, was 10 minutes from the A1 and 15 minutes from the Airport (East Midlands).

But what’s new? The management team of the Nottingham venue, often called the home of British poker had, in the fall of 2019 decided to remove its Blackjack and Roulette tables. There was much more than just the originally intended flagship "poker" going on there.

UK gaming regulations involved too many issues -“much red tape and legislation”- for gaming tables to stay. Some issues include having to bar some customers even. This new development on the other hand, promised spotting previously self-excluded customers.

It worked out for Poker.

Dusk Till Dawn opened in 2007 nevertheless, never one hundred percent about live gaming -according to Yong. Apparently, the club was intended to be only about poker.

When Don Cheadle (starred in “Hotel Rwanda”) travelled to
the Darfur region of Sudan in 2005 according to a CNN report (Los Angeles, California) what he experienced was more than he’d bargained
for. It was the aftermath
of an ethnic killing that pushed his decision to turn the rewards of his game.

Ante Up For Africa Tournament

Tens of Thousands had been butchered and as if that weren’t bad enough, the genocide  (fatality rate)was actually put to shame by the headcount thus stranded on the streets. Nevertheless, it inspired him to found Ante Up. It was a result of what his experience in Africa had inspired him to do; an intense desire to help: by playing Poker.

He was not alone, at least in founding Ante Up For Africa (2006). Along with Annie Duke and Norman Epstein he proposed raising between $20,000 and $30,000 (and awareness) through a voluntary benefits event. He hoped it would help bring peace to the region. His sublime intentions turned in $700,000 right on the First day. What’s more, together with Duke Cheadle raised $2.5 million for Darfur over the last few years with celebrity poker tournaments.

"I think there's a variety of ways to do that that are effective, but I'm not sure anything is more effective than a poker tournament, because people come and they can genuinely hang out with celebrities and some of the famous poker players, and just have a really fantastic time while they're giving" Duke said. She believed that value for time poised no lower or higher than generosity, citing that “to beat a movie star or a pro athlete at cards is a better tool than 'boring speeches' at a rubber-chicken dinner”. It’s also hard to miss that everyone has such fun while doing it.

Both affairs, the ethnic killings and the up-market event; one of which that had been such a bloody site of such bloodshed, a source for such unkempt sorrow, and worse; while the other -laughing faces and the very idea of poverty immaterial to participants' worst imagination whatsoever, had nothing in common. Yet the latter was “dead” committed to express their love to the other.

Through Poker.

                                                                                                                                                                      Written by Singham

No one would have believed that Elon Musk would become an International promoter for Poker. Well he has, ever since Tesla released a novel in-car “software gaming update” that was available in early 2020. Particularly, in his brainchild sold in China. In 2016, Tesla enjoyed 15% Chinese sales of its $7 billion revenue.

As of 25 June 2020, there had been unconfirmed reports that Poker, such as Texas Hold’Em or Pot Limit Omaha could be One of two games offered on the system. Both these poker variants are fairly similar and most popular amongst enthusiasts of the sophisticated sport. It’s certainly one of the perks of having a chief in in-car infotainment for a Silicon Valley automaker on the block. Although they are not internet connected, according to gambling.com, at least a Chinese Tesla owner can bet, fold, call or raise, (poker talk) when the Tesla car is sufficiently (and only when) parked.

“I live my life like I play my game of poker…in pure joyful abandon!”   -Jim Ramm

All poker players are champions of a different kind and are easy to spot in the crowd. They practice heightened ethics, yet with a stark variance, especially in their abilities to comprehend human gesture. They are polite and have great manners but are extravagant. And yes, they mix extremely well with the masses. Yet, they are easily unique because they tend to literally steer clear-off agitation, strain and any sort of confrontation which they do with much ease. To be fair, they develop this habit of being calm and with outstanding manners by their continuous exposure to being “inside the jaws of hell”… playing poker, so to speak.  Why?…because playing poker is like being inside a pressure-cooker throughout the length of the game. Poker is indeed a game of extreme challenges and a poker player needs to have his wits around him/her at all times…yet after all this we get to hear words like these from poker players like Jim Ramm… “I live my life like I play my game of poker…in pure joyful abandon!” Now how about that? What else could be a better metaphor for poker…poker players must have to be champions!

Article Credit: Singham