Hey, poker playas!
Malate has always been the center of poker in Manila. What happened in Malate 10 years ago was why poker grew in Manila.
A lot of the poker pros you idolize now owe their start at the Poker rooms at Malate.
Imagine more than 5 poker rooms competing in a market that was just starting out.
As time passes, only one of the poker rooms from that era survived and is now doing good.
Although new poker rooms have arrived on the scene. It is the Master Poker Club that is still doing better in the market.
Last week, they held a simple 72k guarantee that exceeded the expectation as it not only break the guarantee but also doubled it.
What made it great was the cash games were buzzing with action.
Maybe some readers are unaware but there are poker rooms that are still struggling.
After the lockdowns, poker rooms are still trying to find the right formula to make their rooms work.
And yet Master Poker room did it. Here are some of the reasons that maybe can help the other poker room.
The right buy-in
For a time, There have been a lot of people saying that a big guarantee is needed to attract the market. Or that cheap buy-in is better.
Is it?
Most real poker players know that if the buy-in is small or a freeroll. there would be a lot of bad players on the field. Players prefer to pay for a good tournament than freerolls.
It was the right buy-in where it was not too high nor was it too low. It was the right buy-in for the Malate market.
The right structure
It is sad really that some organizers believed that only when you pay more do you deserve a good poker structure. that is false.
How can the new generation learns to play proper poker if the structure is terrible? how can they last in this industry if they never learn to play right either?
When players learn to play proper poker that is the time they would play more cash games.
The Master structure was neither too fast nor too slow. it was a good structure for players who want to learn.
The right guarantee
When people hear about guarantees, they automatically think about the pot.
The pot was only half of the guarantee.
Yes, a guaranteed pot is great as it means that the effort put in will be justly awarded. Master hit the right guarantee where it would be good enough for the players to take the journey.
But a guarantee does not only mean the pot.
The guarantee that it will be properly handled and it would be a great tournament is part in parcel of the guarantee.
Did the management treat it as a real big tournament? yes!
Imagine, freezing the clock during the Bubble stage. reshuffling tables on the final 3 and final 2 tables. The floor was run as professionally as it was really a big tournament.
For such buy-in and how it was done correctly. We could not ask for more.
As the world move forward
The world is changing right now. It is simply not the world it used to be.
Did the tournament leave the players with a good impression, yes!
Unlike other poker rooms that depend on a brand name and a guarantee to promote their tournament.
The Master focuses more on the player experience which is a great move.
It is actually a good example where unlike another room trying to force players into a bingo-style poker tournament. yes, you could win on a certain day where many players would come due to the guaranteed pot. but in the long run. players would prefer to play where they are comfortable.
Master is doing great steps. We know in our hearts that Master would grow more.
Stay safe poker playas!









