GUKPT 2009 - Interview with Jonathan Raab, Tour Manager GUKPT

Bettingpro caught up with Jonathan Raab,  Poker Tour Manager of the Grosvernor United Kingdom Poker Tour, and got an insider look at Poker in the UK and Europe, and a sneak peak at Bluesquarepoker's GUKPT 2009.

Bettingpro: Jonathan, Happy New Year! Now that 2009 is here, can you tell us how the GUKPT 2008 turned out?

Jonathan Raab: 2008 was a great second year for the GUKPT. Although the tour was not televised, as it had been in 2007, the attendances were still very good, with many events attracting fields of over 300 players. The overall level of competition was higher in 2008 and the the side events were better supported than in the inaugural year. This was partly to do with the added prize money provided by Blue Square Poker, as £30,000 was added to the GUKPT rankings and £75,000 to the unique Champion of Champions tournament.

BP: What was the most memorable moment from the GUKPT this year?

JR: There were lots of memorable moments during the tour and for me the most notable of these were not the final hands of tournaments, but the times when big chip leaders crashed out. In particulat Joe Grech's exit just before the final table during the Manchester leg sticks in my mind, when he was outdrawn in a pot that would have seen him go into the final as the chip leader. These are the moments that most people miss or forget about, but as a player this is one of the worst. The rest of the players are celebrating making the final, while one disappointed player is wishing the ground would swallow him up.

BP: You were part of the team who set up the GUKPT initially; how has it grown in the years you've been involved? What has been the best or most interesting development?

JR: It was obviously great when the tour started back in January 2007, as the tour had been planned for nearly two years before that, so it was fantastic to see it become a reality. Being on television for the first year was also great and was key in establishing the tour. The creation of the Champion of Champions tournament in 2008 was another milestone and this was very satisfying for me, as it was a concept that I had dreamed up almost three years before it became a reality.  The winners of every event on the tour (main events and side events) get a seat in the event and those who win bigger tournaments get more starting chips.

BP: Now for the teasers – what can we expect out of the GUKPT 2009?

JR: In 2009 Blue Square Poker and Grosvenor/G casinos are adding £150,000 to the tour. £100,000 is being used as the prize pool for the exclusive Champion of Champions event and the other £50,000 is the prize money being used for the 2009 GUKPT rankings. There are also two high roller heads up tournaments scheduled for this year, both taking place at the Vic in London. The first, in March has a £2,500 buy in while the second one, also at the Vic, in November, will cost £5,000 to play. These should be high quality events and should attract the best live and online heads up players in the UK. We are also staging three mini-festivals during June called the GUKPT Summer Series. They are four day festivals with a £500 main event. One of these takes place in the G casino in Aberdeen and will be the first time that Scotland has staged a GUKPT event.

BP: Folks everywhere are tightening their belts it seems, the sterling has dropped in value recently – how has this affected poker in the UK?

JR: So far the affect has not really been felt, but no doubt it will become more obvious as the year progresses. It actually might be a good thing for the GUKPT, as it may encourage more European players to venture over, as the cost to play (in Euros) has been significantly reduced due to the currency fluctuations. However, the overall economic situation may make it harded for some British players to continue to stay on the circuit, expecially those who own small businesses.

BP: You've had your eye on the poker industry in the UK and Europe for some time now. Can you tell us of any innovations in the UK Poker Market or trends in the European Poker Market that our readers may be interested to know?

JR: Web coverage seems to be the way forward. Producing poker for television is very costly, but internet coverage of poker tournaments can be achieved from a much smaller cost base. Maybe it's just me, but I'm beginning to find TV poker boring due to hole cards being revealed all the time. The EPT Live webcasts really got me excited again though, as I find it much more interesting to try and guess what cards each player may hold. Maybe its just because I spend so much time working on the live circuit that I prefer it this way.

BP: No matter the status of the "poker boom" it always seems like poker is growing all over the place. Is that true for tournament poker in UK?

JR: Tournament poker has been one of the major growth areas over the past few years. The chance to win a large sum of money for a relatively small outlay makes it an ideal format for people who want to play poker knowing that the most they can lose is the cost of the buy-in. There are many more places to play poker in the UK than there were a few years and most of these venues offer tournament poker ahead of cash games. The internet has a lot to answer for, so I'm sure it will be the same all over the world. Cash games are great, but tournaments are easier for beginners to learn the ropes.

BP: We hear that you are joining the largest casino in the UK, the Grosvenor Victoria to become their new poker host. First, congratulations!

JR: Thank you, it's a role I'm really looking forward to getting teeth into.

BP: What will your role entail on a day to day basis as well as over the course of your first year? Do you have specific aims?

JR: The Vic is primarily a cash game venue, so much of my role will focus on making sure that the players are well looked after and that the games they want to play are spread in the best way possible. I've been there for three weeks now and at the moment I'm watching and learning a lot about how the room is run, so it would be better to ask me again in a couple of months time. My background is mainly in running tournament poker, but I'm enjoying the challenge of getting to grips with how cash games are run and trying to work out what changes or improvements could be made to help maintain the Vic as the best place to play poker in the UK.

BP: Thank you for your time Jonathan and best of luck with the GUKPT 2009!

 

Find out more about the GUKPT 2009 at Blue Square Poker

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Tags: 2009 Blue Square Poker,  Blue Square Poker,  Cash Games,  Champion Of Champions Tournament,  GUKPT,  GUKPT 2009,  GUKPT Online Short-Handed Festival,  Joe Grech,  Jonathan Raab,  The Vic