Poker Near Me Interviews David Thomson and Charles (Chucky) Nolasco -APL Hills District Franchise Owners.

 

Poker Near Me: So, we’re with Chuck and Dave today up in the Hills District Sydney where they run APL poker. We are going to find out a bit about the games they run and how long they’ve been involved. So Chucky, how long have you been involved in APL?

 

Chucky: I was in from the ground level. Basically, I was working at Star City at the time and found out through one of my friends that he was starting up a poker business. So, I jumped at the opportunity and since then haven’t looked back.

 

Poker Near Me: What are the buy-in ranges for poker games within APL Hills District?

 

Chucky: Well, you can have anywhere from free entry poker up until your $40, $50 range. It just all depends on what kind of structure, what kind of event will be running.

 

Poker Near Me: How many weekly free games are there?

 

Dave: About half the games we run a free to play.

 

Poker Near Me: Well that’s fantastic, isn’t it? Because people can turn up and play without risking any money.

 

Poker Near Me: Is there any prize money for free games?

 

Chucky: You can win cash, you win tickets into bigger tournaments. So, ultimately our main aim with the free roles is to, as you say, introduce people that have not played the game before at no financial risk. So they come in, they play, have a bit of fun and once they’re ready to take that next step, then they’d start doing the bigger buy-ins or whatever else they feel comfortable with.

 

Dave: Because we focus mainly on entertainment. So, it’s all about coming here, socializing, having a fun time and also possibly winning money and tickets into bigger tournaments.

 

Poker Near Me: And Chucky?

 

Chucky: So, as you know, going along the lines of what David said, we pride ourselves in our customer service that we do deliver to our players. So, from the moment they walk in to the moment they leave, we want them to feel like they had a really good time, they want to come back. So, they come into play but we want them to keep coming back because they enjoy not only the game but the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the little community that we try to build.

 

Poker Near Me: That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Turning up and meeting people on a regular basis. They become friends, really.

 

Chucky: Correct.

 

Dave: Correct.

 

Chucky: Your poker family, as they put it.

 

Poker Near Me: Poker family. That’s right.

 

Poker Near Me: Is poker mainly for teens/young adults?

 

Dave: No, we have a range of fresh 18-year-olds because you have to be 18 minimum play up to, who would be the oldest? Somewhere in the 80s?

 

Chucky: Well, it was 80s, yeah.

 

Dave: Yeah. Somewhere in the 80s. It’s quite a big mix. I don’t think there’s many other places or-

 

Chucky: Activities.

 

Dave: Activities where you will see young 18-year-olds sitting next to a 40-year-old and having a conversation not only about poker but about anything. Life in general.

 

Poker Near Me: How many people usually play each game?

 

Chucky: It depends on the structure that’s in place, whether it’s free, whether it’s a bigger buy-in. But ultimately it’s anywhere from your 30 player mark up to 80 maybe even more. So, it’s depending on the venue, depending on the structure and depending on the price.

 

Poker Near Me: Thank you Chuck and Dave from Hills District Sydney APL

Jack Diamond
Author: Jack Diamond