It’s a normal, after-office, weekday night and you feel like you want to do something really fun and relaxing with your friends. One of them announces he wants to get a drink, another suggests checking out the big boxing match on cable, others are hungry and want to eat, but most are in the mood for a friendly game of poker. Now the decision is, where do we go? Why don’t we try the newly opened Player’s Den in Malate!

The Friendly Poker Place

Being the first Pagcor-accredited poker room located outside of the casino, this three-story establishment combines the laid-back comfort of a home game with the security offered by an authorized poker gaming room. Not long from now, Player’s Den will be pictured as the place where groups of friends or colleagues that had a hectic day can go to unwind and relax.

Rey Gamboa, one of the founders of the Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) and its chairman and CEO together with business partner Arben Santos, a local shipping magnate, launched the poker room project early this year as part of the expansion plans of PPT. The idea of having a sports bar dedicated to poker originated from Gamboa’s undying passion in promoting the card game. “Poker is a mind game… it’s a game of skill,” states Rey, “… however, some players believe otherwise when they enter a casino because they are seen as gamblers. So to remove the negative connotation, we brought the PPT poker room outside.”

The Player’s Den is conveniently located “outside” at 1786 A. Mabini, Malate, Manila, amidst the chain of other famous entertainment bars and restaurants such as the old Hobbit House (right across the street). So by default you will experience the cozy and leisurely ambience around the area, unlike most of the poker venues located inside busy casinos. The rooms are comfortable, cozy and “loungey” sans the bright blinking lights and ambient noise of slot machines or bingo callers.

Another unique quality about Player’s Den - compared to other poker rooms - is that its managers are willing to accommodate special requests from players. “Since we like to promote leisurely poker games, we can be lax with some rules, like rabbit-hunting for example.” “Each group of friends can decide on how much the buy-ins will be as well as the blinds. This means that Player’s Den will accommodate and tailor-fit games according to what’s comfortable for your group,” Gamboa commented.

Poker Games Nightly

According to Gamboa, “Player’s Den will offer different kinds of poker games including no-limit and limit Texas hold’em, Omaha, and razz. There will be sit-and-go’s (onetable tournaments), regular cash games and satellite tournaments for main events.” A V.I.P. room for discerning customers will also be in place. Food and drinks will be readily available from the downstairs Sports Lounge so players have no need to leave the table for some refreshments in the middle of their poker game. They may even provide amenities for online poker sessions or sports betting games later on if the demand arises.

The Poker School

Gamboa indicated that since the Player’s Den is also the official PPT clubhouse, they will open up afternoon sessions to teach and promote “Poker 101” to those who want to learn the game. “Aside from tutorials for beginners, we will also offer training programs for poker dealers. We believe that since it’s a growing industry, we will need more dealers in the future.” Dealer wannabes will undergo two weeks of intensive training from Player’s Den senior dealers. Once completed, trainees who pass the course will receive a certificate that says they’re legit and ready to shuffle up.

Oh and here’s the kicker….all training sessions will be offered absolutely FREE! “This is our way of promoting poker in the Philippines - through the PPT and Player’s Den…” added Gamboa.

Great Things to Come

Gamboa believes that poker will become the next biggest thing in the Philippines. He recalled that when the PPT and PPC organized the very first poker tournament in 2005, the results were so overwhelming that they convinced Pagcor to support it full time. Today, the number of players has continued to grow and a lot of great things are expected in the next few years.

“If we could make billiards popular in the Philippines with Efren Bata Reyes, I don’t see why poker can’t be popular too!” PPT envisions producing the country’s top two players and sponsoring them for the World Series of Poker in 2008. “We just need the cooperation of a few corporate sponsors to make it possible.” One of the major plans that PPT is working on will be a tie-in with a sports cable network to cover one featured poker table in Player’s Den. The recorded game will be complete with commentators and lipstick cameras to show each player’s hole cards. If this plan comes to life, then the Player’s Den would be the official production set of the very first Filipino poker show!

Freeroll Promos

There seems to be unending possibilities to make the Player’s Den the best hangout for poker fans in Manila. But, of course, none of the great plans mentioned here can come true without the support of customers. So, to encourage, entice, and ensure that support, the Player’s Den holds freeroll tournaments..

The future is bright indeed for the poker industry as new businesses like the Player’s Den open up its doors for new Filipino players and poker enthusiasts.