Gentlemen’s Poker Club Bucharest – A Dream Come True
Aurelian Cîrdu – CEO – BET2WINMAX SRL – THOR-Sală de jocuri
THOR gaming halls are already known in the west of the country for their slot machine gambling activity. We provide players with the newest games on the market, attractive jackpots and promotions that are sure to reward our players’ loyalty.
THOR-Gaming hall was established in 2014 by Sorin Ioniță – with whom I started -, who accepted me and with whom I learned the secrets of this industry. I had to make a very difficult choice for me between two passions, on the one hand sports, being a volleyball coach for a period of 12 years at the BEGA School Sports Club in Timișoara, and on the other hand gambling. I hardly chose to part with sports and continued in the field of gambling.
Together with Sorin Ioniță I met professional and wonderful people in this field from whom I learned that reinvesting the profit and creating special places where anyone can come and have fun playing responsibly is the secret of success and I want to thank them in this way.
In the year 2020, unfortunately, this unfortunate virus appeared which turned our plans upside down and in which the gambling sector in the land-based suffered a lot because during the state of alert we had to pay the taxes in full with all that restrictions were imposed: operating hours, masks or limiting the number of people who had access to the gaming halls.
After this difficult period, from which we have not been able to recover, came Government Ordinance no.15/15.07.2022 which increased the taxes extremely much and, the other day, a new Ordinance appeared by which a new tax is legislated, of 5% of the revenues of gambling organizers.
In conclusion, any financial forecast is impossible to achieve!
Having suddenly a lot of free time, most locations being closed, I discovered online poker on the recommendation of a friend, I received a book from which I learned the basic rules, starting hands, the math behind the game and the importance of the bankroll in poker. I played a few small stakes tournaments and was fascinated by this game. Poker is undoubtedly one of the most beloved card games of all time.
It is played on all continents and in all ways. The origin of this game is not yet very clearly defined. Some say that it started from China, others from Persia, but the widely adopted version is that it is derived from the French card game “poque”.
The poker player must have a strong character, at least a touch of good nature who chooses to be part of a challenge where the dealer is the “referee” and the game is between people, that’s where all the charm is: in the collision between people, how they think at that moment, the decision they take.
I watched on YouTube and other channels live broadcasts or recordings of final tables in different casinos or big clubs in the world watching professional players and amateurs who managed to get there and that’s when I started to dream. How would it be to create a Poker Club in Timișoara where local players, tourists, amateurs or professionals can meet, in an elegant, quiet and pleasant atmosphere?
I knew about the existence of this club in Timișoara but which was closed with the start of the pandemic, I met with its founders: Silviu Nemeș, Ciprian Vancea, Andrei Simon (Kytra) and the current administrator Alexandru Moraru and in a short time I decided together with the partner of my life but also of my business Silvana Cîrdu the reopening of the club. In a short time we found the most suitable place for this, namely the space inside the Continental Hotel in Timișoara, a place with tradition that for years worked as a Casino.
This is how the GENTLEMEN’S POKER CLUBTIMIȘOARA was reborn starting in April 2022, in partnership with the THOR Gaming Hall – which brought elegance and experience to the project in everything that slot machine gaming rooms mean.
We quickly moved on to ambitious projects – from November 7th to 21st, the “Gentlemen’s Million” is played, which has guaranteed prizes of 1,000,000 Lei, the biggest tournament ever organized in the west of the country, and we will not stop there.
We opened a club where the players feel really important, and the professional way in which the activity is organized, gives them safety and a pleasant playing environment.
Alexandru Crețu – “ACE” – Alex Crețu Events
At the age of 17, I started as a cashier at a casino in Bucharest. It didn’t stick to me. I went to dealer school and that’s how I started the adventure at Platinum Casino, now and then the biggest casino in the country. I quickly became inspector, then poker room manager and at the age of 23 I was running a $100,000 tournament on Tuesdays and a $50,000 tournament on Thursdays, in addition to $10/$25 cash tables, such were the times.
When the Regent casino opened, I moved there and started running tournaments and cash. There, I received advice, understanding and friendship from the man who became a second father to me, Sorin Constantinescu. He quickly became my mentor, under whose guidance I learned the trade of organizing poker festivals, starting with the first WPT in Romania and culminating with PokerFest, a project I have been working on for 12 years, with which I have organized dozens if not hundreds of festivals in hotels, poker clubs, casinos from Romania, Hungary or Macedonia. From Sorin Constantinescu, I learned a lot of excellent things, but now I will mention only one: to choose my future business partners very carefully, and this happened with Aurelian Cîrdu, the man who courted me from the first meeting!
Silviu Nemeș organized the first meeting, telling me: Crețu, you must meet Aurelian, I think it is time to start a poker club. He and Dobrescu, my right hand from the ACE events.
After seeing how the Timișoara club looks, I talked to Aurelian and it was clear: we see this business with the same eyes, we have the same vision and we want the same things: a safe and quality environment for poker players. The fact that he and his team of professionals did wonders with the Gentlemen’s Poker Club location was a super bonus, I was interested in the vision.
I like to think we also have a super poker team with some of the most experienced supervisors in the country, people with the same vision as us.
Soon after that, the idea of an ambitious project was born to open the second club – GENTLEMEN’S POKER CLUB in Bucharest. Thus, a strong partnership was formed by attracting Alexandru Crețu – ACE (Alex Crețu Events) to this project, who came with over 14 years of experience in organizing national and international poker games and festivals.
After 3 months of sustained work, in which the management team faced many challenges, on November 1, 2022, GENTLEMEN’S POKER CLUB – Bucharest was opened.
I must point out that without the help of the teams from Timișoara, who took care of all the layout of the space, we would not have been able to finish our project in such a short time.
The club is located in the Unirii area, inside the Cocor store, on no. 29-33 I.C. Brătianu boulevard, has 27 poker tables, 21 slots, an electronic roulette, sports betting and bar, in a space of 900 square meters.
The inaugural tournament was a real success, being attacked by a large number of players and the value of the guaranteed prizes was shattered, reaching from 50,000 lei to over 100,000 lei.
We have ambitious Projects that players will definitely appreciate:
ACE (Alex Crețu Events) in partnership with Smart Poker Tour will organize a €250,000 Main Event and a €100,000 Highroller at the Gentlemen’s Poker Club – Bucharest in January.
For 5 days, between January 25-29, more than 150 players from abroad are expected at the game tables, 90 from Bulgaria, the rest from Germany, Holland, Greece and Ireland. Also ACE (Alex Crețu Events) in partnership with the largest Israeli poker operator IPC, will constantly bring players for the tournaments and the weekly cash game.
Between 09 and 15 November at the Gentlemen’s Poker Club, everyone is playing for the “ACE BILLIONS” TROPHY, which has guaranteed prizes of 500,000 lei.
Between November 17 and 20, a MEGA FREEROLL with 100,000 Lei will be held – guaranteed prizes and “zero” Buy In because our mission is to create new poker players.
The Gentlemen’s Poker Club Bucharest team is working for the year 2023 on a Main Event of €500,000 guaranteed prizes and for the year 2024 on the first Main Event of €1,000,000 guaranteed prizes in Romania!
Surely the players at the slots in the premises of the Gentlemen’s Poker Club, both in Bucharest and in Timișoara, will also have pleasant surprises because we have thought of awarding progressive jackpots, Happy Hours jackpots and organizing promotional campaigns through for players to be rewarded with numerous attractive prizes.
I started a bold and risky project and I am not exaggerating at all when I say this because in this industry, at least in the legislation of our country, it is impossible to build a business plan. Or rather, you build a business plan and you are not sure of its implementation from a tax point of view. I say this because I had the experience of the pandemic period.
With the optimism that characterizes me, with professional and reliable partners, I am sure that the two poker clubs will become wonderful entertainment centers, the favorite place of professional players and those who want to learn.
In this way, I want to thank all our collaborators from the period of setting up and obtaining all the documents necessary to carry out the activity. It was a team effort, with many challenges and successes.
Inside the clubs there are the following rules which are displayed everywhere:
■ Club players will be in the foreground.
■ Our club is aimed at both beginners, recreational and professional players. All will be treated equally.
■ Ladies, young ladies, young men and seniors will find within the club premises a pleasant and safe way of recreation, socializing and competition.
I know that there are still many things to be solved and we are working on it every day so that we aim for perfection.
In conclusion Aurelian Cîrdu and Alex Crețu (ACE), the Gentlemen’s Poker Club team and Thor thank you for your support, they are waiting for you in the gaming halls and highly recommend:
Don’t give up on your dreams, with hard work and dedication they will come true!
