APL Million 2020 is coming Almost five months ago Huss Hassan of Sydney took out the third running of the APL Million at the Star, Sydney, at the end of what was an historic poker series. The APL Million series saw 3,727 players compete in ten tournaments for a share of the $2,797,620. The APL Million itself had a record breaking 1,294 players competing for $1,617,500, of which Huss took home $300,000. After the success of the 2019 event we’re excited to announce the launch of the 2020 APL Million. From Thursday, February 27th to Monday, March 9th, 2020 we’re back at the Star, Sydney and again we are guaranteeing $1,000,000 with a $250,000 first prize! We already have hundreds of players qualified for 2020 and you’ll no doubt see the hype start to build at your venue’s weekly events. WHAT REALLY DRIVES PEOPLE INTO YOUR VENUE Kind words from Clayton One of our APL Million 2020 qualifiers, Clayton Phillips, from Ferntree Gully Hotel, got in touch recently with some kind words. “Thank you so much for helping us all to get together to play a game that we all love,” said Mr. Phillips. “In an age where all us lonely and bored people sit on Facebook and Youtube all night, it’s great to be able to go to the local, and socialise, while playing a fun game. You are doing society a great service – I love catching up with everyone on a Friday night, and feel that I would be a very lonely and sad old man without access to this game.” Aussie venues still the social hubs Clayton’s words certainly boosted the morale through the APL team. We’re sure that you would be thrilled to hear that Australian pubs and clubs are still the ultimate meeting place for people and that events like poker and trivia add to the social fabric of our venues. We’re also proud to be able to deliver such a broad range of poker offerings. From weekly regular events where players can get together for a game of poker at their local to major tournaments with life changing prize pools, we’re thrilled to offer the full range. Keep an eye out for more APL Million info and qualifiers lists in the coming months. Brayden.

Last month I discussed the findings of our recent poker player survey. We found that there were four key factors bringing players to events at Australian pubs and clubs. These factors were: Prizes Location Tournament Format Service While it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to do much about the location of your venue we would advise you put some thought into the other three factors. It might even be worth touching bases with your Australian Poker League representative to discuss some options to take your event to the next level. To support our loyal poker venues in adding that bit extra to their weekly events we have recently launched our free guide “22 Ways to Increase Spend and Player Numbers at Your Poker Event.” ACCESS OUR FREE POKER GUIDE HERE! The guide is loaded with tips designed to get more players to your events and increase bar, bistro and gaming spend. I would suggest reading the document and sharing it with your staff. Between you and your team you will be identify some valuable opportunities. Speaking of staff, we were sure to put them at the top of the list. There is no more important factor in players enjoying a night of poker and hospitality at your venue than the staff. If your staff are engaged in their job, get to know players and take even a passing interest in your weekly event then you’re on your way to becoming a poker destination for players in your area. Good luck! In other news the QuizzaMe team have released another weekend for venues looking to host one of our Harry Potter Themed Quiz Events! These events have been incredibly popular and we look forward to breaking more records during August! Our Sportspick venues will have been excited to see the start of the AFL King Pin comp last night. NRL King Pin launches next week. These comps are designed to keep your Sportspick members engaged throughout the entirety of the season and fill your Sportsbar! All the best for another exciting month! Brayden.

The buzz of the 2019 APL Million has finally died down and players across the country are back at their local tournaments working hard to qualify for this world class event in 2020. Recently the APL team completed a major survey of Australian poker players. Respondents covered a broad cross section of the Australian poker community and we came up with some very clear findings. Those findings formed the basis of our “22 Tips” guide designed to increase spend and player numbers at your poker event. You’ll no doubt be seeing the guide when it’s launched in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I’m keen to share with you the most important findings from the survey and how you can utilise this knowledge to take your poker event to the next level. Analysing the results, we found four very clear factors which influence a poker player’s interest in an event and their likelihood to return to that event. They are as follows: Prizes Location Tournament Format Service Our poker team will work with venues to capitalise on the first three points. We devise a suitable tournament format to take advantage of the local player demographic. The format of the tournament then helps us develop a prize structure to encourage maximum participation. We also work with our pubs and clubs to analyse poker events of other venues in the area, making sure there are no clashes or other considerations, which may diminish your weekly poker. That leaves the last point – service. This is where the best pubs and clubs in Australia really take their poker offering to the next level. By giving considerations to table service and meal deals, for example, venues can offer that extra service that makes all the difference at a weekly poker event. Even simple things, like rostering on the same staff, encouraging them to learn players names and have a chat with them each week can work wonders in adding atmosphere to your nightly event. Keep an eye out for the “22 Tips” guide in coming weeks. In the meantime, if you’re currently running a poker tournament in your venue or considering hosting an event, please keep the above  points in mind, as they can make all the difference to the success of your event. Brayden

Well, we’ve made it through the festive season! With Australia Day behind us this is the chance for the hospitality industry to catch it’s breath. It’s no doubt been a hectic period with Christmas and New Year’s events, summer holidays and plenty of activities in venues across the country. Now that things have settled down a bit we’re looking forward to a great 2019. Here at Full House Group we’re excited to bring you a range of new innovations and events designed to drive visitation and spend at your venue. Can you believe that the AFL and NRL seasons kick off in less than two months? Sports Bars around the country will no doubt be thinking about their footy tipping comps. Check out how our Sportspick Game Zone can help take the hassle out of your tipping comps as well as promoting live sport and venue promotions. This month we were joined by Jock Reynolds, footy tipping guru, who shared some valuable insights for venues in how to get the most out of their tipping competitions. Keep an eye out for some exciting announcements from Jock in the coming weeks. In other exciting news, the APL Million, our marquee poker tournament held annually at The Star, is only four weeks away! This is the biggest poker league based poker tournament in the world and we’re guaranteeing $250,000 to the winner and a $1,000,000 total prize pool. Last year’s winner Sam Dessaix-Porter is now living his poker dream, travelling the world competing in major tournaments. He won his way into the APL Million from a weekly poker tournament at his local venue, a venue just like yours. Check out Sam’s exciting win here. Keep an eye for more APL Million news as it comes to hand and good luck to all our qualifiers. We look forward to providing you with solutions to help your venue become the social hub of your community in 2019 and hope to hear from you soon.