Players club deems Bravio poker house as tourism come-on

Striving to promote poker as a legitimate sport and tourism come-on and not just a gambling activity, a new poker house operated by the Cebu Players Club, Incorporated recently opened at the entertainment strip of Mandaue City.

Bravio Sports Bar and Resto Lounge is the first poker house in Cebu to operate outside the bounds of Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) but it has acquired franchise and registration from the government-owned and controlled corporation.

Bravio is a joint venture between the Cebu Players Club and Ace Technologies, the poker house’s franchisor. It was built under a 2,200 square meters of lot and the whole property can accommodate about 38 vehicles in its parking space.  Its construction has been finished for only a short span of 36 working days.

In an interview with the Cebu Players Club, Inc. president Editho P. Tirol, he told The Freeman that, “we opened this poker house to promote poker as a sport and a game of skill and not as a game of chance. Of course there will be aspects of gambling but the more you play this game, the better you become.”

Tirol pointed out that the poker house does not just accept anybody as players need to become a member to play and has to pass certain requirements which are not very rigid.

As of the moment, the Cebu Players Club, Inc is composed of 350 members from Cebu and some from Manila. However, Tirol said that they are also welcoming transient players from other parts of the country and even tourists.

Tirol also said that they particularly opted to operate along A.S. Fortuna Street in Bakilid, Mandaue City as the area is the most convenient location for a poker house with enough parking spaces for poker players and club members plus the fact that Mandaue City is considered as one of the province’s most booming metropolis.

 Bravio is operated by 38 staff and inside, it has 10 regular poker tables, a VIP room, a card room, billiards room, and a cocker’s lounge for the Cockers’ Association of Cebu.

With a modern English pub structural design, Bravio does not only offer poker as it also serves dishes like steaks, pastas, sandwiches and other delectable menu.

“We are hoping that in no time we can stimulate interest from poker players everywhere. We want Bravio to become an entertainment destination so we will be having tournaments every now and then to show the public why we prefer to call it sports and not gambling,” said Tirol.

Bravio is a Latin word and it was chosen by the operators as name for the poker house as the word could be easily remembered.

Although it is still quite early to tell but Tirol is hoping that the business will be a hit in Cebu as they believe that there are a lot of poker players in the city who have been playing only in their homes.

“We think Bravio will really make good being the first-of-its-kind here in Cebu with poker and a restaurant,” Tirol said.

Not only does Bravio strive to promote the game of poker as a sport but the club is also hopeful that it will become a venue where they can discover local talents which can be showcased in international poker competitions abroad.

Also, Bravio above all strives to promote Cebu as a tourism destination since Tirol believes that tourism-wise Bravio can become a good attraction both for foreign and domestic tourists especially those who know how to play poker.

“Bravio is so far the best poker club in the country, nothing can compare with this all over the country in terms of facility and interiors. Every poker player will definitely have to see this when they come to Cebu as this will really become a landmark,” Tirol stressed. – Rhia de Pablo