Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a project I’ve been working on and document the process here, mainly to exchange experiences and get feedback from people who’ve been around poker and poker businesses longer than I have.
I’m a German expat, living permanently in the Philippines for several years now. Over time, I noticed something interesting:
Despite a solid poker player base and a growing expat community, there is currently no established, structured poker club in Dumaguete City.
So I decided to explore whether it’s realistically possible to build one – legally, sustainably, and community-driven.
What this project is (and isn’t)
This is not an advertisement and not a game offer.
I’m documenting:
the planning phase
legal and regulatory questions
location scouting
budgeting and risk assessment
community building challenges
mistakes, dead ends, and learnings
Think of it as a real-world case study rather than a pitch.
Rough project outline
Location: Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental (Philippines)
Concept: small to mid-scale poker club with tournaments & limited cash games
Focus: live poker, community, expats + locals
Scale: intentionally conservative at the start
Goal: test viability before scaling
I’m currently in the research & setup phase, not operation.
Why Dumaguete?
For those unfamiliar with the area:
University city with stable population
Growing expat scene
Relatively low operational costs
No direct competition (which is both an opportunity and a risk)
Poker interest exists, but organization and structure don’t – yet.
Questions I’m actively working on
Regulatory boundaries and licensing realities
Cultural differences in poker perception
Sustainability vs. one-off events
Trust-building in a small city
Avoiding the typical “short-lived poker room” trap
If anyone here has experience with:
poker clubs in emerging markets
Southeast Asia poker ecosystems
legal gray zones vs. best practices
or simply lessons learned from failed or successful clubs
I’d genuinely appreciate insights.
Documentation
I’m also documenting parts of the journey on YouTube (purely as a personal project log, no monetized games or offers).
If anyone is interested in following along visually, I can share the link – but the core discussion is meant to happen here.
Thanks for reading.
Happy to answer questions, and even happier to learn from people who’ve been there before.
Marko Youtube : @YoutubeCleverBenefitPoker / CleverBenefitPoker on youtube