A key figure in Parisian poker for almost twenty years now, Serge Graziani is a model of probity and hospitality, ensuring the finest possible player experience for all those who come to his cash game rooms. MCD in charge of the Club Pierre Charron poker room, he answers our questions before taking his evening shift...
What has been your career path in the cash-game world ?
I spent ten years at the ACF, from 2004 to 2014. I started as a poker dealer, then chip runner, then assistant floor and finally floor. I joined the Club Pierre Charron as soon as it opened. Hired in autumn 2019, I was already present for dealer training.
I've always really enjoyed cash games, which is a personal preference of mine, and I wanted to keep digging into this universe. What I love most is building great games... At Club Pierre Charron, I can put all my experience to work for players.
What do you think is the strength of Club Pierre Charron's cash-game offering ?
Undeniably, we offer the widest range of events, starting with 1-2 NLHE (minimum €100, up to €500), which CPC is the only one to offer in Paris. Then we have 2-4 NLHE (€200 minimum buy-in, no maximum), 5-5 NLHE (€300 minimum, no maximum) and finally 5-10 NLHE (€500 minimum, no maximum) and of course we open big tables several times a week...
In Omaha, most of the tables in the capital are played here. We run a 2-4 PLO (€200 minimum, no maximum) then a 5-10 PLO, as a 5-5 would be too close in terms of stakes... We regularly run a 10-20 PLO and even 20-40 PLO, which are very active!
Beyond the WPTDeepStacks Paris 2020 at the Palais des Congrès, why do you think the CPC is famous for poker?
It's a subtle blend of the history of the management team, who are all professionals who have worked in different gaming circles, and the know-how coupled with a real passion for gaming of the entire staff. The presence, for example, of Pascal Rolin (Managing Director) and Ziad Farhoud (Operations Director) at the heart of the Club Pierre Charron machine reassures players. Gregory Benac, our President, tests everything that is done at the Club with the intractable eye of the player. More generally, every member of the team knows both the players and their expectations, and the staff's constant attentiveness ensures optimal service.
In terms of technology, the digital player path allows players to register very easily, and to monitor waiting times at the tables in real time. As for our gaming equipment, the RFID equipment on all our tables and chips sets us apart from other clubs, making table play more fluid and ensuring a smooth flow of play.
Nowadays, what is the type of player ?
It has changed over time, and now includes half of the "historic" players from the Parisian scene, particularly in Omaha, as well as another half made up of younger players from the tournament scene. Poker is still popular, and the player ecosystem is constantly renewing itself. With younger players, we sometimes need to take an almost educational approach, explaining that, for everyone's enjoyment, a Club is different from a game between friends. You have to clarify the rules if necessary, and be both assertive and educational. In fact, it works very well all the time. The proof is that all the players from Parisian tournaments, when they've finished their competition in another establishment, come to us mainly to play cash-game.
Tell us about it: have the big games returned to Paris?
We're delighted to see the big games coming back, especially in Omaha, because they're so exciting. We can have a 10-20 with a €1,000 buy-in, or a 20-40 with the same buy-in, in order to open up such tables more easily... Of course, most players come with a bigger bankroll, but this enables us to have a more interesting cap for players, with a tax within the framework of the legislation that is better adapted. We dedicate a private room to these larger games, with a dedicated chef, as well as free food and drink from the restaurant's highly-rated kitchen. Service is preferential, with the most seasoned and fastest dealers, making the game safer and smoother.
What's so exciting about this type of game is that some incredible moves are made: three people all-in, a pot of over €8,000, and in the end, even in Omaha 4, with a flop featuring lots of draws... it's a double up that gives the hand to the top pair, with a pair of 10s! As a spectator, it's always amazing. The masses move fast, and the action never slows down. It also depends, of course, on the players present, who make up the identity and dynamic at the table. Options are laid down almost every other move to set the game alight, and the average pot is around €1,500, with the occasional big pot at €15,000 or €20,000 depending on the number of players still in the game. Not so long ago, on a 20-40 PLO, we saw a €24,000 pot with beautiful €1,000 yellow chips in the middle of the carpet... And as the pot is capped, the draw is very reasonable!
Our aim is to have tables that last, for the pleasure of all. For all our teams, it's a source of pride and pleasure to offer these games.
