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Dear Friends of Bodog,
I regret to inform you that I, Calvin Ayre, am stepping down as CEO of Bodog.com effective immediately. Needless to say, this is without a doubt the darkest day of my life. The company that I built from the ground up back in 1994 and turned into one of the world's largest online gaming companies - is no longer in my possession. Bodog.com now belongs to Virgin founder Richard Branson.
Allow me to explain: In early March, Branson was in Vancouver, Canada for a stop while rolling out his new cellular network, Virgin Mobile, and I invited him over to dinner at my restaurant, The Quay Lounge. At dinner we talked about everything from branding techniques to wireless technology, but after tossing back a few drinks we agreed to set aside all business matters to talk poker. It goes without saying that Richard Branson is one of the world's most renowned risk-takers, but when it comes to playing poker I figured I had the upper hand.
I had my staff bring out the Bodog.com Poker table and chips set from the backroom, and along with several of the restaurant's regular customers we embarked on what would turn out to be a very long night of No Limit Texas Hold'Em Poker. At one point the stakes got so high that our companies were put on the table. It came down to Richard and I on that fateful last hand, and after a few rounds of raising and re-raising, I felt pretty certain that my pocket Queens on the pre flop would be enough to win the hand, so I went All In. Branson went All In. With a pair of Kings.
To all of my employees and colleagues, I am deeply sorry
and extremely embarrassed. To you, Bodog's most loyal
customers, I feel I've let you down immensely. However,
I have every reason to believe that under Richard
Branson's direction, Bodog.com will continue to thrive
and flourish. Branson reassured me of that before he
left the poker table when he said, "If you can run one
business well, you can run any business well."
Best Wishes,
Calvin Ayre
I regret to inform you that I, Calvin Ayre, am stepping down as CEO of Bodog.com effective immediately. Needless to say, this is without a doubt the darkest day of my life. The company that I built from the ground up back in 1994 and turned into one of the world's largest online gaming companies - is no longer in my possession. Bodog.com now belongs to Virgin founder Richard Branson.
Allow me to explain: In early March, Branson was in Vancouver, Canada for a stop while rolling out his new cellular network, Virgin Mobile, and I invited him over to dinner at my restaurant, The Quay Lounge. At dinner we talked about everything from branding techniques to wireless technology, but after tossing back a few drinks we agreed to set aside all business matters to talk poker. It goes without saying that Richard Branson is one of the world's most renowned risk-takers, but when it comes to playing poker I figured I had the upper hand.
I had my staff bring out the Bodog.com Poker table and chips set from the backroom, and along with several of the restaurant's regular customers we embarked on what would turn out to be a very long night of No Limit Texas Hold'Em Poker. At one point the stakes got so high that our companies were put on the table. It came down to Richard and I on that fateful last hand, and after a few rounds of raising and re-raising, I felt pretty certain that my pocket Queens on the pre flop would be enough to win the hand, so I went All In. Branson went All In. With a pair of Kings.
To all of my employees and colleagues, I am deeply sorry
and extremely embarrassed. To you, Bodog's most loyal
customers, I feel I've let you down immensely. However,
I have every reason to believe that under Richard
Branson's direction, Bodog.com will continue to thrive
and flourish. Branson reassured me of that before he
left the poker table when he said, "If you can run one
business well, you can run any business well."
Best Wishes,
Calvin Ayre
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