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Roland Boothby on THMC X, Live Poker Growth, and the Road Ahead
- Roland Boothby shares his experience with the 10th Hendon Mob Championship.
- Key focus areas: advertising, player experience, and event logistics.
- Future outlook: Expand into new regions and enhance industry collaboration.
Roland Boothby reflects on the 10th Hendon Mob Championship, outlines the values behind THMC stops, explains his role in shaping global events, and shares his vision for new poker markets, stronger industry collaboration, and a community-driven future for live poker.
Among the voices in the industry who sharply understand the pulse of live poker belongs to Roland Boothby, the Head of Partnerships at The Hendon Mob and one of the most visible ambassadors of the brand at global events. What follows is a candid Q&A with one of the game’s busiest and nicest characters in the industry.
Q: THMC just hit its tenth edition. What does this milestone mean to you?
We owe a huge amount to Ivonne and the Malta Poker Festival. They gave us the launchpad for our live events, and reaching our tenth THMC at their festival feels like a full-circle moment. This latest edition hit 654 entries, our largest THMC in Malta. It is amazing to see how far we’ve come, and at this rate twenty editions won’t be far away.
Q: Week to week, what does your role look like? Where do you focus your energy?
People often see me at live stops, and that is definitely a big part of my role, but the core of our business is advertising. It makes up roughly eighty percent of our revenue.
My day-to-day is mainly commercial operations: maintaining relationships with our partners, developing new ones, and showing operators how GPI and THM can help grow their brands. At any given time we work with around forty-five to fifty-five active partners, so keeping everything aligned is a big part of my work.
Q: What principle guides your choice of which festival you attend personally?
Whether I am traveling as a recreational player or attending as part of THM, the main principle is simple: how well does this event serve recreational players? These players invest real time, real money, and real energy into the experience.
I look at the structures, accessibility of buy-ins, and whether the event is run with respect for their time and budget. When an operator genuinely prioritizes recreational players, that event is usually worth being part of.
Q: In one sentence, what is the promise of The Hendon Mob Championship?
The aim is to deliver a “main event feel at a side-event price.” The challenge is to bring that level of structure, service, and atmosphere consistently so players feel valued and walk away with a positive experience even if they do not cash.
Q: What are your non-negotiables when selecting a THMC host venue?
A real passion for live poker and players. We will not work with partners who treat players like numbers or see poker as an inconvenience. THM has always been rooted in community and grassroots culture, and any partner we work with must reflect that. You can see these values across all our stops.
Q: How many events do you personally travel to in a typical year?
Around 12. THMC has grown rapidly and now reaches fourteen or fifteen stops a year, so I cannot attend everything. Thankfully, our team is strong, and we have great colleagues who can lead events when needed.
Q: What is your favourite under-the-radar poker city right now?
Tallinn. For the Nordic community it is not a secret, but for much of Europe it is still underrated. The city is beautiful all year, the poker is excellent, and expenses are manageable. It is a destination more players should experience.
Q: Share a logistics battle that taught you a lesson you still rely on.
Post-Brexit logistics have caused us the biggest headaches. Moving equipment between the UK and Europe almost always results in delays. The lesson is simple: have reliable local fixers and always prepare a backup plan. My personal fallback is transporting items myself because that is the only method that guarantees arrival.
Q: What do you want THM and THMC to be known for in three years that they are not known for today?
Our live event portfolio has grown, but it has also stayed within safe territory by partnering with well-established operators.
Over the next few years, I want to build events in regions without a proven foundation. There are untapped markets with real potential. Poker needs new hotspots, not just reliance on long-established stops.
Q: If you could coordinate one cross-industry initiative to grow live poker, what would it be?
Bringing operators, media, and players together in a truly unified setting. The Global Poker Awards has done important work, but it is only a single evening. Other industries host large-scale gatherings that drive collaboration. Poker needs more structured opportunities for industry-wide alignment.
Q: Quick hitters: festival atmosphere, undervalued format, and one change you'd make to Day 1s.
- Best festival atmosphere: Irish Open.
- Most undervalued format: Freezeouts. One entry, one life, the original test of tournament skill.
- One change to Day 1s: More choice. Players have varied lifestyles, so offering early, afternoon, evening, and turbo options makes events more accessible.
Q: Away from the tables, who is Roland Boothby? What do you enjoy outside poker?
Live events give me a lot of energy, but my main focus outside poker is family. I have two young children, and that takes up most of my time. Beyond that, I enjoy running marathons, playing some golf, supporting QPR, and seeing live music when I can.
Q: You’ve built your career inside one of poker’s most referenced brands. What drew you to The Hendon Mob, and what keeps you there?
I was a long-time fan of poker and spent years wondering how to break into the industry. Eventually, I took a chance, moved to Malta, and joined GPI and THM under Alex Dreyfus.
I have never looked back. What keeps me here is the team, the relationships across the industry, the growth of THMC, and the opportunity to contribute to something meaningful in poker.
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