Affiliate Manager Interview Series: Nick Vlachos - Yachting Poker Affiliates (B3W)

**GPWA Aaron** · 30 May 2012, 1:58 pm

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Yachting Poker has been open for about six months. How is player acquisition going? Do you have the liquidity to operate on your own? Or is Yachting Poker part of an established online poker network?
Yachting Poker has had its challenges since we launched, both technical and in regards to players. People who have played poker before recognized that the software is cutting edge with many features on par with some of the bigger rooms. However, achieving a perfect balance of activity and variety of tournaments available for all types of poker players takes time. With the partners we now have, the network has begun to show its capabilities in handling a large amount of different players.

What do affiliates need to know about Yachting Poker in order to effectively market the brand to their players? What distinguishes Yachting Poker from other online poker rooms, both in terms of the player experience and what you offer affiliates?
The technical and poker operations team behind Yachting Poker have worked together for many hours with poker players and experienced people in the industry, developers and designers, to try and combine unique features and expand on the popular game. Players will find a user-friendly experience to get them into the poker action. What affiliates will find is a platform that has been completely overhauled and is being developed to meet the demands they have in reporting, stats and tools to enhance their performance.

Yachting Poker is part of the B3W Affiliation group. B3W offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of commission plans, with affiliates able to choose among revenue share, CPA and a hybrid plan. Do poker affiliates have the same flexibility? And what advantages do these various plans offer?
Every deal is assessed by many factors. Being flexible has helped us establish partnerships with affiliates operating in many countries and business models. Poker affiliates are currently developing their business and are doing what is required to accommodate today’s new poker players and also working with experienced players. Our commission plans help them to become profitable and efficient.

Describe the structure at B3W Affiliates. How many affiliate managers work on the team? And do you only work with affiliates on the poker side of things? Do affiliates work with multiple affiliate managers if they also promote Yachting Casino, Duel5 Casino and Casino Colpo Grosso?
B3W Affiliation is comprised of a team of people whotake care of the administration of the platform, and every casino and poker room has its own affiliate manager. I am specifically dedicated to the Yachting Poker brand. Of course, affiliates can promote more than one brand within the B3W Affiliation platform.

Some brands, especially those focusing on Europe, use sports betting sites to acquire customers for their other products (casinos, poker, etc.). That's not a path you've chosen to travel. What advantages, if any, do you feel you have operating without a sportsbook? What disadvantages do you feel you have working without a sportsbook?
B3W Group had most of their experience in developing their own casino games and have quite a portfolio that proves their success with casinos. The advantage is that from initial concept to the launch of Yachting Poker most of the development and technical teams focused on the poker product and software that would contribute to a quality poker experience. I think we have achieved that on some scale with our poker customers. I agree that a sportsbook product may very well have helped boost network liquidity and this something that we face in our business plan and resources.

Prior to your first job in the gambling industry, you worked in the video gaming industry, testing and reviewing new games for Seven Video Net. Describe what that job and the workplace were like.
I was working with one of the top companies providing movie rentals and video games in Greece at the time. The people behind the company were innovative individuals who gave me the opportunity to take some ideas to fruition and have some fun along the way. The workplace was comprised of people with experience in film, movies and business, which made it fun and a great experience working with many outlets and people.

Are you still a big gamer? What are your favorite games? Do you play lots of different genres? Or do you stick to one type of game?
Occasionally some COD 4 online and puzzle mobile games.

You left the video gaming industry for the gambling industry, joining Betsson in 2007. How big of a learning curve was there in learning a new industry? Did you learn anything while working in the video gaming industry that has helped you understand the gambling industry?
It was quite a learning curve, learning the technologies in this field, and being able to implement affiliation strategies and online/offline campaigns for gambling products was a challenge. Online marketing and advertising were things I was a little familiar with, but working at Betsson did help me to develop my skills even further.

You've been with B3W for about a year now. How is it different from your previous positions at other companies?
I joined a group of people who were ready to start a new poker network and affiliate platform and wanted me to help launch their brand and affiliate channel. They allowed me the flexibility to use my experience and motivation to do just that.

What do you know about the industry now that you wish you’d known when you first started?
The technological capabilities of certain individuals that allowed new features to be introduced to the industry.

How do you ensure that payments are sent out on time? And when do your payments go out?
All payments at Yachting Poker are handled by a dedicated payments team that provides the latest safety measures for secure and fast transactions. Payments go out on the 15th each month for the majority of commission payments. The affiliate platform is also going to see a few updates soon to allow further clarity on monthly earnings and financial reports.

Where do you think the industry will be in five years?
The industry has shown that it is adapting to new technologies, marketing, and social media. It is safe to say that it will develop even further and poker rooms will be able to provide additional elements to the game of poker we have not yet seen.

What’s the best movie food?
Popcorn.

What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? And did you read it on an e-reader? Or do you need to have a copy of the physical book in your hand?
My last was an eBook, Collected Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer, read on an HTC Android phone, which I enjoyed. I’m currently reading a book called The One Minute Entrepreneur.

Did you grow up in Greece? Where, exactly? If so, was it a big adjustment for you to move from a Mediterranean climate to England for university?
I grew up in Toronto until I was 14, and then Greece, where most of my family lived. I was in Thessaloniki for a couple years before heading to Athens to study at Mediterranean College, which was collaborating with the University of Derby. I went for a while to England, it wasn’t too difficult to adjust, and besides the weather we just didn’t stick at the time.

Do you live in Malta now? If so, how would you describe life there? How is it different from Greece?
I am currently living in Malta, and life here is busy for me at the moment. In comparison to Greece it shares a similar Mediterranean diet with a variety of places to wine and dine, fantastic diving spots and outgoing people.

If someone comes to visit you and they're in Malta for the first time, what do you make sure to show them?
Some yachting, Upper Barakka Gardens in Valetta and a festival.

What is your favorite movie?
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. It’s a shame not to see both parts ?and together they are Kill Bill.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?
The Kill Bill main theme, by Hotei Tomoyasu.

If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?
Barcelona and New York.

If you could have dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would they be?
Kanye West, Scarlett Johansson, Jamiroquai.

What would you do if you just inherited a pizzeria from your uncle?
With much of my time already being taken up by my current entrepreneurial efforts in food (my own olive oil brand) I would make a pizza and liquidate it.

What are three things that no one knows about you?
I stopped eating cooked beans a year ago.
I still haven’t won a poker tournament.
I have a few more secrets.

**Maria F** · 31 May 2012, 1:43 am

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inor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> Thank you for the interview! We have something in common; I also think that popcorn is the best movie food

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