Federico Brunato, the CEO of King’s Resort in Rozvadov, believes that poker industry trends should be created by operators willing to experiment, not chased by those simply reacting to competitors. In a recent interview with PokerNews, Brunato explained the thinking that has guided King’s Resort for close to a decade, and why he believes too many casinos are stuck copying each other instead of building something original.
A Different Philosophy for a Growing Poker Room
Brunato did not mince words when describing what he sees as a common mistake among competing venues. He told PokerNews that many casinos “focus more on what others are doing rather than on their own strategy, which often leads to rushed and poorly thought out decisions.” For him, that reactive approach rarely produces anything memorable for players.
Instead, Brunato says his philosophy has always been straightforward. “We should be setting new trends in the industry, not copying them from others,” he said, a line he repeated more than once during the conversation, underlining how central the idea is to his approach at King’s Resort.
From a Little Known Venue to a European Poker Hub
That mindset has been in place since September 2018, when Brunato became Poker Director at King’s Resort. Since then, the venue has grown from a relatively unknown stop on the poker calendar into one of the busiest live poker rooms in Europe, hosting festivals that regularly draw large international fields to Rozvadov.
Brunato credits that growth to patience rather than quick fixes. “I believe the key is that we focus on building a long term strategy and always having a Plan B and C in place,” he told PokerNews. He added that the goal has never been about chasing headlines but about “continuously improving the details of every event we run,” while staying honest about the venue’s strengths and weaknesses.
Setting Poker Industry Trends Instead of Following Them
The core of Brunato’s message is about leadership rather than imitation. He argues that operators who simply react to what rivals are doing end up making decisions under pressure, without a clear long term plan. King’s Resort, by contrast, has tried to set its own pace, from how it structures its festivals to how it plans years in advance.
That approach, according to Brunato, is what separates venues that last from those that fade once the novelty wears off. Setting the agenda, he suggested, takes more discipline than following it, but it is the only path to building a lasting identity in a crowded live poker market.
Beyond Guarantees, Building a Real Poker Community
Brunato also pushed back on the idea that a big guaranteed prize pool is enough to keep players coming back. He told PokerNews that many operators “don’t fully understand what players are really looking for and often think it’s just about setting a guarantee and hoping the tournament will hit it.”
He pointed to a shift from years past, when he says poker communities formed around the overall experience rather than the size of the guarantee alone. To keep pace with that shift, Brunato said King’s Resort keeps experimenting with the mechanics of its events, including “adjusting starting stacks, game variants, level durations, or introducing new formats.” As he put it, “the game is evolving and speeding up, just like the world around us.”
For newcomers curious about how these tournament formats actually work at the table, a good starting point is understanding the basics of how to play poker before stepping into a live festival environment.
Why Europe May Be Ahead in Poker Innovation
Looking beyond his own venue, Brunato argued that European poker rooms currently have an edge over more established markets when it comes to innovation. “I think European poker is still actively searching for new trends and innovations,” he said.
He contrasted that with the United States, where poker has deep roots stretching back decades. “In the U.S., where poker has been deeply rooted for decades, it’s harder to move away from established processes, formats, and habits,” Brunato said. In his view, that gives European rooms more room to adapt quickly and appeal to younger generations of players entering the game.
What It Means for Players at the Tables
For recreational and serious players alike, Brunato’s comments suggest that live poker festivals in Europe are likely to keep evolving in the seasons ahead, with venues testing new structures rather than sticking to a fixed template. That can mean shorter levels, different starting stacks, or entirely new tournament formats designed to keep the action moving.
As with any form of gambling, poker should always be treated as entertainment rather than a source of guaranteed income, and players are encouraged to set personal limits and play within their means, regardless of how a venue structures its festivals. Live poker remains a game of skill and chance combined, and no tournament format changes that reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Federico Brunato?
Federico Brunato is the CEO of King’s Resort in Rozvadov, having become the venue’s Poker Director in September 2018 before rising to lead the property.
What did Brunato say about poker industry trends?
Brunato told PokerNews that operators should focus on setting new trends rather than copying competitors, arguing that reactive decision making leads to poorly thought out choices.
Why does Brunato think Europe has an advantage in poker innovation?
He believes markets with less established poker history, like much of Europe, can adapt formats and structures more quickly than regions such as the United States, where habits are more deeply set.
