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Federico Brunato, CEO of King’s Resort, says operators who spend too much energy watching competitors often end up making rushed, poorly considered decisions. He believes lasting success comes from building a distinct identity rather than reacting to what rivals are doing.
That philosophy, he explains, has guided King’s Resort’s growth over the past decade, helping it evolve from a little-known venue into one of Europe’s most active poker destinations.
Brunato credits this transformation to long-range planning rather than short-term wins. He says the resort continually refines its festivals while always keeping backup plans in place, aiming to improve incrementally instead of expecting instant results.
This mindset dates back to September 2018, when Brunato became Poker Director and set a lasting goal: achieve targets step by step while aiming to originate new trends instead of following others in the industry.
According to Brunato, many operators misunderstand what today’s players actually want, often assuming that setting a large guarantee is enough to draw a crowd. He argues the real shift lies in rebuilding communities around the overall experience, not just prize pools, which requires ongoing experimentation with starting stacks, game variants, structures and formats.
Looking at the wider industry, Brunato feels Europe holds an advantage in adapting to change, partly because American poker’s long-established habits make transformation slower. He believes Europe’s willingness to explore new formats and attract younger players positions it as a driving force in poker’s global evolution.
