The shop, Rome, and the poker boom

At a certain point, Tavoloverde was no longer just a website.

The meeting with Giovanni Montanaro, a historic Roman wholesaler in the sector based in the Fidene area, marked an important step. At first, Montanaro became a supplier, then something more. Tavoloverde’s growth could not go unnoticed by someone who truly knew the world of playing cards.

In 2009, Ubi Maior snc gave way to PNO srl. The name is an acronym for Pecunia Non Olet, because even when innovating, a little Latin never hurts.

Shortly afterwards, Rainer srl was born, a joint venture between PNO srl and Giovanni Montanaro. In those years, Tavoloverde became a true Roman reference point for lovers of cards, poker, and Texas Hold’em. Customers from the website flowed into the physical shop; products became visible, tables could be touched, chips could be chosen in person.

It was the boom moment.

For several years, Tavoloverde complemented its online soul with a physical presence: first in Fidene, then in the Prati Fiscali area. Not just any shop, but a space where enthusiasts could find tables, cards, chips, accessories, and expertise.

The green table, from a digital symbol, also became a real place.

When the market changes: the test of resilience

But every legend, if it is truly a legend, has its difficult moment.

After the great enthusiasm surrounding Texas Hold’em, the landscape changed. The Italian State decided to regulate the sector and tie the game to expensive licences. The world of poker changed suddenly. What had seemed like an unstoppable race began to slow down.

Texas Hold’em, which had fuelled the dream, entered a phase of commercial decline.

Fausto and Andrea looked for new paths. They tried other sectors, experimented, and also moved into the world of accident and injury-related products through the Patavium experience and a shop opened in Monterotondo. But it was no longer the same. The joint venture with Giovanni Montanaro also failed to produce the results hoped for. Then Giovanni fell ill and, sadly, passed away.

Many competitors disappeared.

Tavoloverde did not.

And this is where the story becomes truly interesting, also as a business case.

Tavoloverde survived because it was not built on growth at any cost. It is not a company that burns resources chasing artificial size. It expands when the market requires it and contracts when the market changes. It buys less when it sells less. It reduces costs when necessary. It gives up what is not sustainable.

In other words, Tavoloverde is sustainable by vocation.

This choice may have limited its growth at certain times, but it also preserved its continuity. And it is precisely this continuity, after 21 years, that makes the difference.