Starting up a small poker room

[borgataboy7]

Hello 2+2. Just a long time lurker coming out of the shadows.

For a few months a good friend of mine has been interested in starting a cardroom. It always seemed like a good idea, yet we we never took the initiative because of our schedules.

As luck would have it, the owners of a local billiard hall we frequent found out we were poker players and approached us about starting up a game in their top floor. The space would allow for 2 tables at most, and would be a small operation, from which we'd give the owners $150 a night.

I frequent many underground rooms, but have no experience starting one of my own. I am very enthusiastic about doing this, as we have very many people in the area who love poker as well as a good demographic of non-players who frequent the billiard hall who could play casually.

I want to run things the best way possible, and that includes being secure, discreet, and professional. This would be a nightly game with max 18 players at a time.

I have a budget of about $2000 to dedicate to startup costs, and I am asking all of you for input as to what is most important to consider when opening up a room. Thanks for reading.

Additional Info:
My friend and I would be handling the cash, chips, and dealing. On days we cannot make it, there is no game.
We are thinking of charging 10% rake up to $3, which is fairly cheap, however, we wont be providing many freebies other than some snacks. Is the Royal Flush/Bad Beat Jackpot a good idea to attract players (This would increase the rake by $1)