Changes in the PokerStars VIP Club January 1, 2016

BlackMember

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:( :( :( :( :(
pokerstars is announcing 2016 VIP Club changes as well as new policy towards third-party software. You can read more on our corporate blog here - >>Click<<

VIP Steps will be implemented in all licenses on January 1st. VIP Steps is more intuitive and visible for players that is easier to understand and should engage more players than the current system. Along with this change, players will earn StarsCoin rather than FPPs.

Most players between BronzeStar and GoldStar statuses will be able to earn a similar level of rewards with VIP Steps as they currently do. In some cases, players will receive less; in some cases, players will receive more.

However, for those who are high-volume players, there are significant changes that will be implemented on January 1st, 2016. Rewards for players who earn >200,000 VPPs will be capped at 30%. Players who earn SNE in 2015 will receive a specific level of rewards of 45% rakeback in 2016. By January 1, 2017, Supernova Elite VIP status will be discontinued.

It’s not a decision that we considered lightly; it’s being made after months of analysis and investigation to find the best possible model for the long-term viability of our poker ecosystem. Over time, the VIP Club rewards have become so enticing that we have inadvertently altered why some people play and how they play.

The significance of this change is not lost on us. The dedication and passion demonstrated by our highest status VIPs has been astounding. We are introducing these changes to move towards a more balanced long-term poker economy and to return the game back to one that rewards skill via winning at the tables rather than playing primarily for volume.

We are also announcing plans to roll out new policies that will reinforce the fundamental elements of human competition by limiting certain software programs that may provide an unfair advantage to some players. The new restrictions on third-party software will extend recent changes to our third-party software policy. Last month, we reduced data mining in Zoom!, restricted the use of heads-up displays, and limited the use of Spin & Go seating scripts.

Our intention is to expand these restrictions through major changes within our own software that we will communicate in more detail through 2016.

For the majority of our player base, we believe these changes will have an overall positive impact by making the VIP Club more visible to players and easier to understand, by engaging them in a single session rather than on a monthly/yearly basis, by limiting the advantages some players gain by use of certain software, and by improving the long-term viability of our poker ecosystem.

The VIP Club changes are as follows:
• All rewards will be given in a new currency, StarsCoin, each of which will have a fixed value of $0.01
• All FPPs will be converted to StarsCoin on January 1 at a rate of 1.2 StarsCoin for every FPP.
• Players may use their FPPs as they currently do to purchase cash bonuses, tournament tickets and merchandise at current FPP prices until midnight ET, December 31.
• All prices in the VIP Store, including tournament tickets and cash rewards, will be updated on January 1 to reflect the StarsCoin value of $0.01.
• Tournament buy-ins will be updated to StarsCoin values.

• All current rewards – FPPs, Stellar Rebates, and Milestone Rebates – will be consolidated into a single form of reward called StarsCoin earned via VIP Steps
• Complete details for VIP Steps and how many StarsCoin will be rewarded for each Step will be posted on our website soon.
• Players who earn Stellar Rebates and Milestone Rebates in 2015 will still be able to purchase them in the VIP Store in 2016.
• On average we are aiming for the following percentage of rewards as compared to the current reward system:

2016 Average Rewards by Status
BronzeStar - No change
ChromeStar - Up to 10% increase
SilverStar - No change
GoldStar - No change
PlatinumStar - Up to 10% decrease
Supernova - 0%-27% decrease
200k+ - 44%-60% decrease (30% rakeback cap)

• VPPs will not be earned in high-stakes cash games. High-stakes cash games include pot-limit and no-limit games with blinds of $5-$10 or higher, 8-game $10-$20 or higher, and other limit games with blinds of $10-$15 or higher (limit hold’em of stakes $15-$30 and higher).

• VPP multipliers for all shared liquidity licenses will be as follows:
• 5.5 VPPs for each $1.00 USD or CAD in fee paid, 6.5 VPPs for each €1.00 EUR in fee paid, or 8.25 VPPs for each £1.00 GBP in fee paid for all tables, no matter how many are seated at the table.
• Microstakes games are as follows:
VPPs awarded per $1.00 USD in rake collected VPPs awarded per €1.00 EUR in rake collected

$0.01/$0.02 - 10 €0.01/€0.02 - 12
$0.02/$0.05 - 8.5 €0.02/€0.05 - 10
$0.05/$0.10 - 7 €0.05/€0.10 - 9

• These changes result in an increase in VPP multipliers for UK, DK, BG, and SH.
• This change results in a decrease in the VPP multiplier for tables where 8 or more are seated.

• VIP Store
• Cash Rewards will be offered as follows, and there will be no restrictions by VIP status:
- $25 – 2,500 StarsCoin
- $100 – 10,000 StarsCoin
- $1,000 – 100,000 StarsCoin

• Some examples of MTT, Spin & Go and Sit & Go tickets:
- $0.10 Sit & Go tickets – 10 StarsCoin
- $0.25 Spin & Go and Sit & Go tickets – 25 StarsCoin
- $3.30 MTT ticket – 330 StarsCoin
- $215 MTT ticket – 21,500 StarsCoin

• VIP Freerolls
• The Supernova Quarterly Million freeroll will be discontinued
• The last Saturday of every month will feature:
- $5,000 25 StarsCoin buy-in tourney for BronzeStar+
- $20,000 freeroll for ChromeStar+
- $30,000 freeroll for SilverStar+
- $100,000 freeroll for GoldStar+
• Other Saturdays on a weekly basis:
- $2,500 25 StarsCoin buy-in tourney for BronzeStar+
- $10,000 freeroll for ChromeStar+

• Supernova Elite VIP Status will be discontinued on January 1, 2017
• The benefits cap for players who earn Supernova Elite in 2015 will be 45% in 2016.

• There will no longer be monthly maintenance requirements for Supernova and Supernova Elite statuses

• Hall of Fame Rewards
• 5M and 10M VPP prizes will be rewarded through December 31, 2016.
• 5M rewards offers two options: Tag Heuer watch or $2,500 Apple gift certificate

• Concierge service for Supernova and Supernova Elite status to be discontinued
 
vinylspiros

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so i dont understand if this is good news or bad news. the way i see it,things are more or less the same.
 
horizon12

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so i dont understand if this is good news or bad news. the way i see it,things are more or less the same.

It'a not significant changes for most players, but for high-stakes players will be a tragedy :D

especially this:
VPPs will not be earned in high-stakes cash games. High-stakes cash games include pot-limit and no-limit games with blinds of $5-$10 or higher, 8-game $10-$20 or higher, and other limit games with blinds of $10-$15 or higher (limit hold’em of stakes $15-$30 and higher).
 
R

rhombus

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interesting to see what HUD restrictions they will have
 
Farseer

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It's two-fold. It just devastates high-volume players (200k+ VPP), but it might have a way to make games more soft when break-even high-volume grinders stop playing. In terms of casual, low-volume player it has usually negligible impact.

But I fear that this is just one more MONEYGRAB for Amaya shareholders.
 
Zorba

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interesting to see what HUD restrictions they will have

From link in OP.


PokerStars also plans to roll out new policies that will reinforce the fundamental elements of human competition by limiting certain software programs that may provide an unfair advantage to some players.


:top:
 
BluffMeAllIn

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gross, they continue to cut and slash their essential rakeback by reducing the value of the reward levels.
 
StArDemonn

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I don't know what to say...we will say if it's a good change..
 
westside1950

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Basically, if you are not a Supernova+ player it changes nothing for you.
Even might be good for you if you are a Chromestar (getting a 10% more rakeback)
Only thing that will happen is that a lot of players (Supernova+) might move to another site with better rakeback...
 
L

Lexxx

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This vip changes are for next year. Let´s see what happens until there...
 
vinylspiros

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but why would they do something like this to high stakesplayers? and multitabling grinders?

Do they not care for the money they make from them?
 
10058765

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darn....just at the time I wanted to go for SNE they change the whole thing....:(:D
 
J

joe777

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I guess they had to do it in order to help offset the burden of taxation imposed by certain countries.
 
fubarcdn

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I am speculating that a very small percentage (if any) came from the high volume players who figured out how to beat their system.
It is obvious that they want more players in the chrome star bracket so that is likely where they are making the most money.
Being a numbers guy I would love to have access to their records.
 
wildyetty

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pokerstars making another money grab, trying to enduce us chrome stars to dump more money in thinking were getting more... (10% of shit is still SHIT)

Their screwing the ones that make money from them by not rewarding them, its them trying to balance books due to the sharpe DECLINE in online poker
 
Bogdan Pyts

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many players are going to go on strike against PokerStars innovations and believe that it will ruin poker ecosystem. to what it will do not know... but all it is no good
 
Debi

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Bogdan Pyts

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there is also a version of what is being done against the backdrop of the imminent return to PokerStars players from the USA
 
wildyetty

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we are the tail end of online poker if they do this you will see traffic stop on pokerstars like it already has on full tilt(joke site)... this game is at its tail end because the greedy ass owners and pls relize Black memeber just here to tell you different. he has no office acually has no loyalty unless hes paid by so called poker site....
 
bprpm

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It's normal, a lot of countrys are puting poker legal, and pokerstars need to pay to work in some countries, so it's normal... They wants to save some money.... and they win more recreative players...
 
BluffMeAllIn

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It's two-fold. It just devastates high-volume players (200k+ VPP), but it might have a way to make games more soft when break-even high-volume grinders stop playing. In terms of casual, low-volume player it has usually negligible impact.

But I fear that this is just one more MONEYGRAB for Amaya shareholders.

Games could easily get tougher if the regs drop stakes and grind primarily to stack the fish rather than battle with other regs at their limits, especially when the huds get removed regs will drop down and put a hurt on all the fish who think its an unfair advantage to use a hud.

It obv sucks more for sn and above more than anyone, i mean acr with a 27% rakeback is now almost just as good as the beat rakeback on pokerstara is going to be and its 27% accross the board even for micro players which beats any chromstar or silveratar or goldstar return.

Its a bit laughable but i guess its business to make them more money.
 
D

danntesvarna

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Without Ssupernova Elite ...I am tottaly shocked :D
 
L

Lilyanabg

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Bad for Super nova and Super nova elite.
 
fletchdad

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Subbing, not sure how I feel about this......

Wish I lived closer to a good casino.................
 
tagece

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I think this a smart decision of Pokerstars. This remind me Vegas history, when casinos discovered that the money for then was not in the professional gamblers, but in recreational ones.

Professional grinders could chase away regular ones. Imagine that a beginner deposit U$ 10,00. If he loses everything in MTTs without never get ITM, he certainly will think twice before make a new deposit. But if he loses all the money after be payed sometimes, he can consider that he can be profitable after improves his game. And he will try again.

Professional grinders just make a initial deposit and starts to increase their bankroll and make money. It's correct to grinders, and I sincerely would like to have that talent. But for Pokerstars they are a kind of non profitable player , who probably causes losses to the room.

Besides that, the VPP currently system really tends to award more the multiple table players.

Poker software has the same effect for beginners. How about put your money in a game if you know that some players are using that kind of help and you don't? If you have the time and disposal to buy it and learn how to use it, that's OK. But if just wanna to play some poker just as a sport, and don't have the time for it, you'll need to think twice again.

So, IMHO, Pokerstars are taking the correct decision for then.
 
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