Are most poker sites killing the micro stakes?

Gorak

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Are most poker sites killing the micro stakes?

It seems that there is a move to force players out of the micro stakes by not offering good tourneys and by putting restrictions on promotions. Here are some examples:

pokerstars removed the $0.11, $0.27, $0.55 and $0.87 tourneys and replaced some of them with super or hyper turbos with multi-entries/rebuys; they also have long late reg periods, so with all that you end up paying a lot more money than a freezout if you want to have a chance. Also their cash promo specify 10NL minimum stake; you can lose a lot playing 10NL if you are not used to it and come from 2NL.

888Poker is a very good site for promos but they copied PokerStars by making a minimum stake 5NL for the challenges. Also their micro stake tourneys are mostly rebuys with long late reg; you will end up paying a lot to be competitive and the variance is shooting right up the roof. They removed the $0.10 Blast games and now $1.00 is the minimum; plus the time is reduced from 5 min to 2 min.

party poker also have put minimum stakes for their promos and their new VIP system is worth a big $0.00 for the micro stake players. But of all the sites, they have the best micro tourneys in the Bootcamp series. They play all day long and you can choose from $0.22, $0.55 and $1.10 (max 2 re-entries).

These are 3 major sites and they seem to want to offer less and less possibilities for the micro stake players.

I'm a micro stake player and I don't intend to move up stakes; so I had to reduce my activities to a minimum due to the lack of good games to play.

My question is: Why are the poker sites removing all the good games/promos for the micro stake players?
 
whiskers77

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Well, I guess it is an easy answer: profit. You play less long on their servers with this faster formats or if you want a longer format, you pay more rake.
 
enolan

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Yip, profit ... I assumed it was to motivate micro player to move up the stakes.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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For them it is more profitable. It's business.
 
Gorak

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For them it is more profitable. It's business.
Well they lost money with me.

On PokerStars for example; I was raking $18 (Chrome)/month before the changes. This month I raked $0.00 and I know some other players that have done similar moves.

Maybe they are able to compensate with the other players that move up stakes; but I don't have the numbers so I can't really know.

I'm waiting for the sites to offer me the micro stake games that I like; only then I'll be back playing regularly.
 
nvmaxima

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If you can play other sites like ACR, Betonline etc the micro action and tourneys are alive and well.
 
Gorak

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Yip, profit ... I assumed it was to motivate micro player to move up the stakes.
A good business model usually offers what the client wants.

Forcing players out of their comfort zone to get more rake can backfire when the players simply quit playing because the fun (and the money) is gone.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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I do not think that losing your money will be a problem for them. I believe that before taking any decision, they considered all options. Hence, it is profitable for them.
 
Gorak

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I believe that before taking any decision, they considered all options.
Said PKR management when they made similar changes. Now they are bankrupt.

For the bigger sites; it will take more time to see the effects, but they will feel them if they were wrong.
 
orsino12

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Like you I'm a strictly micro (and freeroll;)) player and have noticed the same thing. I simply don't play PS anymore, except CC freerolls, as there is just nothing there. It seems every micro MTT there is turbo or faster and I like regular or slow blinds.
888 doesn't have a lot of good micros, but they do at least have a few with 6, 8 and 10 minute blinds and right now that's good enough for me since I only play 0 to 3 on any given night.

I still miss the "good old days" where even micro games could have big prize pools because there were so many people playing.
To this day I still miss the FT Daily Dollar tourney, $10,000 guaranteed with 15 minute blinds and 10,000 starting chips. It started at 5pm PST and I was able to play it virtually every night.
It took 8-9 hours to play if you made it to the end but the final table money was worth it (9th started at $80 up to first at $1600). I never won it but I did bag 2nd for $1000 once and a few other good finishes.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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Pokerstars is constantly changing something. Maybe you will like the following changes.
 
Gorak

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To this day I still miss the FT Daily Dollar tourney, $10,000 guaranteed
I miss the Daily Dollar on FT too. 888 used to have one that was just right for my schedule but they cut it.

$1 Super turbos with infinite rebuys and long late reg can cost you $10 easy and you aren't even close to the money. No thanks for me.
 
orsino12

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$1 Super turbos with infinite rebuys and long late reg can cost you $10 easy and you aren't even close to the money. No thanks for me.

I'll never understand why people play those kinds of games. When you speed up the blinds and/or reduce the starting chips it reduces how much skill plays a part.
In a regular or slow blind game I can find a fold preflop with hands like JJ, AQ and AK, but in games like the current Pyramid promotion, especially the Pharaoh, it's virtually impossible to fold those types of hands, or even somewhat lesser hands (I go out in these games a LOT with AQ and AK) as you simply don't have the time to find a better spot.
Honestly, I'd rather play a flip tourney than a super turbo, at least it's all luck and there's no time or effort put into it.
 
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so true,it sounds like killing poker softly!!!1
 
ledge4131

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I have to agree with some of the earlier posters, but it would appear that it s a profit based decision.

I too am a Micro Stakes player. I miss the old days, but it is a sign of the times really. It will cost you to use their service, and they have a huge client base to squeeze every penny they can from them. Micros is entry level to the sites. Even if they loose 100 of us micro players, we still don't make as much of a dent to their bottom line as loosing 100 mid-stakes players.

I hate the game, but I love the game. The cost to play is what it is, but the true question is ... how much are you willing to pay to play?
 
Gorak

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Micros is entry level to the sites. Even if they loose 100 of us micro players, we still don't make as much of a dent to their bottom line as loosing 100 mid-stakes players.
If new players are forced to play higher stakes too soon then they will lose fast and quit.

They have to keep players interested and let them move at their own pace. If you remove the base of the poker tower; it will eventually crumble layer by layer.
 
B

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Pokerstars don't have much profit (in 0,27$ i think they get 2 cents from each player)from these kind off tourneys so they just stop making them.
 
ledge4131

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If new players are forced to play higher stakes too soon then they will lose fast and quit.

They have to keep players interested and let them move at their own pace. If you remove the base of the poker tower; it will eventually crumble layer by layer.

I whole heartedly agree with you. I have to believe that the decision is strictly a business one, made by someone who doesn't play the game like you and I. :mad: As much as I don't agree with it, I understand their thought process. I also believe that it is a comfort thing for those of us at the Micro level. We are comfortable with our wins and losses. Anything higher forces us to do one of two things; get a lot better, or leave the game because our bankroll can't sustain or support our ambitions.

Me personally, I'll grind the Micro's until I'm dead and turned to dust. I've got no issue with that. If I leave one site and move to another; then yes PS will hopefully get the hint if there is a mass exodus. Regrettably, I don't see it happening.

So, grind on brothers and sisters!

:D
 
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bartleby

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On the other site, you have to say that if PS makes too many bad moves, it is just a matter of time before there is a poker room who wants to take over the role as the player friendly poker room which then everyone wants to play on....yes I do believe it!:):):)
 
theRaven68

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it seems that profit chasing is killing PS, slowly but surely
 
Raccoony

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Nowadays poker is all about turbo and hyper tournaments with unlimited rebuys and too many hours of late registration and that's something I don't like at all.
 
Gorak

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Nowadays poker is all about turbo and hyper tournaments with unlimited rebuys and too many hours of late registration and that's something I don't like at all.
Exactly!
 
dominiq

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Nowadays poker is all about turbo and hyper tournaments with unlimited rebuys and too many hours of late registration and that's something I don't like at all.

Yes, because pokerrooms exists to make money themselves no to pokerplayers to make money. ;) And it is hard to win something playing only hyper tournaments with rebuys.
 
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