After compiling feedback from players, PokerStars has released the schedule and format for the $25,000 PokerStars’ Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship, and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
The last pair of wheels I owned was 20-years ago. A red mini-metro that cost a grand from a second-hand car lot. It did the job until it vanished. I parked in a multi-storey while I had my hair bleached blonde ahead of a Robbie Williams concert, and when I returned it had left me.
So I thought.
Several weeks later, the cops called me.
They had found the car, in the same place I had left it.
These days I rent from Enterprise. I love the way they treat me. They call me “Lee”, I get regular upgrades, and they cut most of the corners that I need severing to save me time.
It’s all about time, for me.
But there’s only so much the front of the house can do for you because there is a big badass balance sheet hidden in a plush office somewhere that controls things.
My biggest gripe is visiting the store to pick up the car. I want to wake up, and there it is outside my house. Then I have to go through the same rigamarole of providing driving license details, credit card details, repeating the same answer to the insurance question, and then I finally get my keys.
If another car rental company came along and fixed those time wastes for me, I would be long gone, “Lee” or no “Lee”.
I want to be more involved in the way Enterprise runs the show. I want to feel like my feedback is seriously considered, and not feel like I’m talking to the wrong side of Vincent van Gogh’s face.
PokerStars understands.
PokerStars Get ‘Them” Involved
A 2014 study by American Express revealed that 60% of people experiencing bad customer service shared that experience with another person, and were likelier to share a bad experience with three times as many people as they tell when they have a good experience. That same study also showed it costs far more to find a new customer than retain one.
There are many ways to retain a customer.
Far too many to mention here.
So I will focus on one.
Get Them Involved.
PokerStars is doing just that after inviting a section of their customer base to ‘have their say’ when it came to the structure of the Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), the $25,000 buy-in event that’s likely to raise the chocolate bar for what passes as a world-class live event when the Bahamas plays host in January.
The feedback is in.
The schedule is out.
PSPC & PCA Schedule Highlights
PokerStars sent an online survey to Platinum Pass winners, a selection of people they believe will play in the event, and people who follow Stars on social media.
PokerStars refused to budge on two conditions:
The PSPC would be a freezeout format.
The PSPC would be a five-day event.
Everything else was up for grabs.
After going through the digital paperwork, and meeting with the Director of Live Events, Marta Norton, consulting with the PSPC and PCA Tournament Director Mike Ward – Maria Konnikova, Daniel Dvoress, David Peters, Shaun Deeb and Dragos Trofimov, McDonagh was ready to spill the butter beans.
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Ultimate People’s High Roller
Players will begin with 60,000 chips and blinds at 100/200 (300 bigs). The format will begin nine-handed with a promise to move to eight-handed play when numbers allow from Day 2 onward.
Each day consists of eight hours, and blind levels will be 60-minutes throughout the tournament. 60% of people polled wanted a dinner break, and McDonagh said they could have one if they make Day 3. There will be a Shot Clock once the tournament moves into the money, and the big blind ante will be in play throughout.
The players voted for 15% of the field to receive some dough (plus rake savings redirected as additional prizes), and for a min-cash to be $31,900, with 17-19% of the prizepool reserved for first place, followed by 15% to 17% based on 600 to 900 players.
Here is why this tournament will be the nuts.
– 600 players: 1st place 17.5% which equates to $2,495,325
– 750 players: 1st place 17.05% which equates to $3,205,079
– 900 players: 1st place 16.8% which equates to $3,796,887
And that’s not including the additional $1m that PokerStars is giving the winner.
Danny McDonagh called the event the
Ultimate people’s high-roller.
Now you can see why.
PCA Schedule Unveiled
With all eyes on the PSPC let’s not forget the PCA will deliver millions in prize money to an expectant crowd, and with everyone and their smelly socks in town for the most eagerly anticipated $25k in history, expect the PCA to be one the best-ever.
Here is the full schedule.
Highlights:
There will be live satellites for most major events including the PSPC, the $10,300 PCA Main Event and the $100,000 Super High Rollers.
The $10,300 No-Limit Hold’em PCA Main Event begins on Friday, January 11 and ends Wednesday, January 16. The event will have two starting flights and will allow a single re-entry.
The two days $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em PCA National takes place between Thursday, January 10 and Friday, January 11, and consists of two starting flights with everyone making Day 2 ITM.
There are a plethora of $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em events with One Day Single Re-Entry events taking place on Thursday, January 8, Sunday, January 13, and a three-day event running Monday, January 14 through to Wednesday, January 16.
The $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Single Day High Roller With Single Re-Entry takes place Wednesday, January 9, and there are two $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Rollers. A three-day event running between Thursday, January 10 and Saturday, January 12, with unlimited re-entries, and a one-day event with unlimited re-entries on Saturday, January 12.
Yes, PokerStars dropped the ball, but since they’ve picked it up, you can’t argue about the yardage they have made.
