Reduced Rewards For PokerStars SuperNova Elites In 2015

The bad news for Supernova Elite (SNE) players at PokerStars is that starting next year they will receive roughly $5,200 less rewards than they have been used to in the past. The good news, however, is that the program will still be worth six-figures ($100,000+) for players, and that the 5% drop in value represents a far smaller cut than originally feared by the site’s high-volume players.
Furthermore, the reduction will mostly come in the form of less free tournament tickets to some of PokerStars’ signature tournaments, such as WCOOP, TCOOP, or SCOOP events. As a result, the effects will not be felt until 2016, as players achieving Supernova Elite Status in 2014 will still gain free entry into PokerStars tournaments taking place in 2015.
Roughly 400 players are forecast to reach SuperNova Elite status in 2014, and the changes in PokerStars’ policy is expected to save the site around $2,080,000 (400 x$5,200) each year. Nevertheless, there is likely to be further bad news on its way as the world’s most popular poker site has already indicated it intends to make bigger and even more drastic changes in the future, with Steve Day, the head of Ring Games and the VIP Club at PokerStars, commenting:
“While we are making only this one change this year, it follows a substantial review of the PokerStars VIP Club conducted earlier this year. We are considering more significant changes for implementation in 2016. Details will be available in the second half of next year.”
Since Amaya Gaming acquired the Rational Group a few months ago, PokerStars has indicated a significant change in direction for the site, which has not sat at all well with the site’s regulars. One such change involves the first roll-out of PokerStars’ jackpot SNG ‘Spin & Go’, a format which regulars say turns poker from a game of skill into pure gambling, something PokerStars had previously tried its best to prevent.
Following expressions of public concern by affected players, top PokerStars Sponsored Pro Daniel Negreanu singled out winning players for contributing to the recent decline in poker’s popularity, stating:
“If Spin N’ Go’s deterred pros from playing, that actually HELPS the poker ecosystem immensely, it just may not help YOU personally. I love, love, love, and love this concept and if it helps to level the playing field a little bit, while allowing rec players to stretch their dollars a bit further than before, I think in the end that is a win for everyone- even the winning players who are upset about it now.”