PokerStars Changes Draws Sharp Criticism From Players
October 31, 2014 10:35 amIn the past, PokerStars has drawn little but praise from the poker community but a series of changes the site has made in recent weeks seems to have caused somewhat of an uproar amongst loyal fans, many of whom have called for drastic measures to demonstrate their dissatisfaction, including protests, sit-outs or refusing to play at PokerStars on certain days.
At the heart of the latest controversy are a number of moves PokerStars has made in order to increase its bottom line, including higher rakes for cash and poker tournaments, as well as ending its “Battle of the Planets” Sit & Go tournament on November 1, 2014, which each year awarded $2.5 million in prizes to online grinders.
In addition to changes taking place at the tables, PokerStars has also announced it will start charging a 2.5% currency exchange fees on deposits and withdrawals, and airing his dissatisfaction on the 2+2 forums, one poster called Malefiicus, wrote:
“It’s good to know Amaya isn’t trying to trick anyone into think [sic] they’re the geniuses that made PokerStars the largest site in the world. It’s quite obvious they’re the morons that are going to tank the most profitable site in the name of profit.”
While PokerStars players continue to grumble over a strategy they see as an attempt to increase the site’s profits at their expense, and that of the site’s economy, PokerStars has been insisting the series of moves simply reflects the increased cost of doing business in a regulated market, and as PokerStars Head of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser explained recently:
“We know that some of these decisions will not be popular in all quarters and they’re not decisions taken lightly, but are made looking broadly across the poker ecosystem. We’ve built trust and respect largely because we’re willing to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions.”
Nevertheless, many regulars seem less than satisfied with Hollreiser’s response, and apparently its the increase in rake which has gotten them particular irked, with players complaining that the game will subsequently become unbeatable.