Martinspoker punishes greedy whores

[PrincipalSkinner]

Martinspoker offers 600 Euro sign-up bonus, only they won't pay the bonus until 90 days after you sign up (even if you play all of the required hands immediately). Kind of unusual.

Then they offer a number of additional reload bonuses. Their customer service tells several people that "at the present time" these bonuses clear concurrently with the sign-up bonus (meaning the same hands count toward more than one bonus) (see BonusWhores threads on this subject). Sure enough, these reload(s) are credited immediately as they are earned.

Even if they are losing, players keep pouring money into the site, because they are making up for losses with all this bonus money (they think).

On February 1, just when the 90-day wait is expiring for the first of the original depositors (and their 600 Euro bonus is due), Martin's announces that the "concurrent earning of bonuses" was a glitch and is cancelled retroactively (meaning that no hands played count toward more than one bonus).

Some guy on bonuswhores committed the unpardonable sin of contacting customer service--this is what they said (according to him):
"There has been an update to bonus requirements since February the 1st.
Accumulated VIP points can only count towards one bonus at a time. This
includes all bonuses, and has been backdated to include pending bonuses."

Players can't really bitch because it never said in writing anywhere in the T&C that the bonuses were earned concurrently.

Pretty convenient that the "glitch" was corrected just when the money was due. Sounds to me like the whole thing was planned out ahead of time. Pretty clever. It sounded too good to be true, and it was.

[froggy527]

Well I hope that people don't get ripped on the hole
deal! When this thing first came out I decided that I
didn't much care for the 90 day period. I am glad that
I Passed! Hopefully everything will work out allright
for everyone!

[excession]

Well the only concurrent bonus recently was novreload (decreload was never a legit MP bonus) - novreload was $240 for 600 raked hands (raked being about $9 I think so at $200 NL 6 max 60% of hands count).
That means I played 1000 hands to clear it (24c/hand is pretty good in case you haven't noticed).

So now to get my $720 I have to play 1000 hands (600 raked) more than I thought. Or about another 5 hours 3 tabling $200 6 max.

So if you are still clearing the bonuses it's hardly the sky falling in is it?

The only people who suffer are the whores who stopped playing and went off to whore elsewhere as soon as they thought that they had reached their bonus. Now they need to put another 5 hours in and wait 90 days if they want their money (or if mower than 90 days have passed since their first deposit they may have missed the requirements altogether as they didn't earn the bonus in time).

Unless Martin's confirmed that the bonuses cleared concurrently and are now welching on the deal, I can't see that the whores have anyone to blame but themselves.

[PrincipalSkinner]

For winning players, what you say is true. However there are far more losing players than winning players, and this is still true:
"Even if they are losing, players keep pouring money into the site, because they are making up for losses with all this bonus money (they think)."

[jmrogers7]

Well, in truth, if those people who had started this bonus in November and stopped when they hit 3000 points they can't go back and play the additional 600 points now, can they since the 90 days is already over?

I was under the assumption that the 90 days began on the date of deposit. So, if people made their initial deposits on November 1 (or thereabouts) their time to clear is expired.

Am I off on this?

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]


Unless Martin's confirmed that the bonuses cleared concurrently and are now welching on the deal, I can't see that the whores have anyone to blame but themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

I confirmed this with support back in December:

"Hi,

Kindly note that the reload bonus is paid out in 14 days since the deposit.
Also note that it is indeed possible to earn the reload and the deposit bonus simultaneously, the VIP points will be calculated towards both bonuses.

Best Regards,

Customer Support Service
Martins Poker

-----------[ Original Message ]------------
ID: ( xxxxxx,xxxxxx )

Hi,
I see this offer on your website now:

100% Reload bonus
Get 100% reload bonus up to €200. Get your bonus after making 600 VIP-points at Martinspoker.com.
Reload code: CrazyChristmas (2005-12-14 - 2005-12-28)

This means that if I deposit 200 Euro, I will get a 200 euro bonus, which will be turned into cash after I earn 600 more VIP points, correct?

Is this bonus earned at the same time as my deposit bonus?

Thanks
xxx

[kcheel]

The sign up bonus is prorated, so its not like people didn't get any of the bonus. I am still working on it myself but had already planned to play until I hit 3600 VIP's just in case they didn't clear concurrently.

Still best bonus on the net whether they clear together or not IMO.

[Ineedaride2]

Ok, I'm playing Martins right now, and I wanna make sure this is accurate.

On the cashier -> my account part of their website, they show my "poker VIP point balance". I'm assuming this is the same point system they use to determine bonuses?

They also show a cashier point balance. I don't understand what this is...

[excession]

Well I know the referral bonus is contemporaneous (as I got it after 200 raked hands and the novreload one after 600).

And did they welch on the CrazyChristmas one (or deduct the hands played from your novdeposit one) kneel?

Did anyone have it confirmed that the novreload cleared contemporaneously. If so and they are now welching on it, that is very bad indeed..

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
And did they welch on the CrazyChristmas one (or deduct the hands played from your novdeposit one) kneel?

[/ QUOTE ]

they deducted my CrazyChristmas VIP points (600) out of the clearing requirements from the 3000 points I already accrued from the deposit bonus. They did give me the bonus when it was due, a few weeks ago.

so, I now have 600 more VIP points to clear the deposit bonus, even though Martins confirmed 3 weeks ago that I was all done.

They went back and retro-actively changed their rules.

Even though it's not a ton of hands, it's really a scumbag move. how do I know they won't change their rules again?

[excession]

that is poor - have you written to them and copied their previous email to you?

[BaHorst]

so wait.. i have to wait 90 days to get my 600 initial deposit bonus? f that. i'm out. valentines day is like a week away.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
that is poor - have you written to them and copied their previous email to you?

[/ QUOTE ]

yep. they said they changed their rules.

I complained, and haven't seen a response.

[PrincipalSkinner]

This is interesting, that they admit: "We changed our rules", rather than hiding behind the old "Our employee was mistaken when he told you . . ." dodge.

The issue here is not whether or not the bonuses were "good" when cleared individually.

The issue is that people made financial decisions based on assurances that were later shamelessly retracted.

No good will come of this . . .

Sell your Martinspoker stock! Buy Bet365 stock! No . . .wait . . .

[Kneel B4 Zod]

I'd edit my post, but it's too late. anyway, this was the response:


"Hi,

Please note that your bonus payout date is the 23'rd of February. Due to the change in our bonus system you need to earn an additional 600 VIP points to clear the deposit bonus, since the above amount was allocated to the reload bonus you used.

Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Best Regards,

Customer Support Service
Martins Poker"

[boondoggle]

lol..this is why I waited before depositing at martins poker.

I am not surprised for two reasons.

1. pokerrooms are here to make money

2. they will do whatever to make sure rule #1 is enforced.

Honestly, the 90 day wait deterred me from playing it.

cheers
Boon

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
lol..this is why I waited before depositing at martins poker.

I am not surprised for two reasons.

1. pokerrooms are here to make money

2. they will do whatever to make sure rule #1 is enforced.

Honestly, the 90 day wait deterred me from playing it.

cheers
Boon

[/ QUOTE ]

no doubt, they are scumbags. however, 3600 VIP points for 800 euro is still the best bonus I have ever seen.

[cvpoker]

i have verification directly from martins in an email stating that they clear concurrently, so its no glitch.i got over 200 euros so far and cashed out almost all of it. I am not worried if they try to nto payout my signup bonus a couple quick emails to the gaming commission and it will clear itself up pretty quickly

[PrincipalSkinner]

OK, so it's unethical behavior.

But what "gaming commission" are you going to report them to?

When I first noticed the Ponzi-like nature of the delayed bonus payments, I looked their site over thoroughly. Where Party, for example, has a bunch of logos down at the bottom of their home page (Thawte, Kaneanoke (sp?) Gaming Commission, etc.), Martins had nothing at all.

Frankly, I have reservations about the fairness of their games. In all the years I have played, I have never had such a consistent losing streak against far-fetched suckouts. Others have commented on this phenomenon. One explanation is that the "Crazy Europeans" and their LAG-ness makes for more variance. The same "crazy Europeans" are on Prima and other networks--but I've never had these kind of dragged-out consistent losses elsewhere. Since the site is not poker-tracker compatible, there's really no way to compile statistics for analysis.

Yeah, I blush to admit it, but I'm one of the saps who continued on my losing streak rather than cashing out, because all that bonus money I thought I was making was compensating me for my losses. And yes, I am pissed that they are going back on their word.

Sooooo, am I just a bad loser, or is there something "fishy" (in more ways than one!) about Martins and possibly the other skins on that network?

OK, my flame-retardant suit is all zipped up, so I can go ahead and post this. Bear in mind, however, that when a genuinely fraudulent site comes online, it's pretty much going to behave as this one has. Flame away!
/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[havardma]

[ QUOTE ]
Since the site is not poker-tracker compatible, there's really no way to compile statistics for analysis.


[/ QUOTE ]

B2B sites are compatible with Pokertracker. You need to get the handhistory files from the cashier on their website. You have to either do this manually or use a program someone wrote to automaically download the handhistory ("HHGetter", but I dont remember the url).

[Kriber13]

I totally agree the amount of wierd beats is unusually high and I'm not looking forward to do another 600...

I'm so regretting getting involved with that site...

[PrincipalSkinner]

Learn to play poker, ya whining pussy! Everybody knows that anybody who thinks a poker site is shady is nothing but a LOSER! Go jump rope or play with your jacks--I never made so much money as I have at Martins!
(just so this looks like a REAL 2+2 thread) /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[MrEngenic]

I have something like 3017 VIP points



Hi,

Please note that currently you have cleared 480€ of the deposit bonus and it
will be paid on the 16'th of February.

If you have any more questions now or in the future, please do not hesitate
to contact us again.

Best Regards,

Customer Support Service
Martins Poker

[excession]

have to say that I find it's very easy to go on tilt at the $200 6 max games and they are 90% scanadavians who do all think theya re gus hansen - my SD/100 is about 40 but I;m $1200 up + bonuses so can;t say that I believe it's fixed for a second..

[excession]

yes I use handgrabber, PT + GT+ there - no problems

[Kriber13]

Hehe, your dead wrong I lost money and the only reasonable expalantion is that the site is rigged.

Cant improve my game, Kristoffer

[ImsaKidd]

[ QUOTE ]
I have something like 3017 VIP points



Hi,

Please note that currently you have cleared 480€ of the deposit bonus and it
will be paid on the 16'th of February.

If you have any more questions now or in the future, please do not hesitate
to contact us again.

Best Regards,

Customer Support Service
Martins Poker

[/ QUOTE ]

This confirms that the bonus is prorated, correct? Everyone is saying so and support told me it paid 20 euro/100 points, but I dont want to get screwed outta ~$500.

Also, I said forget about the final 600 points, because this site is slow as hell and there is very little game selection for SH limit.

[bkholdem]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Since the site is not poker-tracker compatible, there's really no way to compile statistics for analysis.


[/ QUOTE ]

B2B sites are compatible with Pokertracker. You need to get the handhistory files from the cashier on their website. You have to either do this manually or use a program someone wrote to automaically download the handhistory ("HHGetter", but I dont remember the url).

[/ QUOTE ]

Where do I get a program to bitch slap my opponents through the computer cuz I can't put them on hands for the life of me...

[CanIPlay]

I started 2 nights ago and would Pay them to Play there.

[PrincipalSkinner]

Every time I "played" there, it was like being attacked by a swarm of Kamikazis--individually their life expectancy is very low (unless they are colluding, cheating, or filthy rich), but together they can sink your battleship.