Full Tilt and the PPA...FINALLY A GREAT IDEA

[sdheflin]

IM GOING TO THE RX OR EOG !!!

[mikeroddick]

Why are we moved to bonuses?

[Mondogarage]

When the PPA comes forth and announces how much they've received directly or indirectly from the poker sites themselves, then I'll consider.

In the meantime, this bonus is a shallow attempt to get the players to bankroll the "efforts" of an organization whose real purpose is to protect the business model of a small number of companies.

We've seen hints at transparency, but not actual transparency.

[orentha]

if you dont like the PPA, then fine.

just look at it this way if it makes you feel better: you make money, donate $100, get a $200 bonus, that's $100 in profit (minus the mgr hit) but either way, your still MAKING MONEY. and FT is weak on the bonuses so this is a good thing...

[Mondogarage]

By that reasoning, you would agree that if FTP were to suddenly start offering $200 bonuses if you donated $100 to start killing orphaned Rwandan children, "you're still MAKING MONEY and FT is weak on the bonuses so this is a good thing"?

I'm not arguing that supporting the PPA is anything even more than it is...but if you're someone who has been skeptical about the PPA's methods, financing, forthrightness, etc., and have held back because of that, then the fact that they've convinced FTP to offer bonuses to bribe you for your support doesn't change any of that.

If you want to squander principles for a bonus, that's your business. But most of us who have been skeptical of the PPA haven't been holding out for a bonus, we've been holding out for real answers, none of which have been forthcoming.

[Our House]

[ QUOTE ]
By that reasoning, you would agree that if FTP were to suddenly start offering $200 bonuses if you donated $100 to start killing orphaned Rwandan children, "you're still MAKING MONEY and FT is weak on the bonuses so this is a good thing"?

[/ QUOTE ]
If there's something wrong with the PPA (at this point in time), then why oh why is Full Tilt taking a loss to build up a roll for them?? Something is up their sleeves, and it's very possible that the PPA you knew before isn't going to be the same as the PPA coming up in the near future.

[Mondogarage]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
By that reasoning, you would agree that if FTP were to suddenly start offering $200 bonuses if you donated $100 to start killing orphaned Rwandan children, "you're still MAKING MONEY and FT is weak on the bonuses so this is a good thing"?

[/ QUOTE ]
If there's something wrong with the PPA (at this point in time), then why oh why is Full Tilt taking a loss to build up a roll for them?? Something is up their sleeves, and it's very possible that the PPA you knew before isn't going to be the same as the PPA coming up in the near future.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. "Up their sleeves". In other words, the PPA is not providing full and complete information to their supporters.

To answer your question though, (why oh why is Full Tilt taking a loss to build up a roll for them??) the answer is that it is in FTP's clear financial interest, as it is for every poker site currently serving US customers. Don't kid yourself, they (and PS) see the writing on the wall if there's no carveout.

FTP clearly sees the PPA as their last best hope to get to stay in the US market. And that's fine. I hope FTP gets to stay. That doesn't make the PPA actually representative of players, and it doesn't excuse their complete lack of transparency thus far. And frankly, as this is, to a large degree, an effort by FTP to enable themselves to stay in business in the US, it should be FTP throwing the big money to the PPA. Except that would require the actual transfer of real money. Aside from the limiting factor of requiring donations to the PPA, this isn't any different from any other reload bonus, per se, which other sites have already been offering.

The fact that FTP is offering bonuses has does not make the PPA either a good thing or a bad thing. But if you thought the PPA was a questionable entity prior to this, the bonus does not change any other fact. Only that now, they seem to think your consideration has a price of a couple hundred dollars. Me, I'd rather have the PPA be completely thorough in answering all of the questions that have been asked of its opaque leadership thus far. Hell, they do that, and they won't need to buy off our support with bonuses.

[Our House]

1) When I said "up their sleeves", I was referring to Full Tilt and not the PPA. It's fairly likely that Full Tilt knows something about the PPA that we don't know.

2) The absolute LAST thing Full Tilt wants to see happen is a poker carve-out. How could they possibly compete with sites like Party (when it re-enters the market), or even more so, the big US casino sites that would pop up...like Bellagio, MGM, Harrah's, etc. dot com?

3) Full Tilt's decision to remain in the US market is up to Full Tilt. The only thing preventing them from doing business would be banking regulations, not carve-outs/no carve-outs.

[ed8383]

[ QUOTE ]

2) The absolute LAST thing Full Tilt wants to see happen is a poker carve-out. How could they possibly compete with sites like Party (when it re-enters the market), or even more so, the big US casino sites that would pop up...like Bellagio, MGM, Harrah's, etc. dot com?

[/ QUOTE ]
by the time that happens (a couple of years, if it happens) full tilt will have plenty of U.S player and would have already tapped the european market a bit as they already are doing.

[gonebroke2]

By asking their players to join the PPA to have poker exempted from the UIGEA, they are admitting that they are operating illegally right? If they were operating legally, then such an exemption would not be necessary. This seems to be the opposite of PokerStars stance; maybe thats why they are not pushing people to join the PPA?