Stars VIP Wild speculation

[1p0kerboy]

Speaking of SuperNova Elite, I have a question for Scotty if he joins this thread down the road sometime.

If we're not too crazy about the live tournament entries that a SuperNova Elite gets, can we exchange them for something else (of less value)? (Examples to follow)

I'm thinking about making a (probably unsuccessful) run at Elite next year.

The way I figure it, not everybody enjoys traveling and/or tournament play. But nobody is going to outright throw away 2 12k packages.

What I had in mind in lue of the packages is one of the following:

[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Entries into some online big buy-in tournaments like the Sunday Millions and the WCOOP events totaling ~20k.
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A 10k travel gift card through EPlatinum Travel with 10k in spending money to go on a trip.
[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Some sort of combination of the above (like a 10k travel card and 10k in Sunday Million tournaments).

[Henry17]

I think there is a marketing aspect to the live tournaments that is beneficial to Stars. I'm pretty sure in the fine print is says something about being covered head to toe in Stars branded clothing.

I'd argue for the option to sell them to another high volume player. That would probably be easier to justify.

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The other ideas in the last page are great but I'm confused if they are what people actually expect to happen or wish would happen? I wish all of those would happen but I don't think it is likely that they will.

[1p0kerboy]

[ QUOTE ]
I think there is a marketing aspect to the live tournaments that is beneficial to Stars. I'm pretty sure in the fine print is says something about being covered head to toe in Stars branded clothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is why I suggested one would have to take less value for a substitute item (to cover the lost advertising).


[ QUOTE ]
I'd argue for the option to sell them to another high volume player. That would probably be easier to justify.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I didn't even think of this one.

Or to take it one step further, aren't they just putting the $$$ for the WSOP in our accounts these days? (Or at least most of it).

[ QUOTE ]
The other ideas in the last page are great but I'm confused if they are what people actually expect to happen or wish would happen? I wish all of those would happen but I don't think it is likely that they will.

[/ QUOTE ]

The items that I listed have been discussed on here and Scotty has said that they will at least look into it. I'm not sure of the likelyhood of seeing any changes, but Stars certainly has a history of valuing the opinions of its customers.

[MicroBob]

Right. There is the chance that the WSOP main-event entry will just be cash in your acct and they are okay with letting you just keep the money.

So I think it's either Monte Carlo plus $11k if you want to go that route. In the very least, that MIGHT be what it is.


Speaking of which though:
Isn't it kind of weird that you get to choose between Monte Carlo OR the PCA and they are considered equal?

Monte Carlo is worth so much more than the PCA package that I pretty much feel obligated to choose that one.
I would probably rather go to the Bahamas but I just can't throw away that much money in a tourney-entry.

If one chooses the PCA instead they should get a little something extra on top of it.

to be specific:
Monte Carlo is a 10,600 euro entry which is almost $15k.
PCA is an $8k buy-in event.

PCA total package is worth $12k total with travel and hotel.
Monte Carlo has to be worth close to $18k or so I'm guessing including the travel and hotel but I'm not really sure.

So essentially Stars is saying, "If you make Elite you get your choice! You can either have $18k...or you can have $12k. It's entirely up to you!!!"

[Henry17]

Is the current valuation with the US dollar weak or was the difference present in Nov 06 valuations?

[1p0kerboy]

[ QUOTE ]
PCA total package is worth $12k total with travel and hotel.
Monte Carlo has to be worth close to $18k or so I'm guessing including the travel and hotel but I'm not really sure.


[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. I never really noticed this. That's a huge difference.

Maybe the Monte Carlo event doesn't include travel$ &/OR hotel$. I don't know.

I also would have to play the EPT package because of the ridiculously higher value.

I think I calculated that an entire run of Sunday Millions over a year is worth ~$17,000. Maybe Stars could make this an option instead of the EPT event. I don't think it's a bad deal for them, especially considering that >6% ($1000) is coming right back to them from the buy-in fees.

I just think it would be cool to have a different option because many players have family which might make poker trips every year difficult. Obviously some players might have other reasons (medical, dislike of travel, etc.) that would make it hard on them.

[MicroBob]

i don't follow it that much but I did have this issue with the package choices when they were first announced.

I originally said that IF I was somehow able to get Elite then I guess that means I'm going to Monte Carlo because choosing the Bahamas instead is practically not an option as far as I can see.
Just too weird to choose an $8k tourney entry over a $13k or $14k tourney entry just because I might have fun on a Bahamas trip.
I can just spend $2k or whatever for my own vacation there whenever I want as opposed to sacrificing $5k+ in tourney EV just to see Atlantis resort.

I just looked up the value from back then.

Euro to USD:
Jan - 1.30
May - 1.35
Jul - 1.37
Oct - 1.417

http://www.gocurrency.com/v2/histori...ange-rates.php


So back in Jan a 10.6k Euro entry would be worth $13,780.
Today it is worth $15,020.

It's hard to find the exact value of the total Monte Carlo package with travel and hotel on the Stars site.
I assume the hotel is super-nice and travel-cash is enough to cover a flight all the way out to Monte Carlo so I'm guessing it's an extra $3k or so on top of the buy-in.
But it wouldn't surprise me if the hotel/travel value was actually more than that.

Either way, the monte Carlo entry alone is worth more than the entire Bahamas package even at the worse exchange-rate from the beginning of the year.

[Henry17]

Humm.. only thing I can think is that the Monte Carlo tournament might get more TV coverage and be worth more to Stars to have people there.

They do give you a food allowance for Atlantis of $1000 which I don't know if they give you for Monte Carlo. But you are definitely right that Monte Carlo is a better deal.

Atlantis normally doesn't have poker but if you play house games they are pretty good with the comps and the standard rooms would be less then the difference in EV even without a discount.

[Scottyy]

------Maybe the Monte Carlo event doesn't include travel$ &/OR hotel$. I don't know.

Monte Carlo is a full package worth over $16,500 last time I looked.

------I think there is a marketing aspect to the live tournaments that is beneficial to Stars.

ding

We should have Supernova Elite #5 in a few days. Guessing he is saying a prayer on the river today.

Scotty


Scotty

[MicroBob]

scotty - the tourney itself is worth $15k now.
I think you guys give more than $1.5k in travel and hotel, right? What is included in the package as far as the extra stuff and travel-money goes?


henry - I honestly don't think it's that strategic. They just treat all the tourney packages the same and tell you to choose 2 out of 3.
I'm guessing they are just opposed to giving that much more cash to make the up the difference simply because it's just supposed to be about the tourneys and not about the cash.
Anyone who REALLY prefers to play the PCA over Monte Carlo benefits them because they save a ton of money on that player.

Something like that anyway.