Project Tiltbook

When it comes to consumer satisfaction, poker players are no different from any other group where money is concerned. We pay for what we enjoy and what we receive has to meet certain standards.

A Facebook group, the rather cutely-named TiltBook, has taken up arms against Amaya - the owners of PokerStars -in the wake of the wholesale changes they are introducing on their world-leading poker site. Threats of strikes and boycotts currently top the list of possible actions.

Accusing the Canadian poker giants of having “an idea of poker players being nothing more than a bunch of gamblers waiting to have all their money taken from them,” and offering hitherto faithful regular players “nothing but an ever-increasing number of obstacles, lack of integrity, and disrespect,” the social media campaign is gaining support from a whole host of regulars.

In their open letter to Amaya, entitled ‘WeAreAllin’, the group claims that:

Last month’s changes announced by PokerStars covered a whole host of items, but it is the VIP changes in particular which TiltBook and its supporters are increasingly angry about.

The three main points outlined in the letter are as follows:

• The abolition of the Supernova Elite status
• A complete removal of any rakeback for high-stakes cash games ($5/$10 and above)
• Significantly cutting rewards for all players with PlatinumStar and Supernova status.

These changes, described as ‘levelling the playing field’ and ‘protecting the poker eco-system’ were claimed to “only affect 2% of the players” by PokerStars – but this supposedly accurate number has been disputed by many, and the TiltBook letter has already gathered 1000+ signatures. A similar campaign set up on Theykillpoker is also attracting serious attention.

Even the wording of the original statement on behalf of PokerStars is under scrutiny, the TiltBook campaign letter claiming:

Explaining why they feel the Amaya-led changes are so bad, the letter continues:

It is this final remark which is the focus of debate on almost every poker forum across the internet. On any one, you will find regulars (generally very experienced poker players) attempting to explain to the recreational players (known as recs,often new and/or losing players) that there is no truth to the claim that the new system will benefit the players.

Many claim that the VIP changes will only force better players to lower their stakes. This will obviously have a knock-on effect whereby the ‘recs’ at the bottom will eventually face even stronger opposition than they do currently – exactly the opposite PokerStars' stated intention.

What is the reasoning of VP of Corporate Communications, Eric Hollreiser, on the PokerStars blog when announcing the changes?

The "people," that Hollreiser mentioned are the multi-table cash grinders, mass-tabling tournament guys, and the higher-stakes players. Basically anyone who uses online poker to make a living at the game, be it an excellent living, a very reasonable one, or a half-decent one doing what they love most rather than working in an office or restaurant for low wages.

The reason many of these people can make a living playing cards is because of the reward system – if they put in enough time and effort at the tables, they will make enough ‘rakeback’ (or the PS version of it) to top-up their actual winnings – sometimes even allowing a ‘losing’ player to make a wage playing the game.

Facing counter arguments – even on the Tiltbook Facebook page – that such players don’t really deserve to make a living in such a way, (rakeback, for example) the organisers of the protest letter point out that it is the high level of ‘rake’ charged by PokerStars which is at fault in the first place.

Many people have argued that business is business, and Amaya –who bought over PokerStars last year - owe it to their shareholders to maximise profit before anything else, but the TiltBook protesters are at pains to point out that:

In a call to arms, TiltBook end their open letter with the following statement:

Other poker sites will be licking their lips at the prospect of an all-out strike by PokerStars players –just as in the real world Amaya and its child will have to take such ‘threats’ seriously.

The full letter can be viewed here, and as always PokerTube is happy to hear what you have to say on the matter.