Thoughts on Empire Poker and the Zoo

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
They believe that they could squeeze your balls harder at any time they wish, and you would still beg to play at their site. They will continue to raise their rakes in the future. They will offer less bonuses in the future. They will do what they want because none of you are willing to show you care.

[/ QUOTE ]



I could really care less who runs the site or how greedy they are.
As long as I have some trust that my money is safe there (and I still do) and I believe the games are profitable for me I will continue to play there.


I much prefer the software and support and Stars. But the games just aren't as profitable for me over there....although they are getting the bulk of my tourney-action these days due to better rake and structures as well as enough so-so competition to keep me happy.

But my motive for playing at a site has absolutely nothing to do with helping them profit or not. It's whether or not I profit.


Besides - if I really were that upset at them that I would want to try to screw them over somehow I just don't think that leaving the site would really hurt them.


I don't agree with what they are doing here...but the games are good enough that I will continue to play there.

[CORed]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't claim to know anything about the inner workings of IGM other than it is run by chimpanzees.

[/ QUOTE ]

Shame on you. You have grievously insulted every chimpanzee in the world.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
I only play at Empire and don't bonus whore so perhaps, I simply don't understand all the nuances of bonus whoring.

But why does empire offer reload bonuses in the manner they do, if they don't want bonus whores? Where in their rules, does it say that it is wrong to bonus whore? How does the question of empire "catching" anyone ever arise, if what is being done is not against the rules. I mean, they offer a $100 bonus or whatever if you play x number of raked hands. A player plays the required number of hands, gets his bonus and then goes to play elsewhere. What has he done wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with SKP here. I believe there is more than meets the eye when it comes to these account closures.

Lawrence

[Synergistic Explosions]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't agree with what they are doing here...but the games are good enough that I will continue to play there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bob, you sound afraid to bite the hand that feeds you. One day it will be rat poison.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]


Nothing. But any business is well within their rights to turn customers away. The customer's defense is always, "I'll take my business elswhere." In this case, they want you to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Explain why the monthly bonus is not account specific then? If Party & Skins send it out to everyone, including bonus whores, then your statement is wrong.

All they have to do is create an account list that will be prohibited from using any bonus deposit codes and that solves the problem, but they haven't.

Like I said, these accounts that are suspended, banned, locked or whatever are done so with more than meets the eye.

Lawrence

[witeknite]

Pet Chow...arf, arf
Pet Chow...arf, arf
Pet Chow...arf, arf

Rat Poison

[Vern]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I only play at Empire and don't bonus whore so perhaps, I simply don't understand all the nuances of bonus whoring.

But why does empire offer reload bonuses in the manner they do, if they don't want bonus whores? Where in their rules, does it say that it is wrong to bonus whore? How does the question of empire "catching" anyone ever arise, if what is being done is not against the rules. I mean, they offer a $100 bonus or whatever if you play x number of raked hands. A player plays the required number of hands, gets his bonus and then goes to play elsewhere. What has he done wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with SKP here. I believe there is more than meets the eye when it comes to these account closures.

Lawrence

[/ QUOTE ]

I am glad you feel that way but I can tell you exactly what I have done with Empire and most of the stories have followed a similar vein. I opened an account last May. I only played there under a bonus or at a 2+2 table and my MGR for the time period is about $162 less than the amount I collected in bonus. I do have an account at every other skin, but so do several friends but they have a rake back deal at Empire so they play there to the extent that they are plus MGR. Their accounts remain fine. Whether a player is following the letter of the rules or not has no relevance on their business decision to drop players that are only there to whore the bonus and beyond not producing revenue, but costing them money. I am fine with it, because it actually makes business sense and I doubt this will even be a blip on the radar for the majority of the players that Empire makes positive MGR off of. It does bring to light the inequity of their bonus system though. Now, I will just make sure I am slightly plus MGR on any site I whore at so I don't hit this trap again.

Vern

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe they only do this for chip-dumping.

[/ QUOTE ]

DING DING DING!!!

Lawrence

[Aytumious]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I believe they only do this for chip-dumping.

[/ QUOTE ]

DING DING DING!!!

Lawrence

[/ QUOTE ]

You guys are way off the mark if you think empire suddenly started banning a bunch of people for chip dumping.

[Nooh-bah]

There's some wording in their T&C about not using their service professionally or primarily as an income (as opposed to being a recreational player), and bonus-whoring in ways that take more out in boni than put in through rake can be an indicator of violating that, since you're only playing when there's an overlay vs. the rake and not beyond those offers. So by using them you are showing that you can definitely be out of line with their T&C, even though the letter of the laws of the particular bonus are fulfilled.

At least that's what I guess from rereading their T&C after all this hubbub. Lemme know if I'm misguided.