Steps have go to be bad for PP's business,

[HoldingFolding]

haven't they? I normally play 3 30+3 SNGs an hour - $9 rake for PP. However, if I play the higher steps I tend to bounce around for hours for the same $9 - in fact I've been going up and down in one step for close to 8 hours. Am I missing something?

[BradleyT]

Yes, when you bounce around, that rake gets taken out each time.

When ten players play say $20+2, the $200 would only give 1 seat at a $100+9 + $91 for other junk, so only $180 of the original $200 is going back into the prize pool.

I think...

[rohjoh]

[ QUOTE ]
haven't they? I normally play 3 30+3 SNGs an hour - $9 rake for PP. However, if I play the higher steps I tend to bounce around for hours for the same $9 - in fact I've been going up and down in one step for close to 8 hours. Am I missing something?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are missing something, they are making more rake off you, and you are making $0. Win/Win for PP. There has been many many post explaining why...

[Jack Fate]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I missing something?

[/ QUOTE ]

absolutely. it's only $9 out of your account but think about all the rake you are paying with your freerolls. steps are great for PP business!!

[hummusx]

How about this though - most people aren't ever getting any cash back out, so they might not feel like they are winning. At least in the regular STTs, even monkeys finish with cash sometimes, which a) lets them feel like they are winning and b) puts actual cash back into their account that they can choose to buy into what they want. The STEPS may end up turning into a thing where most people just feel like they are entering a big machine that they never cash out of (which is true).

[beeyjay]

if you're a losing player this is the best thing for you. you get to play more without losing more. problem for us is that we dont want them playing we want them donating to us.

[Freudian]

[ QUOTE ]
haven't they? I normally play 3 30+3 SNGs an hour - $9 rake for PP. However, if I play the higher steps I tend to bounce around for hours for the same $9 - in fact I've been going up and down in one step for close to 8 hours. Am I missing something?

[/ QUOTE ]

The promise of a big payday (the higher steps, jackpots) is very attractive to casual players. It fuels their dreams and makes them deposit and play. I have no doubt PP are making a huge amount of money on the steps.

[chaosuk]

The main difference between SNGs and steps is that party decide how to invest your winnings - not you. This doesn't make it a rake trap for the player or a bad deal for party.
Lot's of stuff may have been written indicating why steps are a rake-trap but it's mostly untrue.

The downside of steps is the good players at the top. The other alleged downside is the flatter structure. Whilst it is true at the extremes (prizes 1-10 pay the same, everyone loses their rake): increased flatness doesn't imply lower return. Bad players are probably worse off in a 5:3:2 structure than a winner-takes all event, because they make uninformed decisions close to the money.

At Prima you don't pay a jot of rake until you cash out at the top. This is a bad deal for them. If you like playing steps support prima, at least in part, I've no interest in Prima as I seldom play there, but I am for lower rake - even if it's not by design.

[Misfire]

When you bounce around, party is collecting rake off the buy-ins you won from the players who dropped out. So yeah, it only costs YOU $9 to play 18 SNG's or whatever, but how many other people lost $9 to allow you to play those? Each time you play, party is skimming off the top of that money...over and over and over and over and over...

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
The STEPS may end up turning into a thing where most people just feel like they are entering a big machine that they never cash out of (which is true).


[/ QUOTE ]

I like this explanation a lot. And a lot more than rake trap.