PartyPoker skimming from satellite prize pool?

I sent the following e-mail to PartyPoker last night, and I received no response. I sent it again earlier today and once again received no response. It seems to me that their $90+9 CPC Special Qualifier tournaments may have a "hidden rake." Check out the e-mail below. All of this information was taken directly from the PP website, so you can check it out for yourself. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would e-mail PP about this, as it reeks of a scam to me. I would especially appreciate it of some of you high rollers who PP has a real interest in listening to would contact them about the matter.

Thanks,
Will

DISCLAIMER: If anyone can see where I'm wrong about this or that somehow my math is wrong, please let me know. I will be happy to retract this. However, as of 2:00 CST, PartyPoker's website still uses this seemingly incorrect way of calculating the prize pool.

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To Whom It May Concern:

I have a question about your CPC Special Qualifier tournaments. They are $90 tournaments
with a $9 fee that give a seat in the CPC Special which costs $850 to register for
directly. This seemed somewhat strange to me as there is $50 extra in the prize
pool for every 10 players who register. I thought that this might be to provide
a larger prize pool for the next three places, as your website says that all money
remaining in the prize pool will be distributed to the three people who finish directly
behind those who qualify for seats. However, the prize calculation on your website
reads as follows:

"The remaining money will be awarded to the next three highest finishers on
a 50%, 30%, 20% ratio. For example, if there are 55 entries, the prize pool breakdown
will be as follows: 1st place - 5th place = Seat, 6th place =$212.5, 7th
= $127.5, 8th = $85."

By this math, only $85 of each buyin goes to the prize pool.

$85 x 55 entrants = $4675
$850 x 5 seats = $4250
$4675-$4250 = $425
$425 x 50% = $212.50
$425 x 30% = $127.50
$425 x 20% = $85.00

By contrast, if $90 per entrant is going to the prize pool as is stated both on
the website and in the buy-in column of the tournament lobby, a CPC Special Qualifier
tournament with 55 entrants should have the following payout structure.

$90 x 55 entrants = $4950
5 seats x $850 = $4250
$4950-$4250 = $700
$700 x 50% = $350
$700 x 30% = $210
$700 x 20% = $140

I could be wrong about this (please correct me if I am), but it seems that PartyPoker
is keeping the extra $5 per entrant. I understand that it is PartyPoker's prerogative
to operate its business however it deems fit. However, it seems only fair to the
players that the rake or house's cut in a tournament or other game be clearly stated.
If it is PartyPoker who is keeping the extra $5 to cover it's own costs, I respectfully
request that you change the buy-in to read $85+$14 so that it is clear to players
that only $85 and not $90 is going to the tournament's prize pool.

Thank you for your time,
William Johnston

[Sam T.]

I don't know if they are doing this with the cash games, but they certianly are doing so in the "Party for Free" tournaments. A seat in the satellite costs 1000 Frequent Player Points, and they give out one seat for every fifteen entrants. Based on this, you'd think that a direct buy-in is 15000 FPP, right?

Nope, 10000. They are pocketing 5000 FPP per seat.

Yes, Party sucks.

[Lloyd]

The key is whether or not the website is correct or if perhaps they calculated it wrong there but it's being done correctly in the tournament itself.

You say it costs $850 to buy-in directly to the tournament. But this satellite says 1 entry into the $840 + $50 for every 10 players. Of course, 10 players paying $90 equals $900 in prize money, not $890. So I don't see an extra $50 for every 10 players but I do see an extra $10 for every 10 players. So something funnny is definitely going on IF that money isn't paid out to the next 3 finishers.

But clearly, there is a mix-up between the web and the tournament structure.

You're right. It is possible that the math was wrong on the website. However, the CPC special tournaments do not actually cost $890. They cost $850. The qualifier tournament says that it is an $850+$40, but the lobby says otherwise.

Will

Well, I'm glad to say that I just checked the CPC Special Sat, and the prize pool seems to be distributed fairly. I'm still quite surprised that the math on their website is so off, and (like a lot of other people) I'm disappointed in their customer service, as I have still received no response to my e-mails.

Will