Despite the apparent failure of a recent boycott of Pokerstars mounted by high stakes players angered by changes to the company’s VIP program (see previous reports), it appears that there are some for whom the issue is still very much alive.
Reports from EPT Prague indicate that a small number of the players turned up for a pre-event photo shoot wearing T-shirts indicating their opposition to the changes displayed around a cracked Pokerstars logo. Among them was Super High Roller event winner and serial tournament victor Steve O’Dwyer.
Like the failed boycott, it did not appear that the visual protest did much more than again register the frustration and anger of those involved.
In related news, Pokerstars poker communications manager, Lee Jones, took part in an interview over the weekend with Poker News television presenter Sarah Herring in which the issue of the VIP program changes and the reaction of the high stakes players was discussed.
Jones hewed to the company line already presented by parent group Amaya’s communications chief, Eric Hollreiser, apologising for a communications exercise that could have been better executed, but stressing that the changes were critical to creating a more recreational player-oriented environment and moving Pokerstars forward.
He also discussed the company’s reallocated millions for four new tournaments, explaining that instead of focusing on big-money winning players, these would now benefit the Pokerstars player community as a whole.
Check out the full interview here:
http://www.pokernews.com/news/2015/12/pokerstars-lee-jones-responds-to-vip-changes-23635.htm