First, I would like to draw your attention to a major issue. Have you yourself sought to find any information at all for contacting you folks? Nowhere that I myself could find, was there anything similar to an open link for finding out how to write to you all about any issue in mind. Even typing in “contact us” in the main search help window wrought absolutely NO results. Yes I finally “accidentally” foudn these forums, but nowhere on your page, or at the bottom of it where company and site information is usually found, was there anywhere a link for “Contact Us”.
The main issue I wished to discuss was the actual pricing of the chips. A poker officiant I am not as my history and poker scoring records will show you. So it is often that I find myself buying chips to be able to continue to pay to play into the better game levels.
But I am at a turning point of going to a different site for paying the prices you have on chips is too financially burdensome during a course of the month (I am on a fixed limited disability income) for something that merely gives me an entertainment return. This is not real poker, valid money gambling poker. In Missouri, they have been asinine enough to not even consider online official poker for money in the legislature.
But to have to pay $20 for a measly $325K chips is far to high a price for mere tinkering game play. It takes at least $100K to play on tables that are in upper scoring levels (higher return for your hand) and enough to not be frustrating by simply playing $1-$2 penny-ante poker.
Let’s be fair, you guys are here for the profit, and there is no argument to that, but charging that much is actually costing you more in returns and customer happiness.
If a person can purchase say, 250K chips for $10, it puts them in the play for a good roll and allows them to be more competitive, but when you start making them upset for losing $20 cash per pop for a measly 325K in chips, virtual poker chips, then it takes all the fun out of it and makes the member feel they are being ripped off by… you guys none the less.
A person plays to win but realizes they cannot win all the time. If they begin to feel they are being railroaded in purchasing chips for a higher dollar amount, they begin to feel you folks are hyping the algorithms and causing a purposeful loss to those who are willing to keep playing while paying exuberant prices for virtual chips.
You start having unhappy or worse, upset poker playing members and they start looking for better sites. I noticed myself that it seems that your site has lost a goodly portion of its previous member count, with night time players obviously more scarce than you use to be able to tout. I would guess that this one reason is the cause, that buying more chips has just gotten to be unaffordable at those prices.
You pretty much could double the amount of chips for the price and fit a better range of happy players. $10 should buy me a cool $500K in chips, play chips mind you and enable me to play on tables where the stakes are exiting and fun. Now, I realize you have had certain infrequent specials where you offer more chips for the money, but take me at my word that you are losing money by not making those “specials” a norm, just make those prices the regular price and all would be happy.
While you continue to use the current pricing methods and levels, you will lose or at least not increase your membership numbers, having to accept the numbers of members lost already by not addressing this issue. Any company that suffers loses puts their focus on the reasons why, and turns policy around or redirects it to accommodate the problem and increase revenue. To ignore the loses is simply bad business.
Just open your site page at say 9pm at night and select tabs to get to Omaha Hi-Low or Royal
and look at the lack of players. Royal tables have been empty and void of players for some time now, and two years ago I could play almost any time of day and half through the weer hours of the night on the Royal tables, now there is nothing, flat out empty tables in the evening. Omaha Hi-Low was always half full through the page, now you guys are lucky to find even a quarter of that membership any more.
If you would smart-advertise widely and lengthy enough promotions for a spell and tell the members that a total revamping of chip prices in interest of member happiness, and player satisfaction is coming, all playing will love you for your genuine good hearted concern for the members appreciation and be more willing to load up on chips.
I give you this honest update in the interest of all, for the future happiness of both sides and in hopes it doesn’t get file 13’d in mere futile egotistical disinterest or arrogant ignorance. Its YOUR company no doubt, but its our participation that makes it a viable poker site out of all the competitors.
Thank you
Derrick J Drew
61 yr young retired vet - disabled
California, Missouri USA 65018