Changes in the League – again
December 6, 2007
Most of you reading this will understand the jist of this blog by the title.
For those of you who don’t, I am a member of the Pokerchipsquad League. I have been a member for gosh, I don’t know, 5 years maybe. The league has made quite a few changes over the years and we are now in the midst of another.
I thought I would make my thoughts on all of this known here instead of in the forum because I am free to say whatever I want since it is my blog. Also, Rich (forum owner) doesn’t want any negative comments made in the forum about the changes. I am not saying I will be negative but I want the freedom to be negative if my thoughts take me there.
When I first joined the forum a long time ago, it was a freeroll league. All of the games we played were freerolls. Points were earned by placing high enough in the tournament that was posted as a point scoring tournament for the League. This was good for me since I had just started playing on-line poker. Also, since there were members from all around the world, you could play at more opportune times depending on which time zone you were in.
I didn’t have to invest any money, and if I won, I could build my bankroll.
Over time, I made some friends and my game got better.
The league grew too. We changed from only freerolls to a little of both (freerolls and small buy-ins) and we are now changing to a buy-in only league with rules for membership.
I am not going to go into specifics. I am just going to write as I think.
I joined the league to learn and to make some friends. I have done that and a selected few I would be proud to call, good friends.
I am wondering with the way the league is structured now, how would it be possible for someone like I was originally, to join this league to learn and enjoy this game?
I thought that was the point of the whole league. Find people who want to learn and bring them into our community. Teach them, and maybe learn something yourself along the way.
It’s almost like the administrators of the league have grown in their game like I have and applied that to the league. No patience for freerolls, no patience for a beginners, etc.
Now, I am not saying I would be any better at running anything. I wouldn’t have lasted half as long as Rich has at running his forum. I am just wondering how this is going to end up? Is the Pokerchipsquad forum going to end up being a 10-20 member league playing where and when they want with strict membership rules? If that’s the case then it really isn’t a forum is it? It’s a club.
I already feel like the “redheaded stepchild” because I am in the US. League game times are all set at good times for Europeans during the week (I can’t play during the week because all of the league games start at about 4:30 p.m. here). The new Highroller section is for everyone EXCEPT US players. The new Division section will require playing at certain times that are not favorable to US players.
I don’t play freerolls anymore (my exception is league games) because I don’t really want to wade through all of the bad play and beginners. HOWEVER, if someone shows interest in learning the game, I will stop whatever I am doing to try to help. That’s one of the reasons I write this blog. To help.
So, the league went from everyone is welcome, to, you have to post a certain number of times to join, to, a agreement you have to commit to to be a member. A agreement that requires playing a certain number of times per month and “suggested” joining of other tourny’s.
And, maybe it a British cultural thing, but the wording and explanations in the forum seem pretty heavyhanded.
If anyone questions anything or posts non favorable comments, the next post usually goes along the lines “if you don’t like it, quit”. “I don’t really care”, etc.
Jeeze, where is the exchange of ideas? It’s like a couple of people sat in a room and decided that this is how its going to be. No, ifs, ands, or buts!
But, it’s his forum, Rich can do what he wants. I need to decide whether I want to be a part of it or not. I don’t have any right to question his decisions. I am a member, not one of the decision makers. The only decision I need to make is whether or not to stay.
Am I way off base here?
I would like to hear from the rest of you?
See ya soon
Svcmgr
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Comments
6 Responses to “Changes in the League – again”
Got something to say?
Well as a Brit I can say this.. “And, maybe it a British cultural thing, but the wording and explanations in the forum seem pretty heavyhanded.”
That is the opposite of the norm here mate, the British are well know all over the globe as the masters of diplomacy (or we used to be). If it seems heavyhanded or dictatorial it is probably because that is exactly what it is.
oops meant to say “they well known all over the globe” lol bring in the edit button for comment-eers
No, I think you got it exactly right, Dave. It seems to have become somewhat of a dictatorship… But like you say – it is Richs forum and he can do with it as he pleases… I just don’t see PCS getting very many new members with these new rules… I certainly wouldn’t have lasted as a member when I first joined, if I had had to play 2 games a month to stay a member… It took me a couple of month to join the private games…
Guess what I’m saying is – the points you made were some of the reasons why I chose to leave PCS… It just doesn’t seem like people are that welcome anymore unless they are willing to….well…. sign a loyalty oath to PCS…
Well Brother, I don’t know what to tell ya except that time will tell.
A few years ago, when I joined pokercards, they were a pretty good bunch of folks or at least most were. Back then the games had more players and the forum was a fun place to hang out and share ideas.
I really tried to make every game posible and had a great deal of fun playing with the same players over and over because I wanted to improve and I wanted a group of players I could exchange poker theory with.
So I endured the occasional tantrum and pretty much bite my tongue. Hell, why not? I was learning to be a better player and I was gleaning a great bunch of online friends from the forum. As a matter of fact, I was moving up the rakes of the forum and trying to make pokercards a better place. It seemed to be working for me.
When PCS came to life I was asked to be a Mod and jumped at the chance. I was getting a chance to help people learn and took several members under my wing. It was still working for me.
The games had a few less players enrolling but the buyins were moving up so it seemed to balance out fine. The tantrums and hissy fits seemed to be happening every couple months now tho and for stupid ass reasons.
Then the move to the “New” forum. Rich and the new “Web Master” put together a new site. The “Front” page and mission statement read like a third grader had written them. (Not any better today). Myself and other Mods were casted aside even though we were some of the most active members and players. Games started losing players and the forum was being used to dictate our actions and play. This lastest ploy is just a continuance. It has stopped working for me.
Part 2 in the next day or two.
later Bro,
PinkDog
One more thing Dave :-”I am free to say whatever I want since it is my blog”
You are, yes. But, be careful you are not free from persecution from what you say here on your blog.
Amen to that Brother