First up, it's good to see a few "strangers" posting here, thanks Guys. I assume you generally "lurk", but feel free to get involved, as we want to keep this Forum active.
All suggestions get forwarded to the Suits, so your voice will be heard by the people that matter.
However, I don't expect to see much in the way of changes to the core schedule right now. As most of you know, Sky Betting & Gaming, who own Sky Poker, are now themselves owned by TSG (The Stars Group, aka PokerStars). Later this year it's very likely there will be some significant changes to the site & it's software, but until then I think it will, for the most part, continue "as is". That's not to say the schedule can't be tweaked, but in the short term - say, 6 to 9 months, I don't expect major changes.
Your feedback is appreciated though, keep it coming please.
is that a way of saying sky poker will move to pokerstars tikay?? lets hope not. i remember the day Betfair poker was the mutts nuts, but when they changed it all went south. Their poker forum was buzzing, now its a graveyard. Quite nice to see this forum has some energy. I didn't know there was a forum until the other day.
I thought TSG (The Stars Group) was going to be amalgamated with Flutter Entertainment, the company that owns Betfair and Paddy Power. Is this still the case?
is that a way of saying sky poker will move to pokerstars tikay?? lets hope not. i remember the day Betfair poker was the mutts nuts, but when they changed it all went south. Their poker forum was buzzing, now its a graveyard. Quite nice to see this forum has some energy. I didn't know there was a forum until the other day.
No, it's just me trying to honestly answer questions as openly as I can, when the truth is I suspect none of us know EXACTLY how it will all end up.
It's quite a complex subject, which I've kept regulars here up to date on - such as I can - throughout.
Quite what the final solution will be I honestly don't know, but I fully expect Sky Poker to continue long-term. Quite what form it takes remains to be seen, but personally, I'm hoping for some sort of hybrid that will retain much of what makes Sky Poker what it is. (For better or worse...).
Betfair Poker & Forum, yes, back in the day - a VERY long time ago now - it was huge. You could say the same about many sites (Ladbrokes is another), truth is the entire landscape has changed beyond recognition. Ladbrokes Poker used to be huge by European standards, now it's barely an also-ran, as are many others.
And as you mentioned Betfair, perhaps worth mentioning that they are now part of Flutter Group, alongside Paddy Power. And Flutter Group recently announced their intentions to purchase/merge with The Stars Group. So, in effect, if that goes through (it's currently subject to Regulatory scrutiny), then Sky Poker will effectively become part of Flutter Group who own Betfair. That would likely happen in 2021.
Lots of change already, & lots more to come.
So it's hard to say how things will pan out yet awhile, but I'm very confident that Sky Poker will continue for the foreseeable future, & certainly my lifetime.*
Again, I don't know the full SP, but I expect it to continue as is for the next year or so & hopefully beyond, all being well. For perspective, I doubt the Forum is top of their list of priorities right now, with two huge businesses - SB&G & TSG - currently in the throes of a very complex transition, with the possibility of further transition next year if & when Flutter join the party.
I must add that these are just my personal views based on what I know & perceive. I've been known to be wrong...
When there is firm news, I'm sure one of the Big Cheeses - Sam probably - will come on the Forum & reveal all. Doubt it will be this side of autumn though.
First up, it's good to see a few "strangers" posting here, thanks Guys. I assume you generally "lurk", but feel free to get involved, as we want to keep this Forum active.
All suggestions get forwarded to the Suits, so your voice will be heard by the people that matter.
Thought it was worth mentioning how great this is - we can log onto a forum, give a suggestion and know it'll be passed directly to someone who actually handles this part of the business. Not many online poker sites left where you can do that
Just dont move to ipoker. it'll be the death of you!
Ha. I once part owned an i-Poker skin & they closed us down, so I'm fully au fait with what they are like. No further comment M'Lord.
I can't tell you with 100% certainly what Sky Poker will do, but I can give you a 100% cast-iron guarantee that they won't be moving to i-Poker. Sky Poker & all it's big brothers & sisters - Sky Bet, Sky Bingo, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Lotto & so on - are ALL owned now by TSG ('Stars), so I-poker will never be in the frame for their poker offering.
Ah I didn't realise TSG had acquired Sky Poker. Sounds like it's inevitable that they will migrate it on to the Pokerstars platform - would make total business sense. They'll prob just keep the branding seeing as Sky have a strong brand affinity in the UK.
I gave Sky Poker a good go last week - made 3 FT's of which 1 I won - but the reality is that it's just not feasible for me to play long term with a full time job. Each night I questioned my existence knowing that I was going to be shattered the next day. Being a UK only site, I was hoping the schedule was going to be more suited to UK players than other sites such as Pokerstars.
In the meantime, I'd love to see a daily £10k GTD that starts at 7pm. All it needs is short CRM campaign targeted at idle accounts and I'm sure it would conjure up an additional 100 players. There will be a giant pot of them I'm sure. Wouldn't be rocket-science. Don't think I've ever received an email from Sky Poker, not even to confirm a tournament result. And if for some reason I opted out to comms when I registered, simply run an email campaign designed to get people opt-ing back in.
Granted the extra runners would likely result in a similar finish time. But there's more chance that I could reason a 1am finish with myself when the prize structure covers more than the top 6ish players and 1st place is closer to the £2k mark.
The daily schedule is just a bit meh at the moment. Get some more bums on seats and then we'll be laughing. It just needs Sky Poker to drop a significantly juicy carrot and then we'll be rock 'n' rolling. Like danrich925 said, that might mean taking a leaf our of Party Poker's book and overlaying for the first month!
It would be nice to have the Tournament Guarantees (Mains) go back to where they were last Winter, instead of them still being on the 'Summer' Guarantees. I know they nearly always come in over the guarantee, but I'm sure some people (as @Los88 points out) don't bother playing the Tournaments because the Prizepool isn't big enough to start with, to justify entering. It's amazing how UKOPS events usually meet or surpass the guarantee, and the Sunday Major always seems to, and especially since the rebuy when busting option was introduced for all the Mains.
@dragon1964@Tikay10 - if it's a service-led email then it would be fine under latest GDPR legislation. For example, if Sky Poker sent me an email confirming my result - position, prize winnings etc. ( which in my opinion should be general hygiene) then this would not be seen as marketing comms. It's a service-led email.
There's no reason you couldn't include a 'Not receiving news of our latest promotions and exclusive offers. Opt-in here.'
Anyway, my main point was that there appears to be zero customer engagement strategy with the database. Which in this day and age is clumsy.
@dragon1964@Tikay10 - if it's a service-led email then it would be fine under latest GDPR legislation. For example, if Sky Poker sent me an email confirming my result - position, prize winnings etc. ( which in my opinion should be general hygiene) then this would not be seen as marketing comms. It's a service-led email.
There's no reason you couldn't include a 'Not receiving news of our latest promotions and exclusive offers. Opt-in here.'
Anyway, my main point was that there appears to be zero customer engagement strategy with the database. Which in this day and age is clumsy.
Always good for the forum to have new people who post. Life is about opinions. Here is my take on the problems facing Sky about your proposed way forward.
1. No-one knows what Stars are going to do. Even if anyone did know, due to various Laws, they would not be able to tell us.
2. A £10k guaranteed at 7 pm? I'm sure Sky would love one. If it could get the runners. However, Sky (unlike, say, Party) is a UK-only site. And while 7 may suit you (and me), it doesn't suit the majority of UK/Sky players. That's why, even during a UKOPS, a 7pm start struggles for numbers. And I don't see any European site getting anything like those guarantees (even allowing for the fact that Europe is normally 1-2 hours ahead of us).
3. With respect, it is not easy for any site to find new (or keen dormant) players. Online poker has been contracting in the UK for some years. Various sites have tried what you suggest (before GDPR), but with rather limited success.
4. It's a bit optimistic to expect Sky to splurge cash for possible future returns. When Sky is in the process of being taken over. And Stars may be bought out (again). Most poker sites are just a tiny part of the general Betting and Gaming. It is 2020. not 2006. More's the pity.
5. GDPR is a major hurdle. Most gambling sites have received 7-figure penalties in the last 18 months in relation to their dealings with "problem" gamblers. And it is undoubtedly the case that things are going to get even stricter.
6. The points/bonuses are used as a tool for marketing. If you haven't received info, then you must have opted out. Most people receive weekly emails.
You claim there is "zero customer engagement strategy" and "a daily schedule...that is a bit meh." While using one of the major planks of it-this forum. Good luck finding another poker site that would allow its customers to use a public forum in this way.
Is Sky perfect? Of course not. Does it suit all poker players? Ditto. But it tries. And lots of us like it.
Comments
All suggestions get forwarded to the Suits, so your voice will be heard by the people that matter.
However, I don't expect to see much in the way of changes to the core schedule right now. As most of you know, Sky Betting & Gaming, who own Sky Poker, are now themselves owned by TSG (The Stars Group, aka PokerStars). Later this year it's very likely there will be some significant changes to the site & it's software, but until then I think it will, for the most part, continue "as is". That's not to say the schedule can't be tweaked, but in the short term - say, 6 to 9 months, I don't expect major changes.
Your feedback is appreciated though, keep it coming please.
i remember the day Betfair poker was the mutts nuts, but when they changed it all went south. Their poker forum was buzzing, now its a graveyard. Quite nice to see this forum has some energy. I didn't know there was a forum until the other day.
No, it's just me trying to honestly answer questions as openly as I can, when the truth is I suspect none of us know EXACTLY how it will all end up.
It's quite a complex subject, which I've kept regulars here up to date on - such as I can - throughout.
Quite what the final solution will be I honestly don't know, but I fully expect Sky Poker to continue long-term. Quite what form it takes remains to be seen, but personally, I'm hoping for some sort of hybrid that will retain much of what makes Sky Poker what it is. (For better or worse...).
Betfair Poker & Forum, yes, back in the day - a VERY long time ago now - it was huge. You could say the same about many sites (Ladbrokes is another), truth is the entire landscape has changed beyond recognition. Ladbrokes Poker used to be huge by European standards, now it's barely an also-ran, as are many others.
And as you mentioned Betfair, perhaps worth mentioning that they are now part of Flutter Group, alongside Paddy Power. And Flutter Group recently announced their intentions to purchase/merge with The Stars Group. So, in effect, if that goes through (it's currently subject to Regulatory scrutiny), then Sky Poker will effectively become part of Flutter Group who own Betfair. That would likely happen in 2021.
Lots of change already, & lots more to come.
So it's hard to say how things will pan out yet awhile, but I'm very confident that Sky Poker will continue for the foreseeable future, & certainly my lifetime.*
* Should add I'm quite old...
Again, I don't know the full SP, but I expect it to continue as is for the next year or so & hopefully beyond, all being well. For perspective, I doubt the Forum is top of their list of priorities right now, with two huge businesses - SB&G & TSG - currently in the throes of a very complex transition, with the possibility of further transition next year if & when Flutter join the party.
I must add that these are just my personal views based on what I know & perceive. I've been known to be wrong...
When there is firm news, I'm sure one of the Big Cheeses - Sam probably - will come on the Forum & reveal all. Doubt it will be this side of autumn though.
I can't tell you with 100% certainly what Sky Poker will do, but I can give you a 100% cast-iron guarantee that they won't be moving to i-Poker. Sky Poker & all it's big brothers & sisters - Sky Bet, Sky Bingo, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Lotto & so on - are ALL owned now by TSG ('Stars), so I-poker will never be in the frame for their poker offering.
I gave Sky Poker a good go last week - made 3 FT's of which 1 I won - but the reality is that it's just not feasible for me to play long term with a full time job. Each night I questioned my existence knowing that I was going to be shattered the next day. Being a UK only site, I was hoping the schedule was going to be more suited to UK players than other sites such as Pokerstars.
In the meantime, I'd love to see a daily £10k GTD that starts at 7pm. All it needs is short CRM campaign targeted at idle accounts and I'm sure it would conjure up an additional 100 players. There will be a giant pot of them I'm sure. Wouldn't be rocket-science. Don't think I've ever received an email from Sky Poker, not even to confirm a tournament result. And if for some reason I opted out to comms when I registered, simply run an email campaign designed to get people opt-ing back in.
Granted the extra runners would likely result in a similar finish time. But there's more chance that I could reason a 1am finish with myself when the prize structure covers more than the top 6ish players and 1st place is closer to the £2k mark.
The daily schedule is just a bit meh at the moment. Get some more bums on seats and then we'll be laughing. It just needs Sky Poker to drop a significantly juicy carrot and then we'll be rock 'n' rolling. Like danrich925 said, that might mean taking a leaf our of Party Poker's book and overlaying for the first month!
It's amazing how UKOPS events usually meet or surpass the guarantee, and the Sunday Major always seems to, and especially since the rebuy when busting option was introduced for all the Mains.
The fact that someone opted out of comms probably means they shouldn't include them in an email campaign, surely.
@Tikay10
Would this come under GDPR and compliance rules.
Yes, if opted out of Comms, my assumption is that it would not be permitted to send them e-Mails.
There's no reason you couldn't include a 'Not receiving news of our latest promotions and exclusive offers. Opt-in here.'
Anyway, my main point was that there appears to be zero customer engagement strategy with the database. Which in this day and age is clumsy.
Life is about opinions. Here is my take on the problems facing Sky about your proposed way forward.
1. No-one knows what Stars are going to do. Even if anyone did know, due to various Laws, they would not be able to tell us.
2. A £10k guaranteed at 7 pm? I'm sure Sky would love one. If it could get the runners. However, Sky (unlike, say, Party) is a UK-only site. And while 7 may suit you (and me), it doesn't suit the majority of UK/Sky players. That's why, even during a UKOPS, a 7pm start struggles for numbers. And I don't see any European site getting anything like those guarantees (even allowing for the fact that Europe is normally 1-2 hours ahead of us).
3. With respect, it is not easy for any site to find new (or keen dormant) players. Online poker has been contracting in the UK for some years. Various sites have tried what you suggest (before GDPR), but with rather limited success.
4. It's a bit optimistic to expect Sky to splurge cash for possible future returns. When Sky is in the process of being taken over. And Stars may be bought out (again). Most poker sites are just a tiny part of the general Betting and Gaming. It is 2020. not 2006. More's the pity.
5. GDPR is a major hurdle. Most gambling sites have received 7-figure penalties in the last 18 months in relation to their dealings with "problem" gamblers. And it is undoubtedly the case that things are going to get even stricter.
6. The points/bonuses are used as a tool for marketing. If you haven't received info, then you must have opted out. Most people receive weekly emails.
You claim there is "zero customer engagement strategy" and "a daily schedule...that is a bit meh." While using one of the major planks of it-this forum. Good luck finding another poker site that would allow its customers to use a public forum in this way.
Is Sky perfect? Of course not. Does it suit all poker players? Ditto.
But it tries. And lots of us like it.