Sky Poker Tour

[tikay]

....."so on the sky website they are saying these are £10K packages not 12K, perhaps you made a mistake?....."

I'm bang to rights there - my mistake, as you rightly suggest. The Package is actually worth £10,000. I'll Edit the Post in which I stated that shortly.

In my defence, I copied it from the Sky Poker Blog. Which, err, I wrote - only yesterday! I've just whizzed an urgent & somewhat tail between legs e-Mail to Sky to ask them to edit my boo-boo.

I do apologise.

I have mitigation, but I've not decided what it is yet. Give me time, I'll come up with something.

[tikay]

tikay, I want to qualify to the WSOP on Sky so that I get to do the usual hookers, blow, stripclub, vegas thing with you cos presumably you'll be out there with sky looking after the qualifiers again?

Delighted to hear you want to qualify on Sky, so that's a good start.

But I have no idea if I will be out there with Sky Poker or not. Nothing's been said yet so I really don't know. It's not the sort of question I can ask, to be honest - if I get to go, I'll be delighted, if I don't, so be it. We have a lot of Presenters & Analysts all hoping for the gig, so we shall have to wait & see.

Helen Taylor, who looked after our 4 qualifiers & their 4 Guests last year will be there again this year - you might recall photographs of her from my Diary last year. She's an absolutely superb host, & will ensure everyone has a good time. But I don't think that includes those palaces of sin to which you allude......We did visit the Railroad Msrshalling Yard, mind you. Fascinating it was, too, though the lads all opted to miss that on.

[tikay]

".....at the end of the day it doesn't really matter if flights, hotel, seat and hookers comes to 10K or 12K or whatever and obv sky have the exchange rate to worry about as well.....

but if it is a 10K package isn't £100 juice on an online £1K sat a bit expensive? (I fully realise that I can piss off and play somewhere else if I wish to ldo  )......"

I've no idea Byron, I'm not very "up" on comparitive Poker Site Juice really, but if you say it is, you are probably/possibly right.

As you say (in code....), you pay your money & you take your choice.

I don't actually think anyone - or hardly anyone will buy Direct into that Final, to be honest, the whole thing is designed for folks to qualify via the feeder "tree", for which Entry costs from as little as £1.45. 10 have qualified for the March 22nd Final so far, all via feeder satellites. Maybe some last minute "panic" Direct Buy-Ins might occur to our April Final, but at that stage, I'd say the value is better if someone was desperate to get to Vegas.

The Viva Las Vegas package designed for the regular Sky Poker users, who tend to play at less then nosebleed stakes. Feedback suggests they are enjoying the challenge, too, the buzz on the site about it is pretty high right now.

[tikay]

Finally, the difficult one.

# All Package winners will be provided with Sky Poker branded clothing, the wearing of which is compulsory during participation in events, notwithstanding the requirements of the event organiser.
# The promotion by Package winners of any other gaming product or service is prohibited and Sky Poker reserves the right to require players to change clothing that bears any branding for other gaming product or services.

what happens if I get to the final table and FT offer me 2 mill and a sponsorship deal to wear their shirt instead? Andy Black did it to Party if you remember. 

The Terms & Conditions are quite clear. You quote the Andy Black example, but there are others - Peter Eastgate I think, & that girl, Tiffany Whatnot?

So Sky have embodied it into their Terms & Conditions, & so they should. Whether it's enforceable, I don't know, but the T's & C's are legal, in English Law, so presumably yes, they can be enforced.

The anarchy in poker, particulrly at the WSOP, is something that disturbs me greatly. Players go to the WSOP with a particular site, and when they get deep, this unseemly auction starts, with the Majors throwing bags of money at players. If you've ever witnessed it at first hand, it's one of the most ugly & undignified sights you'd ever wish to see. Poker players & Poker Sites are subject to the same Laws as anyone else, & this anarchy has to be addressed. So those who qualify on Sky Poker will have entered into a legal & binding contract to comply with the T & C's. And unless they agree to it, they will not be on the Jet Plane to Vegas, would be my take. And by playing on the Site, they are deemed to have accepted that.

If an Online Poker Site ripped off payers, there'd be a hue & cry. But it's a 2 way street, & both parties should play by the Rules. So if the T & C's state you are tied to that Site, & you accepted them by playing on the Site, then you should be. Players can't make up the T & C's as they go along, any more than the the Sites can.

It's enforceability is a moot point which can be argued forever, but the T & C's are unambigious.

In reality, 7,000 odd players will tavel to Vegas with high hopes & a $10,000 ticket, & this issue will affect about 20 of them - one third of one per cent. A bridge to cross later, methinks, but it makes sense to prepare for it properly.

I hope that addrresses - if not satisfactorily, at least fully - all your questions. Which were, by the way, wholly fair & reasonable. Thanks.

[KarmaDope]

Tony, following on from that explanation, whats to stop any qualifier from breaking the T and C's? I had a look through them just now, and I'm no RobertHM, but I can't see any punishment for breaking them apart from disqualification - which would be a moot point if you've already started the tournament, Sky can't exactly get you thrown out of the WSOP Main Event once it has begun.

[phatbhoy]

no but I am sure they could try and sue you for at least the package and the full amount of the other sponsors payment as this is lost advertising for them???

[Colchester Kev]

Lets be realistic here, if someone who qualified on Sky got to the stage of the comp where silly money deals are being offered, do you not think a site like SKY are in a pretty good position to offer something tasty ?

plus anyone who shafts the site they qualified on should be tarred and feathered imo.

[byronkincaid]

tikay, thank you for your comprehensive reply. I keep on forgetting that when I ask you what I think is a simple question I will be tieing you up for the rest of the afternoon. Please feel free to ignore me in the future.

Firstly I really hope you get to go to Vegas. I thought the other blonde updaters were great, snoops was incredibly funny, but I can only vividly remember reading the ones that you were involved in. Monaco with 1K SNGs on the boat and that great ivey hand, Ireland with ariston offering to help but only lasting 2 minutes, Paris for IIRC the WPT that Roland won, Vegas with you and Jen having dinner with Andy Black in the year he got to the final. So if only purely for my own selfish FREE entertainment I hope you get the gig.

I wonder if Chili were to qualify for the WSOP on some internet site having paid an entry fee of course and she gets to, as you say top 20, if FT or Stars or whoever offer her a 5 mill package that will secure her financially for the rest of her life, if you would advise her to take it or not. I wonder if FT would be prepared to pay the legal fees if Rupert did decide to get litigious. I remember asking you about AB at the time and you said he had been offered such a ridiculous amount of money that he couldn't turn it down. Obv your viewpoint is from a different angle these days.

I guess the GUKPT juice looks kinda cheap then at £60

Thanks again

[tikay]

Tony, following on from that explanation, whats to stop any qualifier from breaking the T and C's? I had a look through them just now, and I'm no RobertHM, but I can't see any punishment for breaking them apart from disqualification - which would be a moot point if you've already started the tournament, Sky can't exactly get you thrown out of the WSOP Main Event once it has begun.

And there, in the first sentence, you have it. Someone agrees to abide by legally based T & C's, then says "what's to stop me breaking it"! Sums it up, really.

And no, Sky could not get anyone "thrown out" of the WSOP, nor, I fancy, would they even try.

It's very simple. By agreeing to abide by the T & C's - which you have to, to play the Site, you accept the T & C's. It's a Contract. And if you fail to fulfil a Contract, or break it, there are any number of legal remedies available.

[I KNOW IT]

Tony, following on from that explanation, whats to stop any qualifier from breaking the T and C's? I had a look through them just now, and I'm no RobertHM, but I can't see any punishment for breaking them apart from disqualification - which would be a moot point if you've already started the tournament, Sky can't exactly get you thrown out of the WSOP Main Event once it has begun.

And there, in the first sentence, you have it. Someone agrees to abide by legally based T & C's, then says "what's to stop me breaking it"! Sums it up, really.

And no, Sky could not get anyone "thrown out" of the WSOP, nor, I fancy, would they even try.

It's very simple. By agreeing to abide by the T & C's - which you have to, to play the Site, you accept the T & C's. It's a Contract. And if you fail to fulfil a Contract, or break it, there are any number of legal remedies available.

Without reading the whole thread(apologies) are Sky actually giving the winning satelite qualifiers anything for expenses or $$ for wearing their apparell, or is this all in with the package which is funded by the players?
iirc Stars gave hotel accom if you wore their logo

[tikay]

tikay, thank you for your comprehensive reply. I keep on forgetting that when I ask you what I think is a simple question I will be tieing you up for the rest of the afternoon. Please feel free to ignore me in the future.

Firstly I really hope you get to go to Vegas. I thought the other blonde updaters were great, snoops was incredibly funny, but I can only vividly remember reading the ones that you were involved in. Monaco with 1K SNGs on the boat and that great ivey hand, Ireland with ariston offering to help but only lasting 2 minutes, Paris for IIRC the WPT that Roland won, Vegas with you and Jen having dinner with Andy Black in the year he got to the final. So if only purely for my own selfish FREE entertainment I hope you get the gig.

I wonder if Chili were to qualify for the WSOP on some internet site having paid an entry fee of course and she gets to, as you say top 20, if FT or Stars or whoever offer her a 5 mill package that will secure her financially for the rest of her life, if you would advise her to take it or not. I wonder if FT would be prepared to pay the legal fees if Rupert did decide to get litigious. I remember asking you about AB at the time and you said he had been offered such a ridiculous amount of money that he couldn't turn it down. Obv your viewpoint is from a different angle these days.

I guess the GUKPT juice looks kinda cheap then at £60

Thanks again

Thanks Byron.

Well yes, it takes a while to answer, because I try to answer it properly.

What would I advise Chili in the example I gave?

Chili is a personal friend, & I'd advise her accordingly.

To be honest, I could never, comfortably, advise anyone to break a Contract, I just don't like that sort of thing. Why sign/agree to Contracts if you are not going to respect them? Both sides, remember.

I work for Sky Poker, & I answered your questions accordingly.

You have amazing recall for my early Updates, in Monaco for the Million, on the Yacht  in Greece & Monte Carlo (I don't recall doing updates from the yacht), from Paris, (yup, it was the WPT that Roland won, we had dinner with him too, & the Event where I tried to walk through a plate glass door on the Champs Elysses), the WSOP where AB cashed, & Jen & I had dinner with him most nights. What wonderful memories.

I've enjoyed all my Vegas Trips, and they have all been "working" trips, maybe one day I'll go there just to play.

So yes, I'm with you. It'd be nice to get the gig, but my defence mechanisms are in place right now, & I'm assuming I won't. It's just how my mind works.

[lazaroonie]

personally, i think its a bit much to ask players to wear any pokersites branding unless the site are offering something in return - if 10 players are paying 1K each for a 10K sat then there is no added value. ultimately you need to do your homework before deciding on where you are going to try and qualify.

[tikay]

Tony, following on from that explanation, whats to stop any qualifier from breaking the T and C's? I had a look through them just now, and I'm no RobertHM, but I can't see any punishment for breaking them apart from disqualification - which would be a moot point if you've already started the tournament, Sky can't exactly get you thrown out of the WSOP Main Event once it has begun.

And there, in the first sentence, you have it. Someone agrees to abide by legally based T & C's, then says "what's to stop me breaking it"! Sums it up, really.

And no, Sky could not get anyone "thrown out" of the WSOP, nor, I fancy, would they even try.

It's very simple. By agreeing to abide by the T & C's - which you have to, to play the Site, you accept the T & C's. It's a Contract. And if you fail to fulfil a Contract, or break it, there are any number of legal remedies available.

Without reading the whole thread(apologies) are Sky actually giving the winning satelite qualifiers anything for expenses or $$ for wearing their apparell, or is this all in with the package which is funded by the players?
iirc Stars gave hotel accom if you wore their logo

The package includes a Hotel Suite at The Rio, return air tickets for two, expenses/spending money, &n being "Hosted" & wined & dined, (doing the Vegas thing).   

[tikay]

personally, i think its a bit much to ask players to wear any pokersites branding unless the site are offering something in return - if 10 players are paying 1K each for a 10K sat then there is no added value. ultimately you need to do your homework before deciding on where you are going to try and qualify.

There you go.

[lazaroonie]

Tony, following on from that explanation, whats to stop any qualifier from breaking the T and C's? I had a look through them just now, and I'm no RobertHM, but I can't see any punishment for breaking them apart from disqualification - which would be a moot point if you've already started the tournament, Sky can't exactly get you thrown out of the WSOP Main Event once it has begun.

And there, in the first sentence, you have it. Someone agrees to abide by legally based T & C's, then says "what's to stop me breaking it"! Sums it up, really.

And no, Sky could not get anyone "thrown out" of the WSOP, nor, I fancy, would they even try.

It's very simple. By agreeing to abide by the T & C's - which you have to, to play the Site, you accept the T & C's. It's a Contract. And if you fail to fulfil a Contract, or break it, there are any number of legal remedies available.

Without reading the whole thread(apologies) are Sky actually giving the winning satelite qualifiers anything for expenses or $$ for wearing their apparell, or is this all in with the package which is funded by the players?
iirc Stars gave hotel accom if you wore their logo

The package includes a Hotel Suite at The Rio, return air tickets for two, expenses/spending money, &n being "Hosted" & wined & dined, (doing the Vegas thing).   

dont get me wrong - if there is added value then I think that is reasonable. nice suite at the rio ?

better look out one of those skypoker shirts in xxxl