blonde & Poker Trillion

[danafish]

I also like this forum, the updates, the blonde bashes, the results service, the articles, the blonde leagues, etc.

Goodbye, all those nice things. Frankly, I'm outraged, and I don't think it's entirely down to a piddling £7k from Poker Trillion.

Of course whatever changes have to be made are not entirely down to this debt alone. There have been multiple other issues, but this debt is a large contributory factor.

"Changes" seems a rather weak word to use. I think that with the "changes" that have been made, blonde can expect its entire web visibility to drop off pretty sharpish, and with the poor Google-ability that comes with that, as well as eroding all of the aspects that made blonde good to begin with, you will see less traffic on the site all round, which has to translate into lower revenue for blonde.

[TightEnd]

I also like this forum, the updates, the blonde bashes, the results service, the articles, the blonde leagues, etc.

Goodbye, all those nice things. Frankly, I'm outraged, and I don't think it's entirely down to a piddling £7k from Poker Trillion.

Of course whatever changes have to be made are not entirely down to this debt alone. There have been multiple other issues, but this debt is a large contributory factor.

"Changes" seems a rather weak word to use. I think that with the "changes" that have been made, blonde can expect its entire web visibility to drop off pretty sharpish, and with the poor Google-ability that comes with that, as well as eroding all of the aspects that made blonde good to begin with, you will see less traffic on the site all round, which has to translate into lower revenue for blonde.

There is very little link between traffic and revenue in this environment, nor do I accept your contention that it erodes all of the aspects that made blonde good. Some of them, certainly. I sincerely hope that in due course once the position has improved all blonde services can be restored to normal, but the status quo was untenable financially, sadly.

[danafish]

I also like this forum, the updates, the blonde bashes, the results service, the articles, the blonde leagues, etc.

Goodbye, all those nice things. Frankly, I'm outraged, and I don't think it's entirely down to a piddling £7k from Poker Trillion.

Of course whatever changes have to be made are not entirely down to this debt alone. There have been multiple other issues, but this debt is a large contributory factor.

"Changes" seems a rather weak word to use. I think that with the "changes" that have been made, blonde can expect its entire web visibility to drop off pretty sharpish, and with the poor Google-ability that comes with that, as well as eroding all of the aspects that made blonde good to begin with, you will see less traffic on the site all round, which has to translate into lower revenue for blonde.

There is very little link between traffic and revenue in this environment, nor do I accept your contention that it erodes all of the aspects that made blonde good.

As Mr Kinboshi said, what do people like about blonde? They like the live updates, the results service, the articles and so on. Yes, they also like the sense of community, but how far can blonde go on that alone? I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision. I hope I can be proved wrong.

[TightEnd]

Dana, this is my last public comment on this

It was sadly unavoidable financially. Decisions not taken without a lot of soul searching and exploration of all alternatives, over many months.

I sincerely hope in due course once we're on an even keel that financial improvement can lead to restoration of all the added value blonde services.

[TheChipPrince]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

[AndrewT]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

Has Dana just noticed than Kinboshi was made a mod?

[tikay]

Blimey, there's grief everywhere.......

I've been Offline a few hours on other matters, so bear with me while I get everyone up to date on what's happening, both as to Poker Trillion, & Dana's comments. They are unrelated matters, & I'll start a seperate thread for the latter. Until then, please bear with me.

I am working tonight, from 7pm, but I'm here until then, & all will become clearer by then.

[tikay]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

Please see my Post, & await my further comments.

[AndrewT]

Sorry guys, let me clarify.....

As PT could not fullfill their debt to Everleaf (the network) and did not respond to numerous requests for payment, Everleaf rightfully terminated their contract.

The contract (like most others I assume) stipulates that in this scenario the player database becomes the responsibility of the network.

The fact that Everleaf have assumed control of the player base, does not mean that the debt PT owe them is written off. It is up to Everleaf how they choose to persue this, but with people on the ground in Malta (where Trillion Ltd is registered) they they might find info easier to come by. I have passed on contact details between Blonde and Everleaf and I am naturally interested in this outcome.

Rockem Poker is currently owned by Everleaf. The Rockem skin was built some time ago for another client who did not complete, so was instantly available as a solution for the PT player base. I am not working for the same people in any way shape or form. The Trillion office was in London, I am currently working from home and have been since the end of November. I have had no contact with those who were supposedly behind Trillion for some time.

Also, the main reason why the Trillion name was not kept is that ELG cannot get hold of the URL. It does not belong to Trillion Ltd. Whois shows a 3rd party reseller and its not know what contract Trillion had with this reseller, so the safe option was to use the new name.  

Laxie. I did email you only 1h before you posted to see if you needed any more assistance, as you didn't reply to my previous email earlier this week. Please don't suggest you won't get the funds. It is more than reasonable to ask to see proof you own the card, as in days gone by, the oldest trick in the book was to make a deposit with a stolen card, only to withdrawal to a legit one. Fortunately due to the 3D security now online, such checks will not be necessary in the future.

Col

Thanks Colin - that makes things a lot clearer. The Poker Trillion players and database have essentially been repossessed by the network due to PT not paying the bills.

[George2Loose]

no more updates?

[Djinn]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

This is not entirely down to the Poker Trillion problems, although it seems a natural progression on this thread what with the themes being the shortage of money and problems recovering debts.

It does look like keeping any staff on is not tenable, and therefore Snoopy, Chris, updaters etc. have had to (temporarily) be removed from office.  If people can't be paid what they are owed, there is no other alternative.

This does mean that content generation will drop, and all the other things Dana mentioned - which is undoubtedly a sad thing as they were done, mainly by Snoopy, behind the scenes for years with good visibility.  If as has been mentioned, visibility doesn't mean revenue, then blonde won't suffer any more for the lack of updates/results etc., but as a viable competitor in the poker forum/info market it will disappear altogether. 

[TheChipPrince]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

This is not entirely down to the Poker Trillion problems, although it seems a natural progression on this thread what with the themes being the shortage of money and problems recovering debts.

It does look like keeping any staff on is not tenable, and therefore Snoopy, Chris, updaters etc. have had to (temporarily) be removed from office.  If people can't be paid what they are owed, there is no other alternative.

This does mean that content generation will drop, and all the other things Dana mentioned - which is undoubtedly a sad thing as they were done, mainly by Snoopy, behind the scenes for years with good visibility.  If as has been mentioned, visibility doesn't mean revenue, then blonde won't suffer any more for the lack of updates/results etc., but as a viable competitor in the poker forum/info market it will disappear altogether. 

I told 'em all it'll be downhill once they let a bloody girl with that blonde bash thingy, i knew it, just knew it... 

[Djinn]

Sorry, while typing that I missed a bunch of messages... no harm intended - I genuinely believe all decisions have been and will continue to be made with the best interests of the community in mind, but it may be a different sort of thing than previously.  I suggest everyone wait for tikay to elucidate in a more elegant fashion, although I don't think it's a 'secret' - blonde has always been straight with its members.

[Djinn]

I wish blonde the best of luck, but in my opinion the blonde management have probably just made a disastrous decision.

Am I being stupid in asking what decision this was?

This is not entirely down to the Poker Trillion problems, although it seems a natural progression on this thread what with the themes being the shortage of money and problems recovering debts.

It does look like keeping any staff on is not tenable, and therefore Snoopy, Chris, updaters etc. have had to (temporarily) be removed from office.  If people can't be paid what they are owed, there is no other alternative.

This does mean that content generation will drop, and all the other things Dana mentioned - which is undoubtedly a sad thing as they were done, mainly by Snoopy, behind the scenes for years with good visibility.  If as has been mentioned, visibility doesn't mean revenue, then blonde won't suffer any more for the lack of updates/results etc., but as a viable competitor in the poker forum/info market it will disappear altogether. 

I told 'em all it'll be downhill once they let a bloody girl with that blonde bash thingy, i knew it, just knew it... 

Yes.  My first actions upon obtaining the Presidency were to:

a) Spend the entire update budget on a novelty license plate for my car reading B4SH W1N

b) Get Snoopy to sign a contract for Indentured Personal Servant to Me Alone (he thought he was giving an autograph)

c) Send spam emails with a picture of me on it to all members of other forums saying "Sign Up to Blonde or I'll Get a Hit Put out on You."

I don't think, on reflection, that was a good financial move.

[tikay]

OK, as to Poker Trillion & blonde.

We've lost the £7k. Fact. We came to that view weeks ago, it's no great shock, nobody died, & we'll get over it. I'm not even mad about it. In the greater scheme of things, it's no big deal. I am pretty miffed that there are shysters & fraudsters about, I live my life in a different world to people with that morality, & be in no doubt, Poker Trillion have defrauded many Creditors. They have not paid anyone, for months, they have no replied to any e-Mails, 'phone calls, letters, anything. They just cocked a deaf 'un, & carried on growing the debt month on month, knowing they would never pay it. Nice peeps......

The players? Their money was always safe, & it remains safe, so far as I can tell. That's just my read, but I trust it 100%.

Everleaf? We have no quarrel with them. Their promised e-Mail to me (see Col's comments last weekend) never arrived, & I never expected it to. They were Trillion's largest creditor, by some way.

That debt accrued because Trillion were offering something that was transparently not offerable - $100k a month of Guaranteed Tourneys, plus huge Reload Bonuses, Rakeback, Buy-Ins, etc, on a thin player-base. It was never going to cover the Guarantee, ever ever ever. So there was a huge monthly overlay. That overlay fed the Debt from Trillion to Everleaf.

Trillion netted some $25k a month in (Net, after regular Network Charges) revenue, but as Everleaf were owed over (I estimate) $60k a month in overlay, they never paid Trllion - rightly - & the unpaid balance formed the ever increasing monthly debt. So Trillion never got any income, & at the same time, their debt to Everleaf grew monthly.

So Everleaf decided to take control of/sequester/seize/steal Trillions player Database.

That Player Database is/was Trillion's biggest Asset. It has considerable value. Each player on the Database has a "per player head value" to a Buyer.

As an asset of Trllion, who are now, presumably failed/in administration/in liquidation, that Asset belongs to the Creditors as  a whole, I'd have thought, &, excepting "Preferential Creditors" (a legal term), all of them are eqully entitled to x pence in the pound in repayment from the realisation of assets.

So Everleaf got in first, & in a way, that's just & fair, as they were owed the most. If the Authorities deemed this improper (it may not be improper, but I suspect it is), Everleaf could just say "oops, sorry, you can have it back then, here it is". Having first extracted all the names & data they needed.......

To be honest, I don't blame Everleaf - they were owed the most, they recovered Trillion's prime asset to satisfy the debt. It's "sharp", I'd say, but hey, there's no point getting steamed up about it, or trying to get it back via Legal means, it ain't gonna happen. The money's gone, end of, & I'm not going to run around with a bag on for the rest of my life about it.

Would I ever Deposit money with Rock Em Poker? I'll let you work that out.

Now, to individuals.....

Continued.......