The post OPINION: A Question Mark Over Price Points as the European Poker Tour Returns to Malta After Ten Years appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
EPT returns to Malta in October
Firstly, and very importantly, I want to make it very clear that I am a big fan of PokerStars Live events and have been especially impressed by the work of the tour organizers since the COVID-19 lockdowns ended. I have been a loyal attendee to far more of their events than those of any other operator in my career. I have also been a squeaky wheel when it comes to speaking up against things that I perceive as not in the players’ best interests. Save a few minor points, I have had virtually nothing to complain about with regard to PokerStars stops for the best part of four years.Â
I do hope that my track record offers some confidence to the reader
I am also conscious that I am an ambassador for WPT Global, an arm of the WPT which runs events to rival those on the European Poker Tour (EPT), North American Poker Tour, PokerStars regional tours around the globe, and PokerStars Opens. It is absolutely fair and reasonable to view anything that I write or say through that lens, but I do hope that my track record offers some confidence to the reader that my perspectives are always player-centric and not party political.
With that lengthy preamble out of the way, I want to express how excited I was when I first heard that the EPT was returning to Malta after ten years. The island is a brilliant poker destination, especially in the autumn, offering traveling players lots of off-the-felt activities, great food options, and good value when it comes to hotel and entertainment costs. I really hope that the players who come from October 1-12 have a brilliant time, but I fear that fewer of them may be in attendance than I previously anticipated.
EPT Malta too pricey?
I hope that this is not true, but I think PokerStars has gotten it wrong with the price points for the two biggest field tournaments at the EPT Malta. In Barcelona, the powers-that-be wisely increased the cost of admission to the Open and Cup by 50%, well aware that it would deter about 15% of the field. Capacity is an issue at the Arts Hotel/Casino Barcelona, so it made perfect sense to price a chunk of people out of the market with a €1650 ($1,926) and €825 ($963) buy-in, respectively.
In Malta, those will also be the buy-in amounts for the Open and Cup, but there are no such capacity issues. The Intercontinental Hotel/Eden Complex has ample space so, in my opinion, they should be priced at €1100 ($1,284) and €550 ($642). Not only is that a sweeter spot for big field tournaments in Europe, but specifically for the South and East of the continent, where the price of everything is a fraction of what it is in more salubrious destinations like Barcelona, Paris, and Monte-Carlo.
Now, some might argue that PokerStars is maintaining uniformity with a consistency of price points across the EPT stops. They are doing that, but I just think that market forces should trump that argument. The PokerStars Campione Open €1100 Main Event was a massive success, veritably bursting at the seams back in March. The Italian contingent was a big part of reason for that, and they will be again, as they always are, in Malta, where the vast majority of festivals for the last three years (Battle of Malta, Malta Poker Festival, StanleyBet One, The Festival, The Sigma Poker Tour, partypoker Tour, Vamos Poker Tour, Eurasian Poker Tour, Israeli Poker Championship, People’s Poker Tour, and Unibet Deepstack Open) price their main events at or around €550.
More three-figure buy-in NLHE tournaments would be nice
I came to play the EPT Malta in 2015 and I never went home. I fell in love with the island and the cheap and cheerful lifestyle it provided. The decade that I have spent here has given me a sense of not just the local market, but also the traveling one, and the conversations that I have had with locals and regular poker visitors over the past few months suggest that the EPT is out of their budgets.
PokerStars would have been wiser to appeal to a broader demographic
Now I accept that this is purely anecdotal and it is important to factor in that there is certainly an altogether different market that is more enthused by bigger games. They may flock in big numbers for the beefier buy-ins. It just strikes me that PokerStars would have been wiser to appeal to a broader demographic with an €1100 Open, €550 Cup, and more three-figure buy-in open No-Limit Hold’em side events than the just four turbos/hypers that are on the 12-day schedule.
To give credit, I would like to point out the presence of a €550 Seniors Event, a €330 ($385) Women’s Event, and a bunch of mixed games at the €550 price point: HORSE, 8-Game, and 2-7 Single Draw, all very welcome inclusions. I would just like to have seen a cheaper Open, a cheaper Cup, and one other well-structured €330 buy-in NLHE game on the schedule. Consider, too, the knock-on effect on the satellites in terms of affordability. Players who play smaller but always try to qualify are also getting a bit squeezed.
Counterpoints
One data point that suggests that I am dead wrong is that the online satellites for Malta have performed reasonably well, generating a similar number of seats to what Monte-Carlo has gotten for the past couple of years. If that is an accurate guidepost to what PokerStars’ expectations are, then that would suggest an approximately 2,400-runner Open. That would certainly be a respectable number to hit, but I really think that, with a smaller buy-in, and considering that the Campione Open got 2,400 entrants, there was a real opportunity to hit 3,500+ next month.
EPT Barcelona was an easier event to manage without ten-handed tables, cramped spaces, and alternate lines
Another way to look at this is that PokerStars might actually want there to be fewer players. I don’t think that rake collection is much of a factor, but it does not hurt to be getting 50% more rake for the same product. What I suspect is a factor, however, is how EPT Barcelona was an easier event to manage without ten-handed tables, cramped spaces, and alternate lines. Player experience is important to the brand, so that might be what’s going on here. There could also be a perception that a less expensive Open and Cup would detract from the prestige of EPT Malta. If that is the case, then it might not be a misjudgment by PokerStars but actually a calculated decision.
In any case, whoever comes will be treated well by a PokerStars Live team that always delivers. The venue is spacious. The dealers and floor staff will be top-notch. The parties will be fun. I sincerely hope that I am wrong and that it is an absolutely humungous event. I want that for Malta, the local players, and the people who show up. I will gladly eat humble pie if I have misjudged the appetite for a €1650 Open and a €825 Cup on this little Mediterranean archipelago. I’ll say now that my friends at PokerStars (who I hope are still my friends) are free to mock me relentlessly if my hunch is off.
The post OPINION: A Question Mark Over Price Points as the European Poker Tour Returns to Malta After Ten Years appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
