Players Not in Favor of the New PokerStars VIP Rewards Program

PokerStars has decided to replace its earlier VIP rewards program with a new one called the VIP Steps program, but players are unhappy with the new change and a few have even called it a “money grab” move by the site.

The new program is slated to be implemented in the UK first from Oct 1, and then expanded to include all global PokerStars sites from Jan 1, 2016. Currently the program is being beta-tested by players in the UK.

The announcement was made on the Two Plus Two forum by “PokerStars Dylan” from the PokerStars VIP Team, who stated that the change was made for a more transparent and accessible rewards system. To quote, “One of the primary purposes of Steps is to surface VIP Rewards to players so that there is a more intuitive relationship between playing and earning FPPs. We expect this to be a more engaging method for players to earn and understand their rewards.”

VIP Steps

The new program will feature “progress bars” and players can earn FPP points by completing a “step.” The progress bars will let players know how far the player has come in completing a step and the FPP points will be rewarded only after it is complete.

Overall, the progress bars are meant to be a system that will allow players to see all the levels and their own progress on each one.

The question that has bugged players though, is what happens to the FPP points, if one does not complete a step?

Dylan writes that, “At the end of the month for monthly statuses, and end of the year for Supernova+ VIP statuses, players will receive 50 percent of the prorated value of their incomplete current Step.”

The site is justifying this as means to get players to play more, but players are not amused and feel that the loss of points is an underhand way of money grabbing.

Dylan writes, “The 50% prorated value for an incomplete Step was not designed as a means to reduce rewards, but rather to improve player engagement with VIP Rewards and incentivize players to complete their Step at the end of the month.”

Many have reacted angrily on the forum.

“There is no upside to these changes for the players,” wrote Aces123123. “I don’t find it engaging if I lose FPPs just because I didn’t play a certain amount.”

Daddyrnac posted, “Complaining about this is like complaining about the noise the V-1 flying bomb makes as it flies towards your house. Yet come 2016 when the new VIP changes are implemented that bomb is going to explode bang on your roof.”

In the current rewards program, players earn VIP player points by playing real money tournaments, where the fee is counted, or by contributions to raked hands at cash games tables. A player had to visit the Cashier to know the amounts of points earned.

Under the current system the VIP levels and their requirements are

Bronze Star: no requirements – everyone starts here
Chrome Star: 100 VPPs per month
Silver Star: 500 VPPs per month
Gold Star: 2,500 VPPs per month
Platinum Star: 7,500 VPPs per month
Supernova: 100,000 VPPs per year
Supernova Elite:1,000,000 VPPs per year

The above remains the same, as do the FPPs earned and VIP reward bonuses. However, the bit about getting only half of the FPPs, should one not complete a step is clearly bothering players.

FPPS are continuously earned right now, but under the new system, if a player earned 100 FPPS, he loses 50, if the step is not completed.

The situation was best summed up by Sooo Tilted who said, “Let me get this straight. This change is to basically force everyone to keep playing until their FPPs are released based on x amount VPPs required to earn for each step. As we go further down the steps we are required to earn much more VPPs/Step in order get our FPPs released.

For example, I completed SN and want to light grind for remainder of the year and cash in on 1.6k bonuses. Stars won’t let me do this on the new system because I have to probably hit a large VPP miletone until my next set of fpps are released. If the milestone is not hit my FPPs would then be cut in half and be released on the new calender year”

PokerStars has not yet responded to the reactions and time will tell what happens next.