Home / Poker News August 2011 / Black Friday Stories – Players Moving to Canada
Black Friday Stories – Players Moving to Canada
Posted by: James Carter. - Tue, 2011-08-16 15:54
The Black Friday events have undoubtedly turned the online poker world upside-down. Those who think American players were the only ones affected are wrong of course: even now, there are thousands of European players and affiliates who have millions of dollars stuck at
Full Tilt Poker, without any kind of guarantees that they will ever see any of the money again.
Most of the players affected by the Black Friday indictments and their consequences were doubtlessly recreational players, who lost a few buckskins and the ability to indulge in their hobby. There were players out there though, for whom the Black Friday events represented a direct attack on their livelihoods.
Many of these players, among them Daniel Cates, Vanessa Selbst, Brian Hastings and Phil Galfond, have already hopped over the fence into Canada and
PokerStars’ Supernova Elites are likely to follow them.
Supernova Elite is the highest VIP level one can reach at PokerStars. Through relentless grinding, persistence and dedication, one can reach the Supernova Elite status which carries lavish rewards. Supernova Elites enjoy outstanding rakeback, they get to travel all over the world to play in various live events, and they are generally treated like royalty.
Mike Brooks was one of the Supernova Elites who took the full brunt of the Black Friday impact head-on. Fortunately for him, Brooks was originally from England, so it was a rather straightforward move for him to move back there. PokerStars fully supported his decision and made sure that he would be able to play as soon as he landed in England.
Brooks put in quite a bit of time at Full Tilt Poker too, and according to him, the quality of service offered at Full Tilt never matched up to the treatment he received at PokerStars.
Brooks also says that the high stakes action has softened up quite a bit in the wake of Black Friday. Since US players, the biggest of the heavy hitters, have disappeared from the tables, the opportunity for others to rise has ripened.
