Poker pro Melissa Burr took a righteous swing at PokerStars this week after the site offered a $25k Platinum Pass for International Women’s Day.
There are tons of women who deserve to be freerolled in a $25k tournament however…
None of them deserve it more than the loyal supernova elite customers pokerstars fucked over in favor of this joke of a publicity stunt.
I said what I said, screw you pokerstars you scum fucks
— Melissa Burr (@burrrrrberry) March 7, 2020
Cancellation of the Supernova Elite Status lead to a divide in the community
The former pool shark from New Jersey was one of the thousands who spent a year chasing the lucrative SuperNovaElite rewards on PokerStars, only to see the rug pulled from under their feet.
PokerStars decided to do away with the VIP rewards programme in the middle of a qualifying period.
Burr explained that she was among the hardest hit, wasting a whole year and 1.5millions hands of multi-table grinding.
The debacle led to a sharp divide in the poker community. Pros and regs who relied on the rewards program justifiably livid, while recs generally took the side of Stars.
Burr’s exchange with Shawn Daniels concisely explained the problem pros had with PokerStars’ decision.
Its more than that…
They want to end the program? Fine.
The whole reason you played to get SNE was to reap the benefits of the following year. They decided to drop this scam bomb in october and STEAL the 100s of thousands of dollars owed to their biggest volume players
— Melissa Burr (@burrrrrberry) March 7, 2020
Ike Haxton was the first big-name player to quit the site because of the SNE scandal, stating at the time: “I believe PokerStars is behaving unethically.”
He explained of the changes: “…there’s one aspect that I just can’t accept. Announcing in November that players who earned Supernova and Supernova Elite status in 2015 will not receive the benefits they had expected in 2016 strikes me as dishonest and unfair.”
Women’s Sunday Platinum Pass
Five years on and the SuperNovaElite group are still feeling the hurt. It sparked this week by the announcement that the Women’s Sunday would have a Platinum Pass up for grabs…
To celebrate #IWD2020 there's a special Platinum coloured prize added to the Women's Sunday on @PokerStars.
Get the details on how to play…https://t.co/Ks1chfQmgK pic.twitter.com/QIzM6RINdz
— PokerStars Blog (@PokerStarsBlog) March 7, 2020
“PokerStars wants to celebrate women in poker by taking a look at our women-focused offering and spicing it up, starting with dedicating a Platinum Pass to a community that regularly enjoys playing these Sunday tournaments,” said Rebecca McAdam Willetts, Associate Director of Public Relations, The Stars Group.
Worth $30,000, the Platinum Pass covers entry and expenses to the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) due to be held this year in Barcelona from August 20-24, coronavirus allowing.
For Burr, however, the pain of the SNE scandal clearly still burns…
Also, please no one nominate me. I sincerely mean that.
I like to think I have the moral resolve to turn down a 25k free entry but I dont want that ethical dilemma.
For as long as I have access to the internet, Im never going to let the players forget how hard they fucked SNES
— Melissa Burr (@burrrrrberry) March 7, 2020
Burr shot to fame back in 2014 at the WSOP by becoming the first-ever female player to make it into the money at the $50k PPC. She eventually finished 7th for $165,435, the event won by John Hennigan.
Back to Haxton four years ago, with a reminder for those who don’t know or can’t recall what it took to become SNE.
“As a four-time SNE, I know what it takes to rake 1M VPP in a year”, Haxton explained in his ‘termination letter’.
“It’s a tough grind. For most of the players who do it, it is an all-consuming commitment more intense than most full-time jobs. Many of them have relocated far from their homes and families to pursue it”.
For Burr that involved a move to Mexico, regularly traveling between there, San Diego and New Jersey as she built her professional poker career.
And occasional bad memories of PokerStars aside, Burr seems to have recovered pretty well from the SNE saga…
Just got done filming the first of 2 documentaries I'm involved with this year.
2020 I promised myself to say yes to more things, have more adventures, do things outside my comfort zone and do ALL the things that make me happy.
Happy to report I am well on my way.
— Melissa Burr (@burrrrrberry) February 25, 2020
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