PokerWorks

As part of the Victor Chandler family of websites, including one that has given customers decades of sports betting options, VC Poker came with a reputation of supporting its players and being a trustworthy site. But a recent e-mail to its players restricting cash game play to low stakes has customers contemplating a new online poker site for their accounts.

Information already came to the fore in the European poker community that sites on the iPoker software network were incurring fines resulting from a high number of “winning player” accounts which are prone to player withdrawals. Sites like Blonde Poker fell victim to the rules in the past, which resulted in that particular site leaving the iPoker network for safer ground. A site that has to restrict the stakes at which players compete and close accounts when too much action is documented will lose customers, and that prompted Blonde Poker to leave.

VC Poker has succumbed to the rules of iPoker as well, though there is no word that they will follow Blonde’s lead and leave the network. In accordance with iPoker’s instructions, VC Poker will simply restrict the play on its site and close player accounts when necessary. The e-mail that informed players of this policy read as follows:

“If you are not already aware iPoker will be implementing a new policy in the New Year which will categorize players depending upon certain criteria. The new policy will also impose penalties upon card rooms that in essence, have a high proportion of winning players in relation to losing players.

“Regrettably therefore, we are being forced to restrict a number of accounts in order to comply with the new policy and to avoid penalization by iPoker and it grieves me to inform you that we have no option for the time being other than to restrict the cash game stakes at which you can play on Victor Chandler Poker.

“We sincerely regret having to take this action and hope that the policy will change in the future so that you may once again enjoy playing cash games at Victor Chandler Poker. In the meantime, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience that this action will cause but know that you can still play in our tournaments and on any other of the Victor Chandler suite of products.”

Tight Poker first reported the story and attributed iPoker decision to a rakeback issue wherein the no-rakeback policy was not sufficiently enforced and allowed illegitimate rakeback deals, which in turn encouraged players to “jump skins on the network to whomever offered the best return.” The revenue of the poker rooms was then decreased as winning players collected their rakeback and withdrew it from the sites, and casual players seemed to leave the site as they seemed to be outnumbered by the winning players. Instead of penalizing anyone violating the rakeback policy, iPoker has decided to focus on evening out the number of winning and losing players and penalizing based on violations of that new policy.

VC Poker notes on its website that it has an “unparalleled reputation for both honour and integrity, core values that we’re committed to bringing to your gaming experience through our poker room.” But players who find their play restricted or eliminated may not exactly agree with that the Victor Chandler motto is being upheld with players in mind.

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