SPT

Jac35

I've just looked at the 'Sky Poker Live - TV, SPT & UKPC part of the forum and read that 

"Plans are afoot for something different this year"

Hopefully I can be corrected on this but I'm assuming that this means the end of the SPT's that so many Sky players have enjoyed so much over the years.

This would be such a shame in my opinion. I realise that the recent high buy in event was a great success and Sky and the team behind it deserve huge credit for that. I just think that Sky will be moving away from its roots if this kind of event is the future.

At the lowish buy in SPTs, the casinos were full of Sky regulars and they were fantastic weekends. Nobody took it too seriously and low stakes players such as myself were able to sat in for tiny amounts. I would estimate that at my first SPT. 90%+ of the field were Sky regulars. I noticed that at the £220 buy in at Nottingham, there were far less Sky players and certainly at the recent event the % was very far lower. 

I understand that there will always be sats into the higher buy in tournaments. The difference is that the lower stake players will probably have to go through a fair few sats to get to qualify for the event. There is always the temptation to just take the cash as well when you qualify for a £240 sat and your normal level is for example £5 tourneys.

Part of the attraction of the SPTs has been getting to meet the people who you've chatted to on the forums and making friendships. As someone who has never really had 'poker' friends this was fantastic. Certainly far preferable than sitting at a table with some very serious young men in sunglasses and hoodies.

I'm far from convinced that the £1000+ buy in events attract new players to the site. I imagine that players who are comfortable buying in directly to these events already have a pretty good idea of where they want to play their online poker.

Ideally for me, the standard SPT's and the big events could run in tandem together. I have no idea if this would be feasible

though.

It would be really good to know what the plans are moving forward as soon as possible.

F_Ivanovic

+1 with everything here.

Slipwater

I only started going to the live Sky events last year (Newcastle was my first) and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. As you have alluded to, we shouldn't be going down the road of continually increasing the live buy-ins, as this will exclude a lot of the regulars who are simply not rolled for it (satellites notwithstanding).

I hope the hesitation of Sky to announce the 2014 tour is not because they want to come up with something more expensive and therefore more exclusive. The best thing about the tour is the atmosphere: don't dilute that by alienating many of your supporters with hefty entry fees.

unknown_username

The ukipt took a hit on numbers when they upped the bi to 1000+ And struggle to make gtds. Now they have brought it back to 700ish and they are getting the numbers back. 

FlashFlush

I suppose it all comes down to what are SPTs designed for? If you think of it as a business idea, what is the point in losing money on live events to only please the players that will continue to play on the site regardless.

SPTs have to be seen as "Spend some to get some" kind of mentality, make the site more well known, grow the reputation to increase the player base. I remember back in the day, Skypoker's main event was an £11 7 minute blind tournament, that was extremely fast paced, and people I spoke to at live events would laugh about it and say it was a bit of a joke site really. The SPTs (Or SPUKT's as they were known then) were only £50 buy ins and very fast paced structures. Since then Sky have done wonders for their image, bigger tournaments, bigger fields, bigger guarantees and that's not easy when poker in general is in decline.

It does seem to be getting to a point now though where more and more Skypoker regulars are not playing the SPTs due to the big buy ins. Yes we do need to show the poker world that Sky is a serious player, but we seem to be leaving behind the grass roots reputation that has helped Sky grow to this point.

Personally I'd like to see the buy ins go back to £100 and 1 day events, then when we go to the more serious card rooms like DTD they can be increased to £250 2 day events to get the DTD regs in. Don't get me wrong the UKPC was a fantastic event, and that should 100% continue, but only once a year.

DTWBANDIT

   +1 to OP

Donttelmum

+1

peter27

Agree with everything Jac35 said!

Was really excited to potentially attend my first SPT this year ..

chicknMelt

when I have asked in the past about this the response has always been " we were concentrating on the UKPC, once that is out the way we'll release dates"

They are probably still tying up loose ends ewith the UKPC, and then they might be starting to plan the next one, so at the moment I'm thinking the SPT might get brished under the carpet. would be a shame though.

My understanding is that the UKPC will be a once a year festival (like the WSOP i guess), and the SPT will continue as it was.

FWIW, i liked the last season, where there was a mixture of buy ins and structures (£110 - £330)

pocket9s

sky have had 1 good £1000 buy in festival... they are too big now too worry about us little folk and £100 buy i games!! jokes aside though i hope the spt is still going ahead this year!!

Giant811

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I'd just like to add that, once again, communication leaves something to be desired. The last SPT was in October, and there hasn't even been an update since.

oufc1

got to agree with you all on this
SPT are great event to meet people who you have played and chatted too on here
also they are a great for people who have never played live before 
I have played at 6 SPT and all have been fantastic events. and found them all very friendly and fun full weekends
which what the SPTs are about

liamboi11

+1 to all above posts

I love the spt`s meeting the community away from the virtual felt and having a laugh and tbh getting smashed all weekend with the chance making some cash but if not they are usually someone you know running deep and you rail whoever it is on ftw.

also some players never played live and tbh spt`s would prob be the best place to start if wanting to give live a crack.

overall spt`s have a great atmosphere and it what makes us different from other sites that the community just gets bigger and better with each one imo.

Lambert180

+1 Jac.

Hope they just have their focus on something else atm and its not a sign of it going/changing too drastically

Jac35

Sigh

I've been moved.

Can I be returned please!

Think it fills the poker chat criteria. Certainly more poker talk in this thread than most of the posts I make in 'poker chat' that don't get moved.

FLASHJONNY

fantastic post willie i agree with every word you say as some 1 who was with you at Birmingham it was great fun and i was well battered i have been to 4 and every 1 is so kind as im not the quickest person in the world and the help i get is 2nd to none i have met a lot of great people at these events and i hope to meet more at future events god willing all the best john

Jac35

In Response to Re: SPT:

fantastic post willie i agree with every word you say as some 1 who was with you at Birmingham it was great fun and i was well battered i have been to 4 and every 1 is so kind as im not the quickest person in the world and the help i get is 2nd to none i have met a lot of great people at these events and i hope to meet more at future events god willing all the best john
Posted by FLASHJONNY

Ta Jonny, hope you're well

who's Willie by the way?  

FLASHJONNY

liamboi paul silly old fool that i am lol

SPT

In Response to Re: SPT:

I couldn't have said it better myself. I'd just like to add that, once again, communication leaves something to be desired. The last SPT was in October, and there hasn't even been an update since.
Posted by Giant811

there has been regular communication, but there is not much I can say

the UKPC took place in february ( 18 months in the planning and a big commitment), and before that I said that the focus was on making that a success,which happened

Plenty of initiatives are underway (not an easy process, not a short process for reasons I can't make public), and as soon as they are finalised then of course they will be announced, hopefully with some background as to the delays

The_Don90

In Response to Re: SPT:

In Response to Re: SPT : there has been regular communication, but there is not much I can say the UKPC took place in february ( 18 months in the planning and a big commitment), and before that I said that the focus was on making that a success,which happened Plenty of initiatives are underway (not an easy process, not a short process for reasons I can't make public), and as soon as they are finalised then of course they will be announced, hopefully with some background as to the delays
Posted by SPT

Does this mean there will be some SPT's this year ?

scwuffy54

 I just started playing the spt last year and played 2 events. had a great time at both meeting all the members of the community and felt that this gave sky the edge over other poker sites as you can put a face against the players. would still play and try qualify for bigger events but wouldn't want too see the current format of spt's disappear.