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No, not deliberate avoidance, but any reply would need context, if not, it gets picked to pieces, & so that's a lengthy process.
After I offered to explain, I sort of immediately thought "that was a dumb thing to say", as there's no real right & wrong in these things, & people tend to post & form views based upon self-interest. So I decided a better way was to wait until UKPC, then buy you a coffee & sit quietly in a corner & explain it to you face to face, that always works better.
Anyway, I said I'd explain, & now you've asked again, so I'd best be good to my word & give it a try.
You did get half the story right, in your 2 posts on 15/12, but there is a lot more to it than that.
For others reading this, the debate began, I think, with your comment on 12th December, in which you said, not for the first time, something along these lines....
"N1 Sky, refreshing change to see the MTT boys get a Promo".
And I expressed the view that, imo, that's a little unbalanced.
More follows as soon as time permits.
Promotions
There's quite a lot of disconnect in how Promos work, why they are done, & their cost.
For research purposes, for something else, a few days ago I took a look at the thread in which the new Rewards System (which started June 1st) was announced.
It's a goldmine for psychologists that thread, some really weird things were said, but also for the amount of different people who pointed the finger at Sky & said "it's just Sky being sneaky & reducing their costs".
Nothing could be further from the truth, or more misguided, but these people have these things set in their mind so the comments don't get rebutted.
Promo spend is set in advance, & Promos are mapped out months in advance. (Look out for the next one, early next week), but they are planned right through to June, the financial year end.
And they HAVE to spend £x & nobody gets a medal for spending less than £x.
And £x is a % of total, forecast Margin. (Margin is reg fees & rake).
All that has to be decided is how, & on what Products, it is spent. They HAVE to spend £x, no matter what. It's how The Business works, right across SB&G.
The Products?
Cash Games
SNG's
MTT's.
Cash games get most of the promo spend? Yes, or course. Industry wide, Cash Games are two thirds of total business, with SNG's & MTT's roughly splitting half & half the remaining one third. Sky Poker is in that ball park.
Cash Games.
From a Business perspective, these are reasonably low-maintenance. Set up the Tables, that's it. They rarely change, apart from occasional new products, say, Action Tables or Spin Up Tables.
Staff resource needed to run them? Almost zero, because they never change, & there's no need to worry about structures & all that stuff.
Promos? Easy. Double, treble, quadruple points, points races, etc. And the data PROVES they do their job, which is to encourage more players, to play more, more often. Both parties benefit.
SNG's.
Same as cash games, low maintenance, & don't need much looking after, & Promos work exactly the same as Cash Games. SNG players CAN & DO play more, more often, during Promos.
MTT's.
That's the awkward one, & MTTs are a vey different thing altogether.
More follows....
Ha, too late.
As Magnus Whatsit says on MasterMind, I've started so I'll finish......
MTT's.
So, to your issue.
It's a different product entirely, as the methodology used in Cash Games & SNG's does not work fort MTT's, as you noted in one of your posts on 15th December.
There is only one Main Event per night, folks can't play 2 or 3 because a Promo is on, it does not work that way.
MTT players also have a different behavioural pattern. Many of the bigger guys play 3 or 4 events here, alongside a selection from other sites. More Reward Points ain't ever going to change that.
As a Product, for Staff resource to look after, it takes MUCH more resource than cash games & SNG's put together. I'm sure you can see that.
MTT's are infinitely higher maintenance. Structures, satellites, blind increments, Guarantees, Lobby issues, set up issues, etc.
Schedule tweaking all the time, too, with seasonal traffic going down every Spring, up every Autumn, etc. Then add in weather (bad weather is good, good weather is bad) big televised sporting events - MNF, CL, Euro2016, World Cup, Olympics, time of month (relative to pay week....) & any number of other things affect MTT traffic. Well ALL traffic, but Cash Game & SNG's don't need tweaking or Guarantees being adjusted. MTT's do.
Big "Live" Events are now a staple of MTT & Satellite action on Sky Poker, too, with 2 x UKPC, plus Punta Cana & VLV. These all need bespoke scheduling & satellite structures.
Then there is UKOPS 4 times per year.
Again, each one is bespoke, all the structures need to be sorted, & as much variety as possible included. Then design all the satellites for them. Try getting every one of those right & pleasing everybody.
So MTT's do take quite a lot of resource & work, far more than Cash & SNG's. That's no reason not to promote them, of course, & now we come to the heart of your contention that Sky Poker don't generally look after MTT players with Promos as much as they look after the other guys. In my view, I think they do.
Nearly done now. That's my reply, AND the turkey.
More......
MTT Promos
Well you already mentioned the occasional "Double Guarantee" Promo, whilst at the same time, alluding to the fact it rarely costs Sky Poker anything, May be fair comment, but the risk is there.
You never mentioned The Final Table Jackpot either.
When a discussion thread mentioned this a few months ago, you were one of many who suggested without this Promo, you may not play the Mini in future, which suggests you believe it has value to MTT players.
How much value? The Maths guys can take a stab at that one. Historically, it paid out around £10,600 in 2015 (so far) & £21,000 in 2014. Call it £15,000 per year. I reckon expected cost is around £17,000 pa, but no matter.
So that's £15k pa in MTT Promos.
Double Guarantees?
No idea what they cost, if anything. It's a Promo though. MTT players with an edge OUGHT to be more profitable if Guarantees are doubled, right?
UKOPS
Is that an MTT Promo? Arguable, but I'd say it was. It brings bigger fields, bigger guarantees, & for players like you, who have an edge, in theory, you should win more (long term). I'd say it was a Promo.
There are 4 x UKOPS every year.
Freerolls
Every day, & with decent value. The daily Rewards Points Freeroll is advertised as £1,000, but it regularly has added value taking it to £1,500 or so. 5 days per week. That's a cool £400k pa.
There's a Daily UKPC Freeroll, too, another £312 per weekday or £75k pa.
Add in the little daily Freerolls, & that's serious money, & it benefits MTT players more than Cash or SNG players, because by definition, MTT players SHOULD do better in them.
Are Freerolls a Promo? I'd say so.
UKPC, Punta Cana & Viva Las Vegas
These are all Proms imo. Anyone can enter them, but who has the best chance of doing well in them? Yup, MTT regulars. Many players farm the satellites for cash, too.
Guarantees.
Well these might not be described as Promos, but have you considered the value to MTT players of Overlay? This happens every week, & especially in the various satellites.
And it is impossible to get that Guarantee equation right. Overlay comes off the bottom line.
It's not given away intentionally, no of course it's not, but its added value to MTT players, more so if they have an edge. How much does it average, per week, across 12 months? No idea, but it's a 6 figure number imo. (A theoretical £2,000 per week overlay in all MTT's & Satellites would amount to £100k pa).
Satellites, including those All-Ins which exercise so many, are particularly prone to Overlay.
Note that Overlay does not exist in Cash Games & SNG's. It's unique to MTT's.
So, add all those bits & bobs up, together with the difficulty of finding means other than all those I've listed above to stimulate MTT play (only one ME per night etc) & it is quite a head scratcher.
Anyway there it is. I think Sky treat their MTT players as fairly as they are able, but it is a complex equation.
I hope that either answers your question, or at least gives you a wider understanding of the elements that need to be taken into account.
Right, next up, turkey dinner.
Happy Christmas everyone.
Anyway, I'm nitpicking. I still think that Winter Giveaway one was nice though, actual free money, who doesn't love that