2011 PokerStars VIP Club Changes
Thank you all for your patience while waiting for the announcement of changes to PokerStars VIP Club rewards for 2011. There will be only a few minor changes to the VIP Program for 2011. PokerStars will continue to offer benefits to ALL players, will continue to reward VPPs equally to all players dealt into a hand, and will continue to offer the best advertised rewards for high volume players.
These changes for 2011 are focused on simplifying the VIP Program, making benefits easier to communicate, claim, and enjoy. The following changes to the PokerStars VIP Program are effective January 1st, 2011:
VIP Reward Bonuses
VIP Reward Bonuses purchased from the VIP Store instantly reward players with cash. This change has been in effect from October 1st, 2010 and will continue indefinitely.
MicroStakes NL and PL VPP Rates
Microstakes Pot Limit and No Limit Hold’em games will award VPPs according to the following:
$0.01/$0.02: 10x
$0.02/$0.05: 8.5x
$0.05/$0.10: 7x
€0.01/€0.02: 12.5x
€0.02/€0.05: 10.5x
€0.05/€0.10: 9x
IMPORTANT: This does NOT mean that players will receive 10 times or 7 times the VPPs they would have received in the past. The standard rates for VPP earning are 6x for cash tables with 8+ seats and 5.5x for all other games. A player earning 10x VPPS at a $0.01/$0.02 9-seated NLHE table will be earning VPPs 167% (10x divided by 6x) faster than if the table awarded VPPs at the standard 6x rate.
These rates will be reflected at new tables created as of January 1st. Some older tables awarding the previous VPP rates may still exist until the first server restart of 2011.
PokerStars did offer increased VPP earnings in these games as temporary promotions for the last seven months of 2010. Unlike those promotions, this change has no fixed end point. These rates should be considered the standard VPP earning rates for these games until further notice.
Supernova Elite Rewards
Supernova Elite VIPs are now eligible for a $20,000 Milestone Cash Credit at 1,000,000 VPPs instead of receiving the two choices of cash and live event packages that were previously offered. The Milestone Cash Credit will only cost 1 FPP, as per the Milestone Cash Credits change explained below.
Players earning Supernova Elite in 2011 will still receive live event benefits in the form of significant Supernova Elite VIP discounts in the VIP Store for packages to many PokerStars sponsored live main events on the EPT, NAPT, LAPT, and APPT tours. Supernova Elite VIPs will be offered especially strong discounts for PCA and EPT Grand Finale packages.
VIPs who have earned Supernova Elite status in 2010 will receive rewards as previously advertised (these changes have no effect on them).
Supernova Elite VIPs are still rewarded with 5 FPPs per VPP for as long as they retain their status and with a free entry to the WCOOP Main Event.
Milestone Cash Credits
All Milestone Cash Credits will have their prices reduced from 50,000 FPPs to 1 FPP, matching the cost of VIP Stellar Rewards. The value of each Milestone Cash Credit has been reduced by $800 to balance out the reduced FPP cost. This change is intended to simplify rewards and make them easier to claim, not to increase or reduce value received by players.
The 100,000 VPP Milestone Cash Credit has been removed. It has been replaced by a 100,000 VPP VIP Stellar Reward worth $200. This means that the first Milestone Cash Credit is available to our VIPs who earn 200,000 VPPs. VIP Stellar Rewards now total $1,200 and extend through 100,000 VPPs. Milestone Cash Credits available to Supernova VIPs at a cost of only 1 FPP each will be as follows:
$2,600 at 200,000 VPPs
$2,800 at 300,000 VPPs
$3,000 at 400,000 VPPs
$3,200 at 500,000 VPPs
$3,600 at 600,000 VPPs
$3,800 at 700,000 VPPs
$4,200 at 800,000 VPPs
Milestone Cash Credits available to Supernova Elite VIPs are similarly affected. They will also cost 1 FPP each and will be available as follows:
$20,000 at 1,000,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 1,250,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 1,500,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 1,750,000 VPPs
$19,200 at 2,000,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 2,250,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 2,500,000 VPPs
$9,200 at 2,750,000 VPPs
$19,200 at 3,000,000 VPPs
VIP Stellar Rewards
As mentioned earlier, the 100,000 VPP Milestone Cash Credit is now a VIP Stellar Reward worth $200. All other VIP Stellar Rewards will remain in place. In 2011 there will be 20 VIP Stellar Rewards totaling $1,200, purchasable for only 1 FPP each and instantly credited to a player’s account with no strings attached.