Americas Cardroom CEO Shot Down After Targeting PokerStars

January 22nd, 2020 | by Greg Shaun

CEO of Americas Cardroom, Phil Nagy, has taken a shot at PokerStars after the industry leader announced details of its $12.5 million Sunday Million.

Americas Cardroom CEO Phil Nagy has hit out at PokerStars and its latest anniversary Sunday Million. (Image: YouTube/PuntaCana PokerClassic)

As news of the latest anniversary MTT filtered through the community, Nagy was quick to highlight something other than the guarantee.

While most focused on the fact at least one player will become a millionaire, the boss of Americas Cardroom has taken exception to the late registration policy.

Anniversary Sunday Million Ruffles Feathers

Although extended opening periods have become standard in recent years, the 14^th Anniversary Sunday Million will accept late registrations for 24 hours. When the betting gets underway on March 22, late entrants will have until the start of Day 2 (March 23) to pay the $215 buy-in.

24-hour late registration is nothing new. A number of live events, including those organized by Partypoker and the WPT, allow players to buy-in on Day 2. However, online, where the action proceeds at a faster pace, it’s less common.

Nagy’s main issue appears to be with PokerStars and its status in the industry. For smaller sites that offer large guarantees, extended registration periods are often necessary. However, with PokerStars being the biggest brand online, Nagy has implied the move is a cash grab.

Minutes after the tweet went live, members of the community gave their take on the situation. Partypoker ambassador Patrick Leonard was quick to point out that all PokerStars main events have 24-hour late registration.

Americas Cardroom Comes Under Fire

All of their main events are 24 hours, this isn’t new
— Patrick Leonard (@padsPokerSquad) January 22, 2020

Others were more focused on Nagy’s apparent hypocrisy. With security issues affecting major events on Americas Cardroom in the past, certain players couldn’t let the critique slide.

The backlash towards Nagy’s comments seems to be a sign of the times. Although a $12.5 million guarantee will soften the blow of a 24-hour late registration period, it seems that players now expect these dynamics.

Wow I thought this would be a video about fixing the bugs on your own site. How naive of me. Hopefully you address the real issues though and give us new avatars.
— AnswrMeUcowards (@nickworldpeace) January 21, 2020

Even though the game has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, operators now have stricter budgets. During the early noughties when online poker was booming, late registration lasted for little more than an hour.

Today, with tighter margins, tougher competition and fewer players, the game has changed. Even as the industry leader, PokerStars isn’t immune to these issues, something players are willing to accept in exchange for larger guarantees.