*IMPORTANT NOTICE*
HERO POKER TO WITHDRAW FROM US MARKET BY MAY 25 (END OF DAY)
-EXISTING US PLAYER ACCOUNTS WILL BE CURRENTLY UNAFFECTED
-VOLUNTARY DECISION BY HERO POKER MANGEMENT

Dear Players,

I could have written this as a PR release or a personal statement, but I've decided to opt for addressing you personally.

Hero Poker launched as a Merge Network site on February 23rd, 2011 at the Aussie Millions. Our focus has always been long term so the events of April 15th, 2011 were not viewed lightly on any level. I have used my experience to continually assess our position. I have not tried to speculate or avoid the difficult decisions. As an executive, it is my responsibility to make clear decisions on complex issues and sometimes it is necessary to wait until a viable course of action is clear.

Our first priority is, and has always been, our players. The most valuable asset we can offer to our players is my professional industry experience as a former senior gov’t analyst, senior management consultant, and major industry senior executive. We are not operating Hero as an upgraded affiliate or fly-by-night skin. To that end, independent of the Merge Network, we have decided to stop servicing new US players and instead focus on upgrading our overall boutique service and general security of all our players. Our player base will continue to be part of the Merge Network and Merge Network maintains our full confidence and support in all aspects.

What I have learned over this short and intense period is that the players who are currently with us are aware of the overall situation and have made their choice, but they also deserve and have a right to the highest degree of corporate transparency and responsible management. For Hero, that is simply not possible if Hero Poker continues to allow signups from the US. This is a complex time for us as a newly launched company in arguably the most difficult period of our industry.

I want for our players to be secure in the knowledge that I am directly available and able to manage our player’s interests. Our players will not be forced to wait for an email or a forum posting from a site representative who doesn't have the answers because there are no answers from management. Hero wants all of our players to securely know, before anything occurs, that we have made preparations to ensure that our players are always in the best position possible, even if that means taking further proactive steps.

As an aside, I’d like to say this: I feel as though our player base is mainly composed of those players who really enjoy the game of poker. Many have commented that a majority of players are ‘regs’ or ‘grinders’’ signing up. In most cases, the true ‘regs’ or ‘grinders’ were the ones most severely affected by recent events as nearly all of them had virtually their entire net worth online. Many still have not received their funds while others cannot even think to play online as the experience was too traumatic in losing their financial security in a single moment.

I have personally been in contact with Vietnam vets, ex-Marines, and housewives whose children are off to college next year who simply love the game. Perhaps that is just our user base, but in any case, Hero's primary intention was never to actually engage the US market and so we are continuing with our original course of action. Except now, we are sharing this journey with some of the most dedicated poker players in the world. We respect that and take every player’s confidence and time at Hero seriously. To that end, we will continue to be active in our player’s respective communities.

The deadline of May 25 has been set to give players already in communication with Hero a few days to further consider. If there is a mad rush of sign-ups by players attempting to create an ‘insurance’ account, we will stop US registration earlier. Our objective and priority here is to take care of our existing players first.

Thanks & Regards,
David
Hero Poker CEO

sooplise, sooplise, sooplise

when will u have echeck as a deposit option for current players?

Sorry to hear that.

I'm a little confused, though.

Are you going to stop taking US sign-ups but still allow existing US players to play? If so, what does that really accomplish legally?

So long as they never allow an American to cash out, but not allowing new sign-ups or deposits no financial transactions will be processed in violation of the UIGEA.







BTW the new cumshot emoticon needs a non-transparent background. It's hard to see on DD.

DanDruff, its nothing bad for our existing players and it is just a first step to manage things. We will continue with our sponsorship of DonkDown and its community without any issues, but after much thought, this is a prudent first step.

Legally, it accomplishes nothing, but it terms of increasing communication and services for our players a lot, as well as preparation outside of what the network provides. Also without a marketing focus on the US, we can get new markets in with the growing liquidity and then fund further promotions for our players over all. So it's more of a matter of simply consolidating our current player base and making sure that we can start to provide for them at an upgraded level.

We're not dependent upon our revenue to operate, so capping the players and simply engaging other markets and upgrading service is an option for us. Additionally, even servicing the current player base that we have, there is a lot more research and avenues that I would like to get into so that, if we can, provide better service across the board then we will.

But more than anything else, if we have x number of players, then in any scenario, it will be more manageable to take care of their interests.

So its not bad for Donkdown at all, and we're not going anywhere, in fact it will be better for those Donkdown players who play in our freerolls cause with the donkdown only or US restricted ones, without new signups, the fields aren't going to get larger.

edit: and Merge is still handling the payments

Cheers,
Dave

wat

^^^^This

The way I read it I am thinking that Hero CEO wants to maintain some US business but he wants to make sure the number is small enough so that if the DOJ locks up merge and merge doesn't pay out US players than HERO CEO and his company will have enough funding independently to resolve the issue on their own, the more US players, the harder that gets to achieve... I may be wrong but if that is the case it would probable be one of the more responsible courses of action a skin can take...

So is it just the rakeback that stops or signups from the US?

Other Merge Network skins are saying its just the rakeback thats stops.

From what I have managed to glean from other pokertainment sites is that Merge will stop Rakeback but will update its VIP program.

They will still take new US players but you not get the fiddy dollars back

Please correct me if I am wrong but there seems to be a little confusion over rakeback v signups?

if so, like he said, great for us that did get in.

One thing, every table I've played at, at least 4 of the 5 other guys are US players. Like FTP at the beginning.

Hero is voluntarily doing this completely independent of the other network sites and I didn't want to wait longer than I had to.

1. Merge sites will all stop issuing RB accounts by June 1st.

2. Of the existing poker network sites, only Hero is stopping US sign-ups. Sportsbook.com and 2 other related sportsbook merge sites have already stopped US sign ups and even earlier than that, GR88 decided to stop taking new US players.

As of now, Hero is the only one following suit not taking new US players, but existing accounts will be unaffected. This is NOT network wide.

No it isn't.

Merge will be busted by the DoJ soon enough.

so, you're gonna keep paying for ads on donkdown even though 99% of it's users are unable to signup for your product?

Maybe he doesn't have to pay for ads, maybe DD only gets a portion of the rake from users who clicked through the ads to sign up. Typical affiliate marketing arrangement. Only big sites with tons of traffic can afford to charge for advertising.

+1

I don't understand why RB makes a difference?

Anyway LOL@ playing on any site without RB, except Stars since that's where a lot of the action (used to) be.

Yup, gonna keep supporting DonkDown because I like DonkDown and if I want to spend the money this way and keep up communications and I have the authority to do so, then I will spend the company's money however the hell I want to. My executive prerogative.

So how exactly can you operate without generating revenue?