Surprise Surprise

Unbelievably, I was going to provide a good news story. I was going to tell you all how I battled through a field of 304 to win a seat (one of four) into the 200 + 15 WSOP Satellite on Party. I was going to tell you about the huge pot I took down on the final table against the other chip leader (full house v. flush). Beautiful to see. I had a monster chip lead after that and proceeded to bully the table visciously. And with impunity - when it went from 9 down to 5 players, all the other players remained between 80 000 and 100 000 in chips (to my 500 000). No-one wanted to take a risk or stand up to me, and I was merciless. I raised every other hand. I crippled one poor bloke after I bluffed him out of a pot when I was holding 24 (no pair). And I showed it.


So, after 5 or so hours, I won the damn thing, and got myself a seat in a WSOP Satellite. It was about 5.40 in the morning by this stage so I went to bed.

I was going to tell you all this, go through the keys hands, pontificate a little on satellites - you know, the usual. But I was wasting my time. I could have bubbled and it wouldn't have made a difference. I may as well not have played at all.

Why?

Well, here it is: my understanding was I now had a freeroll into a 200 + 15 satellite, to be taken at a time of my choosing. This is what has happened in the past. You click on the tournament when you want to play it and the icon asks if you want to use your freeroll.

How wrong I was.

I woke up after midday and turned the computer on to check my emails. I had an email from Party saying that I had to play in the following WSOP Satellite. Right. This was new to me. Seems a touch arbitrary, but that's fine. The email gives me the time and date, but that doesn't mean much to an Australian as North America is about a day behind depending on what part of the country you're standing in. So I fire up party and get the following message: "taking you to WSOP Satellite". Huh? It's already started?

The table pops up. I have... 900 in chips. Blinds are 150/300. I stare dully at the screen for a while, uncomprehending.

They fucking what?

They put me in a satellite - automatically, without notifying me - four hours after I win a seat (at 5.30 in the morning). What the fuck.

It doesn't say this on the tournament information, by the way, it says the prize is a 'seat into the WSOP satellite'. For the Freeroll tournaments, for example, it specifically says that you win a seat into 'the NEXT freeroll satellite'. Not so with the standard satellites. Just in case, I checked when the next satellite was going to be just before I went to bed. There wasn't one registered.

So that's $215 down the drain. I emailed Party. They gave me some pro-forma reply saying they don't provide refunds. I told them I didn't want a refund, I just wanted a fair go. All I wanted was to play in the damn WSOP satellite, to which I had won a seat. They haven't replied my second email yet. I'm not keeping my hopes up.

It seems even when I win I take a bad beat. Damn it.

They make millions a day on that fucking site. And here is one of their customers who's obviously been screwed. I'm not shooting an angle or trying to get something to which I am not entitled. I just want to damn well play. That's all.

To be continued.