Only six days now until I arrive in Las Vegas to do the blog for the Team Betfair qualifiers at WSOP event 59.
I am so excited about going that I feel like a ten year old with Christmas fast approaching as I have never been to Las Vegas before and this whole trip fulfills a life long dream!
The freerolls brought us 28 qualifiers some you may already know like GHADAFFI. Pepper Army or Slaven Popov and others who if you will get to know over the week of my blog.
I will be reporting on the great Betfair hospitality that the players will be receiving, giving updates on their progress in the tournament all with plenty of pictures with the usual attempts at witty and informative captions.
So I hope plenty of you will join me for the journey and hopefully we will have a load of fun along the way!
He shoved from late with 66 and the Bb called with AT sooooted.
All low cards gave Bjorn a straight and he is Bjorn again! (sigh)
Eli 30k Harald 56k Michael Ortner 42k
Bjorn Arvidsson just doubled up to 41k.He shoved from late with 66 and the Bb called with AT sooooted.All low cards gave Bjorn a straight and he is Bjorn again! (sigh)Eli 30kHarald 56kMichael Ortner 42k
The Boy Wonder Eli Heath exits in 244th for a cash of $2,703!
He was getting pretty short and was sat in the SB. The button shoves who only just has him covered, Eli tanks a bit and then calls and shows KJ. Unfortunately his oppo has AK and no Jack or miracle hits the board and it's goodnigh Eli.
The Boy Wonder Eli Heath exits in 244th for a cash of $2,703!He was getting pretty short and was sat in the SB. The button shoves who only just has him covered, Eli tanks a bit and then calls and shows KJ. Unfortunately his oppo has AK and no Jack
Bjorn Arvidsson exits in 241st for a cash of $2703!
He calls a raise with QJ and the board comes QT9. His oppo bets and he shoves all in. The oppo calls and shows AA.
Bjorn is actually slight favourite at this point but the turn and river both miss him and he leaves us!
Bjorn Arvidsson exits in 241st for a cash of $2703!He calls a raise with QJ and the board comes QT9. His oppo bets and he shoves all in. The oppo calls and shows AA.Bjorn is actually slight favourite at this point but the turn and river both miss h
We are now on the dinner break and just two Betfair players survive...
Harald Olsen and Michael Ortner are still battling away on 61k and 42k respectively!
We are now on the dinner break and just two Betfair players survive...Harald Olsen and Michael Ortner are still battling away on 61k and 42k respectively!
Michael Ortner exits in 214th for a cash of $3119.
He raises from the cut off with AQ, the button jams and after a small tank Michael calls.
His oppo turns over JJ but a 379KT board means Michael leaves us...
Must be noted that Michael is a true gentleman and has played some great poker!
Picture taken two minutes before his demise!
Michael Ortner exits in 214th for a cash of $3119.He raises from the cut off with AQ, the button jams and after a small tank Michael calls.His oppo turns over JJ but a 379KT board means Michael leaves us...Must be noted that Michael is a true gentlem
Whilst Harald has been playing in Event 59 his girlfriend Lizzie has been playing in a $1/$3 cash game for the last four hours. During the break we went to see how she was doing and she is up a mind boggling $1800!!!
Even better Lizzie gets half of his tournament winnings and gets to keep all of her cash winnings!!
A great little story...Whilst Harald has been playing in Event 59 his girlfriend Lizzie has been playing in a $1/$3 cash game for the last four hours. During the break we went to see how she was doing and she is up a mind boggling $1800!!! Even bet
Blinds 3k/6k 500 ante, Harald raises UTG with TT. Big stack re-raises to 28k and Harald calls.
Flop comes A 5 5. Harald checks and villain bets 40k and after much deliberation Harald folds
This leaves him with a still ok 120k.
Interesting hand..Blinds 3k/6k 500 ante, Harald raises UTG with TT. Big stack re-raises to 28k and Harald calls.Flop comes A 5 5. Harald checks and villain bets 40k and after much deliberation Harald foldsThis leaves him with a still ok 120k.
Shortly before the end Harald gets A9 suited in his BB and the shortstack with 60k has shoved. Haralf calls and the shorty shows AK.
The AK holds up and Harald will come back tomorrow with only 42k.
Goodnight all I will be back tomorrow!
Play over for day 2 with 50 players left.Shortly before the end Harald gets A9 suited in his BB and the shortstack with 60k has shoved. Haralf calls and the shorty shows AK.The AK holds up and Harald will come back tomorrow with only 42k. Goodnight
First round he shoves UTG for 34k and the CO+1 reshoves...
Harald shows 33 and oppo AK the 569QT board sees Harald go to over 80k!
Harald now back in action..First round he shoves UTG for 34k and the CO+1 reshoves...Harald shows 33 and oppo AK the 569QT board sees Harald go to over 80k!
Three orbits go by and Harald manages a steal in each one to maintain his stack.
Then he is in cut off and mid position has min raised and Harald shoves with 99. His oppo tanks but calls the extra 60k and shows 9dTd.
The flop is a scary JQ3 but a 5 and a 7 on turn and river see Harald move onto 175k!!
Three orbits go by and Harald manages a steal in each one to maintain his stack.Then he is in cut off and mid position has min raised and Harald shoves with 99. His oppo tanks but calls the extra 60k and shows 9dTd.The flop is a scary JQ3 but a 5 an
Blinds 6k/12k and Harald raises from mid position to 25k and the BB flats him.
Flop 887, BB min bets and Harald makes it 45k, BB shoves and Harald calls, he is in good shape J7 v 67.
A 5 on the turn is very scary and an 8 on the river means choppy choppy so still on 180k
Blinds 6k/12k and Harald raises from mid position to 25k and the BB flats him.Flop 887, BB min bets and Harald makes it 45k, BB shoves and Harald calls, he is in good shape J7 v 67.A 5 on the turn is very scary and an 8 on the river means choppy chop
Harald again raises to 25k, same oppo flats from BB flop AQ3 and both check.
Turn Q and both check.
River 7, oppo checks and harald bets 12k, oppo immediately shoves.
Harald tanks for a whole 8 minutes until someone call clock on him, he gets to the 10 second countdown and calls on 2.
He shows 63 and his opponent K2 so Harald makes a hero call and doubles up to over 300k!
Fantastic hand.Harald again raises to 25k, same oppo flats from BB flop AQ3 and both check.Turn Q and both check.River 7, oppo checks and harald bets 12k, oppo immediately shoves.Harald tanks for a whole 8 minutes until someone call clock on him, he
Same oppo though roles are reversed with Harald being the BB.
Blinds now 8k/16k villain raises to 35k and Harald calls.
Flop AAJ, Harald checks oppo bets 25k and Harald calls.
Turn 2 and both check.
River J, Harald checks, oppo bets 55k and harald calls with QT, oppo shows 66.
Harald now moves on to over 450k
Harald does it again...Same oppo though roles are reversed with Harald being the BB.Blinds now 8k/16k villain raises to 35k and Harald calls.Flop AAJ, Harald checks oppo bets 25k and Harald calls.Turn 2 and both check.River J, Harald checks, oppo bet
And our hero Harald Olsen falls in dramatic style...
The massive stack on the table raises to 30k, Harald reraises to 70k and the villain shoves which Harald snap calls.
The villain shows AT but Harald has AK...
A J93 flop looks great for Harald but the Ten on the turn and another on the river sends him to the rail.
Harald finished a magnificent 22nd from over 4600 runners and cashed for $20,499.
And our hero Harald Olsen falls in dramatic style...The massive stack on the table raises to 30k, Harald reraises to 70k and the villain shoves which Harald snap calls.The villain shows AT but Harald has AK...A J93 flop looks great for Harald but the
OK so unfortunately Betfair has no players left in event 59 but the fun is far from over....
Tonight is the party at top night club Surrender which I will get some photo's from.
Sunday is a rest day and boy do I need one!
Monday is a day of boating and watersports (don't be dirty) at Lake Mead which Las Vegas residents assure me is amazing and obviously there will be photo's from there too.
OK so unfortunately Betfair has no players left in event 59 but the fun is far from over....Tonight is the party at top night club Surrender which I will get some photo's from.Sunday is a rest day and boy do I need one!Monday is a day of boating and
Last night was awesome and the players had a fantastic evening.
My evening started early as I joind Boy Wonder Eli Heath and his friends for Eli's 24th birthday dinner at The Country Club at the Wyn Hotel. They were a great bunch of lads from all round europe and America and mcuh fun was had.
We then moved onto the Betfair Poker party at the incredible Surrender night club which is at the Encore Hotel. The music was fantastic the drink was flowing and nearly all the Betfair players turned up and we partied away until the sun came up!
Anyway I will tell the story with some pictures...
Last night was awesome and the players had a fantastic evening.My evening started early as I joind Boy Wonder Eli Heath and his friends for Eli's 24th birthday dinner at The Country Club at the Wyn Hotel. They were a great bunch of lads from all rou
I can't get any peace at the party now, that Joe hachem has been spouting his mouth off agin about my coaching!!
John Tabatabai wanted some strategy from me for the main event and he seems like a nice kid so I though I would guide him with my wisdom...
I can't get any peace at the party now, that Joe hachem has been spouting his mouth off agin about my coaching!!John Tabatabai wanted some strategy from me for the main event and he seems like a nice kid so I though I would guide him with my wisdom..
After Surrender closed (4am) some of the players wanted to carry on partying so 11 of us jumped in a Limo and went to an after hours club whose name escapes me....
Obviously I didn't want to go but the players need looking after, it's a tough job but someones got to do it!
After Surrender closed (4am) some of the players wanted to carry on partying so 11 of us jumped in a Limo and went to an after hours club whose name escapes me....Obviously I didn't want to go but the players need looking after, it's a tough job but
I did an interview with our Event 59 22nd place finisher Harald Olsen...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbWzvnbxe_Y&feature=youtu.beHarald decided to turn the tables and interview me with some of the questions being not so straight forward! http://www
Today we took over 40 players on a trip to Lake Mead.
The agenda went as follows:-
It was a one hour coach ride from The Palazzo hotel driving up through the arid mountains.
The scenery around the lake was stunning and my first job was to take out one of the jet skis to the house boat on the shore of the lake which was the base for our activities.
We had three jet skis and a motor boat (we weren't allowed to drive it) that took us out for a bit of donuting which was a real thrill.
We had a shaded beach area to relax in plus the house boat which had a slide on the back for us to all behave like children on.
At midday we had a barbecue on the beach which was really tasty.
We stayed for six hours where much fun was had and everyone had plenty of time on the jet skis and the beer, wine and water was plentiful.
I can honestly say that this was the highlight of the whole trip it really was a special day and all of the players seemed to have a whale of a time.
As usual some pictures to help you share the experience.
Today we took over 40 players on a trip to Lake Mead.The agenda went as follows:-It was a one hour coach ride from The Palazzo hotel driving up through the arid mountains. The scenery around the lake was stunning and my first job was to take out one
John Tabatabai going on the donut but only agreeing after I shamed him by going on first! Note his flying dismount at the end...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTiaaKvgV9Q&feature=youtu.be
At home with Peter Eastgate...A look around the house where the Danish Betfair players were staying, funny video..http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=T7AeXXUvghY
Sat in Las Vegas airport now and my plane is delayed!!
Sad to leave but glad to be going home if that makes any sense whatsoever.
Very tired due to continual lack of sleep but there's plenty of time to sleep when you're dead! There is so much to do in Vegas and with obviously having to commit a lot of time to work I had to get out and sample as much as possible.
Anyway hopefully will sleep all the way back to Heathrow, I have even bought some herbal sleeping tablets to assist in this mission.
Sat in Las Vegas airport now and my plane is delayed!! Sad to leave but glad to be going home if that makes any sense whatsoever.Very tired due to continual lack of sleep but there's plenty of time to sleep when you're dead! There is so much to do i
As a summation I have to say the players and myself all had a fantastic week...
The emphasis all week was on TEAM Betfair and the way the activities were organised really made it feel like we were all one big team.
Tueday: Meet and greet, where all the players gathered at the Laguna bar for free drinks till midnight.
Wednesday: Team Betfair breakfast, fabulous buffet breakfast at the Cafe Grande.
Thursday: The whole team arriving at WSOP in Limousines and strode up the red carpet with John and Hans leading the way.
Friday: Team Betfair meal, a lovely meal at the Sports bar with the usual free drinks (I had to miss this due to blogging duties).
Saturday: Party at Las Vegas's top nightclub Surrender which was just totally amazing and once again the free drinks flowed.
Monday: Lake Mead trip which was just fantastic, that good even GHADAFFI smiled all day!
I can honestly say the hospitality was on an immense scale and if I am not asked to blog again next year I will be doing everything in my power to qualify as a player.
I know many of you have issues with the poker site at the moment but Betfair do live tourneys better than anyone and I would highly recommend trying to qualify for the Betfair Live series as they are always well organised and great fun!
As a summation I have to say the players and myself all had a fantastic week...The emphasis all week was on TEAM Betfair and the way the activities were organised really made it feel like we were all one big team.Tueday: Meet and greet, where all th
Okay so you think I'm having a pop at you but you are supposed to be sorting this excuse for a poker site out. THIS IS WHY I SAID YOU ARE LOOKING AFTER NUMBER ONE AND THESE PEOPLE ON HERE REALLY COULDN'T SEE IT. YOU HAD AN AGENDA FROM THE WORD GO. Like someone else said 'running with the hare and chasing with the hounds' Absolutely 100% last post from me. Goodbye and whatever. Have a nice life Chip (the forumites champion).
Okay so you think I'm having a pop at you but you are supposed to be sorting this excuse for a poker site out. THIS IS WHY I SAID YOU ARE LOOKING AFTER NUMBER ONE AND THESE PEOPLE ON HERE REALLY COULDN'T SEE IT. YOU HAD AN AGENDA FROM THE WORD GO. Li
Betfair Live events, which cater for a small minority of their customers, are undoubtedly great. Well organised, well run, customer focussed, and geared towards making the poker experience as enjoyable as possible.
Unfortunately, while Team Betfair seemingly pour all their attention into Live Events, the majority of its dwindling poker customer base, is stuck with disconnections, frozen tables,vanishing tables, outages, non updating leaderboards, missing refunds, truly, truly, appalling customer service, and management that just generally dont seem to give a fk.
Perhaps if some of these Team Betfair people we see swanning about in Europe and Vegas, actually got off their glitzy backsides and tried playing on this piece of crap that is Ongame, they might see things as they really are. But I got the impression from the Q and A sessions that frankly, while they might talk the talk, thats all they ever do...talk.
The fact that they cant even acknowledge the frozen table issue, let alone fix it after over a 6 week period is absolutely gobsmacking.
Here we have the real irony.Betfair Live events, which cater for a small minority of their customers, are undoubtedly great. Well organised, well run, customer focussed, and geared towards making the poker experience as enjoyable as possible.Unfortun
Branding is very important ? What in holy hell does that mean ?
Sticking a logo on a bunch of no hopers ? Running a live event attended by 100 people while your online site is a laughing stock ?
What kind of branding is that ?
Even 888 have a poker pro people have heard of. No disrespect to John and Hans, who are probably very nice fellas, but its not that long ago a betfair sponsored pro went busto. Kind of sums the site/brand up dont you think ?
Branding is very important ? What in holy hell does that mean ?Sticking a logo on a bunch of no hopers ? Running a live event attended by 100 people while your online site is a laughing stock ?What kind of branding is that ? Even 888 have a poker pro
Maybe you misunderstand me but Betfair spend MILLIONS each year sponsoring horse racing, football teams and getting the brand name across just like Coca Cola.
Poker is an offshoot and probably a loss leader but it still gets that name across.
BF are very good at what they do apart from picking poker software that actually works.
Maybe you misunderstand me but Betfair spend MILLIONS each year sponsoring horse racing, football teams and getting the brand name across just like Coca Cola. Poker is an offshoot and probably a loss leader but it still gets that name across.BF are v
Betfair Live events, which cater for a small minority of their customers, are undoubtedly great. Well organised, well run, customer focussed, and geared towards making the poker experience as enjoyable as possible.
Unfortunately, while Team Betfair seemingly pour all their attention into Live Events
I went to the WSOP main event 2 years ago with betfair, and they couldn't have paid less attention if they had deliberately set out to do so.
It was clearly much better organised this time, and the Estonia event I went to was very good too.
Do people thank them for this massive improvement, nope they start griping about it.
I don't visit here so much anymore but top blogging Thrappers.
Betfair Live events, which cater for a small minority of their customers, are undoubtedly great. Well organised, well run, customer focussed, and geared towards making the poker experience as enjoyable as possible.Unfortunately, while Team Betfair se
Think we will have to agree to disagree there. They have a virtual monopoly on the exchange, and their position of strength is due to the weakness of the competition more than their ongoing brilliance.
They have a licence to print money due to the initial brilliant idea, and generous legislation. However like most companies who have no real competition, they seem to have a lot of people in senior positions who are happy with the status quo and do very little to move the company forward. This is clearly the case with the poker product which could, and probably should, have been massive by now. It hasnt because the people running it think, like the betting exchange, all they have to do is put the product out there, and people will use it.
Lets face it if the Arabs or some other rich folk ever put their mind to setting up a rival betting exchange, people would desert Betfair in their tens of thousands. People stick with the exchange because they have no other genuine option.
Think we will have to agree to disagree there. They have a virtual monopoly on the exchange, and their position of strength is due to the weakness of the competition more than their ongoing brilliance. They have a licence to print money due to the in
Who has griped about their live events Doobs ? Nobody that I have seen. I went to one last year and like I said, had a great time. It was well run and I really enjoyed it.
However at the moment I would happily forego my Betfair Masters Invitation next month in return for them ploughing some money into sorting out the online side of things. Have you played any MTT's on here lately ? Its absolutely fking dreadful with these tables freezing all the time whenever you have a table move.
Who has griped about their live events Doobs ? Nobody that I have seen. I went to one last year and like I said, had a great time. It was well run and I really enjoyed it.However at the moment I would happily forego my Betfair Masters Invitation next
i won same package as doobs 2 years ago,and the betfair staff were almost non existant. theonly thing they put on for us was a welcome party on the 2nd night, an invite i recieved for it on the 3rd morning!!!!!!!
this year, it looks like the yput a real effort,and it looked wellworth winning.
i won same package as doobs 2 years ago,and the betfair staff were almost non existant. theonly thing they put on for us was a welcome party on the 2nd night, an invite i recieved for it on the 3rd morning!!!!!!!this year, it looks like the yput a
I thought that this Thrappers guy was representing the players at meetings with Betfair over the problems with the site-but now he is employed by them?
I had a valid query/complaint last Friday with the poker dept. and today I am still waiting for a response.I was told last week that due to their workload and staffing levels(I assume they were in Vegas) it would take some time.Since then the VIP manager has got involved but still no action.
If Betfair have to employ the 'forum representative' then perhaps an alternative post in the poker dept. would prove more fruitful rather than sending him to Vegas to get p1ssed for free and take a few photos.
I may sound slightly bitter and twisted,or even jealous,but with all the problems on this site at the moment I do begrudge the fact that someone who was democratically elected to represent the people who play here has now manipulated that position for his own benefit.
I thought that this Thrappers guy was representing the players at meetings with Betfair over the problems with the site-but now he is employed by them?I had a valid query/complaint last Friday with the poker dept. and today I am still waiting for a r
Still don't get the moaning. It isn't like there were no software problems when they did not for us two years ago. They spend less on Vegas, then the software won't change at all. That is pretty much how every company works budget a gets cut. Budget b stays the same. Directors get bigger bonuses.
Still don't get the moaning. It isn't like there were no software problems when they did not for us two years ago. They spend less on Vegas, then the software won't change at all. That is pretty much how every company works budget a gets cut. Budg
There hasn't been a players rep meeting since the back end of last year and I doubt there will ever be another one, so cant see how Thrappers can be said to have a foot in both camps.
He likes drinking, poker, and travelling so you can hardly blame him for taking the blogging gig.
As for the moaning, its been a horrendous few weeks for the site, and its perfectly reasonable for players to stick the boot in. At the same time none of us are forced to play here at gunpoint. I'm clearing the May cash bonus thing on here which runs out on Tuesday, and after that I doubt I will be playing much more poker on here for the forseeable future.
There hasn't been a players rep meeting since the back end of last year and I doubt there will ever be another one, so cant see how Thrappers can be said to have a foot in both camps.He likes drinking, poker, and travelling so you can hardly blame h
I think you are all being a bit harsh on HF and Betfair Poker.
Whilst Vegas is a great gig and there are many good nights out it is thoroughly exhausting and they are 14-16 hour days 8 days in a row. For those of you that don't understand marketing - it's not about sticking patches on people its about customer relationships, listening to feedback and building a rapport with the customer base in order to retain and increase their business. Just because it is done in Vegas over cocktails or in a nightclub does not mean it is less important. I am pretty sure HF was exhausted when he came home. He only tells you the good bits because you aren't interested in the dull things he had to do or the boring people he had to spend time with to make them feel part of the group.
I can only see the positive in having HF in both camps. In my time working with HF he never once compromised his integrity in bringing player problems to light just because he was working for Betfair as a blogger - if anything he now knows exactly who to speak to in the company to get things sorted. I am sure they (BF staff) had a week of him and the qualifiers bending their ear about the issues on the site and him urging them to get it fixed
I think you are all being a bit harsh on HF and Betfair Poker.Whilst Vegas is a great gig and there are many good nights out it is thoroughly exhausting and they are 14-16 hour days 8 days in a row.For those of you that don't understand marketing - i
I accept a few dozen people in Vegas have a had a bloody good time. Fair play to them, I have no issues with that. However the other 99.90 % of the customer base have had this to contend with in the last week :
MTT Players
Unable to multitable, or play properly, due to an ongoing issue with tables freezing. This has gone on for over 6 bloody weeks !! Betfairs official stance - it's not a problem at our end.
Cash Players
Tables vanishing, along with your cash. A long delay for refunds which in some instances were less than the player had at the table.
STT Players
Unable to play 30 man games because of the table freezing issue. Leaderboards that they claim are updated daily not updating.
And for everyone, yet another unplanned outage today.
The deliverables that we were promised in August last year, have not been delivered. The things we were promised were on the " road map " are presumably still on it. The only thing that has been delivered - a wretched casino advert dumped on the table that nobody asked for and nobody likes.
It's no good promoting a site if it doesn't work. Look at the recent posting history on here and see how many times you see the comment " Ive just returned to Betfair Poker after a break and I wish I hadn't bothered."
Anyhow rant over. As of this week I'm back on 888/stars, so it's a bit daft me getting worked up about stuff on here.
Harsh on BF Poker ?I accept a few dozen people in Vegas have a had a bloody good time. Fair play to them, I have no issues with that. However the other 99.90 % of the customer base have had this to contend with in the last week :MTT Players Unable t
Invitations get sent out end of August for games in October/November time was what I heard Keith. I've stayed around 16,000 points all year to keep me above the 14k cutoff. Will be a tad disappointed if I dont get an invite.
Invitations get sent out end of August for games in October/November time was what I heard Keith. I've stayed around 16,000 points all year to keep me above the 14k cutoff. Will be a tad disappointed if I dont get an invite.
I paid $4293 in rake in the last 12 months, and the year before paid $3991. Obviously you get fewer points per dollar rake now than you used to, so you have to play more games to maintain your status as they erode from the previous year.
I was playing on other networks last summer so I havent had any points coming off my total for the last 3 months.
If you enter about 40 grands worth of STT's/MTT's I reckon that should get you to around Master Status. I only play in my spare time around work and the kids so it's deffo doable for lower stakes recreational regs. Works out about $11 rake per day.
I paid $4293 in rake in the last 12 months, and the year before paid $3991. Obviously you get fewer points per dollar rake now than you used to, so you have to play more games to maintain your status as they erode from the previous year.I was playing
"its about customer relationships, listening to feedback and building a rapport with the customer base in order to retain and increase their business."
This made me LOL hard. Dont make me laugh m8!!
"its about customer relationships, listening to feedback and building a rapport with the customer base in order to retain and increase their business."This made me LOL hard. Dont make me laugh m8!!
For six weeks they had an issue with table moves freezing all of your games, and calls to their Helpdesk were being met with the standard Betfair response- its a problem at your end, we genuinely dont give a sh1t, now fk off and leave us in peace.
" No notice on the noticeboard, I was completely in the dark" to quote Graham Lister.
But hey, what would I know, I dont have a degree in marketing.
For six weeks they had an issue with table moves freezing all of your games, and calls to their Helpdesk were being met with the standard Betfair response- its a problem at your end, we genuinely dont give a sh1t, now fk off and leave us in peace. "
To be fair JC if you worked for Betfair and your job was to "listen to feedback and build a rapport with the customer base in order to retain and increase their business"
Would you :
a) Fly out to Vegas for a week and get opinions from two dozen people who have just won an all expenses paid trip of a lifetime while plying them with free booze in a swanky hotel.
or
b) Fly out to Malta and spend a whole week sat in their call centre with a headset on, listening to customers ringing up to complain to get a feel for why they are unhappy ?
To be fair JC if you worked for Betfair and your job was to "listen to feedback and build a rapport with the customer base in order to retain and increase their business"Would you :a) Fly out to Vegas for a week and get opinions from two dozen people