It doesn't end the debate, it just makes the debate irrelevant.

Player pool, software, name (even one dragged through the mud can be resurrected to be worth something).

It also is another strong move to being seen as a legitimate company who is responsible and good for the industry. All this talk about pokerstars being a monopoly and that being bad is somewhat misguided imo. The fact that pokerstars has remained largely scandal free and has survived and grown does nothing but help our prospects for reentry into the US in the future.

To get into the U.S. market sites will probably do a deal with a casino:

FullTilt with casino A
Stars with casino B

Will give Party, ipoker etc a smaller slice and no monopoly fears as the casinos involved will both be battling for clients. Win/win for Stars.

Also Stars are the only people in the world that has the best chance to run Tilt because ANYBODY else that got it would get the Tilt stench and a frenzy to withdraw. With Stars as owners I'm sure RoW players won't mind playing there and trusting their $$$ there thus reducing the competitions market share.

$80 million from Tapie vs $750 million from Pokerstars. OH...the arrogance of the French!!!

Playing online poker for years must have made me completely tilt-resistant. I actually like your signature. How do you pronounce it, mate?

Seems pretty pricey to spend 3/4 billion dollars for goodwill. If they let FTP go down, they still own the poker market. So the logic is that by paying so much money, PS is actually buying a deal with DOJ to eventually allow US cash games. That's the only way I can see this making sense.

I'm just getting caught up and came across this comment. Pretty ridiculous to think that the US screwed everything up for ROW players. All the US did was put a stop to these sites in the states. ROW players can still play on Stars am I right? You all would also be able to play on FTP if they ran their business in a legitimate way and kept funds segregated.

No, PS still has ongoing legal issues with the DOJ from BF that hasn't been settled. I'm not talking about buying into the US market.

Dik****s (PartyPoker CEO) never even operated in the U.S. after the UIGEA was passed, and paid $300M just to be able to travel the world without looking over his shoulder.

PartyPoker itself paid $105M just to clean their slate for an eventual return to a regulated U.S. market.

That's $405M for absolutely nothing, whereas PokerStars is (probably) getting Isah's charges dropped with an agreement that he never applies for a license in the U.S., the profits they made operating in the U.S. unlawfully, their biggest potential rivals assets, with the ability to set those assets up as a seperate company free to apply for a service provider license in the U.S., all for $750M.

Yes. If they (PS) ever want to compete in a USA market they have to settle their case with the DOJ. This would do it all IMHO, end the legal problems, payoff stiffed players, "payoff" the DOJ and still allow the DOJ to deal with the few individuals from old FTP if they want to. Seems to good to be true, so WTF

You're buying market share, software, an IP. The DOJ has no control over allowing of cash games, just enforcement. Legislation will be independent of this. A lobbyist would cost far less. Without a deal similar to this though, Pokerstars will be at risk of being shut out of the US market if/when legalization occurs. ROW is sizeable and growing, but with the US is the US...

looks like its a deal between PS and USA Gov.

PS clears all the **** (buy ftp and pays everyone)

and now

PS can be back in USA

Is there going to be a statement from stars today then, or will it be the same deal as what happened with Tapie where we were in the dark for months with nothing but rumours to go on??

I would pay 300m too, to clear my name if it was dik****s.

Let's revisit the variables...there is an improved BJ...OR...a lower price for a comparable BJ.

iPoker, merge, etc doesn't have to provide a better software...they simply have to create the proper utility in switching sites to compete...which would mean lower rakes AND/OR improved software.

If they improve one or both enough, they gain customers. If they can't provide better software, then they must provide lower rake costs (or better bonuses, or both). If they can't provide better bonuses and lower rake, then they must increase quality of the software.

Of course, this assumes the market is fully saturated...because if not, they can also advertize to virgin consumers (virgin, as in not already in the market as consumers).

BTW...by conceding you have other choices, you have conceded there is no monopoly problem. You're simply complaining about the best option not being good enough...which is completely subjective. It's like complaining you aren't paid fairly when it's clear you can't find a better job. Sure, you might want $100 an hour instead of $10 an hour, but if you can't find even an $11 an hour job as an alternative, you're just whining irrationally.

One comment I haven't seen about the 300m for player payouts is that it's not like PS or FT2 is actually going to have to pay it all out. I would suspect that a majority of the players representing a majority of the deposits would be happy to cash out something, but leave a BR for playing. Especially if there is an indication that re-entering the US market is part of this.

So PS is paying a fine to wipe the slate clean, and committing to paying players if the players want to be paid.

LOL. seriously, thats his real name?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anurag_Dik****

Question: If this deal gets the civil charges against them dropped, doesn't that make them just as eligible as any other company for re-entry into the U.S. market? I mean, no conviction/plea bargain would mean no ineligibility, right?

Or have they already plead out to some of these charges? I know some people did, but was that anyone in an official capacity with these sites?

+1 I hope not

This post of pokerfuse looks pretty good for deal done.

http://pokerfuse.com/news/law-and-re...ions-with-doj/

lol totally unrelated, but the minute i clicked on link i bursted out laughing b/c that guy in the pic is easily the most annoying guy i've ever played with at a table. Fact that he's a coach makes it that much better

at least 5-10 days we will need to wait until some official news surface.
thats how it goes.

He has 2 cashes on Hendon Mob, so he is a professional?

so its next week again? :P
sounds good