Merging player pools would mean all the MTT and SNG would have to have the same buyin/blind structures. Also fish who switch because THAT SITE IS SO RIGGED would go elsewhere if they knew they were the same network.

I don't want to see any nissans on the lot when I buy my infiniti because that would cheapen the experience.

I am in the camp for combining player pools but I could see why some would want to keep them separate based on softness of competition. I used to grind the midstakes 45m MTSNGs on FTP and it was basically a money printing machine
Meanwhile on PS most SNG's are reg infested.

For me, the larger the player pool, the less likely it is to encounter the same players twice. At FT for example, playing the midstakes HORSE tourneys, you'd see the same players over and over, and could take advantage of prior reads. If the FT player pool suddenly, say, trebled in size, I wouldn't have notes on nearly as many players, and to me that would be a downside.

One Time baby! I hope we get some GOOD news soon...

To combine player pools would mean to consolidate players on one server farm. That means the site's infrastructure are merged onto on platform and either PS client or FTP client goes away or somehow they can communicate with the same server. If one goes away the people that preferred one over the other wouldn't be happy.

After BF any ROW players that can play are playing on PokerStars. Hence the player pools are already combined.

If PS retains ownership of FTP I think it's safe to assume that the good customer service, financial stability can be expected of FTP so the issues would be regarding user experience and game selection.

Having player pools combined I believe also necessitates having combined games and some players preferred the schedules and formats of FTP.

I too am deeply sorry and very humbled by Noah's admonishment.
So sorry Kamikaze Baby
Can you forgive my inaccurate recall and my premature conclusions about your posts?

As long as both pools' player funds are ring fenced by law, what's the difference?
Alderney wouldn't have required that.
Isle of Man presumably will.

More tournaments.
More promotional opportunities
I can be more anonymous ( ex. Iamadonk-sn on ps/ shArkattax-sn on ftp)
Superstitious.
Some ppl like to have money spread out on sites in case catastrophe strikes (BF)
More tournys to load at once w smaller fields to reduce variance

For grinders one site is better bc of loyalty rewards and customer service .

The idea of crossover tournys would be viable if the user names indicate what site the player is on (in case two ppl have the same sn)
Tho crossover tourny would bring all sorts of collusion , m/a issues into play/ could I register from both sites?)

Let's assume this deal does go through, as rumored, and all FTP players balances are repaid. What happens to all those deposits made on FTP, that were never processed because of all their payment processing issues. I have a "friend" that made more than a few deposits over a 2-3 month period, and NONE of them ever came out of his bank account, but the $$$ was always "there" in his FTP account. When BF hit, he still had a BR at FTP.

Will he get that back?

Are there records of the deposits by players that were never collected?

Could they try to collect those deposits now, so long after the fact?


k13

Sorry - Not sure if posted already in this thread or the other FTP thread but seems like orinic has withdraw cat 2 license application from AGC + hearing no longer taking place

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/0...-agc-12525.htm

Then how are the players being made whole? People seem to be ignoring logic as to what both sides want and what they have to offer.

The idea that the DOJ will trade rest of world payback in exchange for dropping criminal charges is highly unlikely. Why on earth would they do that? If Stars wants to buy FTP they will have to pay. The problem is criminal prosecution is not likely a real bargaining chip. The US DOJ would be selling a get out of jail free card. On top of that it would provide little benefit to US players.

The doj has to be given stars something else to make that deal happen. That does not mean that criminal charges are not settled in concert but there is zero chance they sell them a buy out of the charges for buying FTP.

Stars will not and will never have a monopoly on the online poker industry. If they are allowed back in the U.S, the other sites will partner with the casinos and then it's off to the races. If the margins are super high it makes it easier for competition to take market share. So they would logically have to reduce rake to fend off competition and that's a losing proposition because companies already operates on a free to play model where they don't collect any rake and are profitable. It would be quite easy to change some of the software and collect 100x the amount they currently do by changing to real money play, while undercutting stars rake by 50-75%

Yes there are records, you'll probably have to pay back those phantom deposits whether or not you intend to play there again.

Not an Econ major but if a PS inherit FTP's debts it would make sense that they also inherit what FTP is owed.

Wicked Chops claim they have independently confirmed the deal is going through:

http://wickedchopspoker.com/confirme...ll-tilt-poker/

FTP isn't around right now and Stars doesn't have a monopoly. They have the best software, customer service, and rewards program, and thus they have the most customers. By buying FTP yes they will gain more players, but it's not like they have a full-on monopoly of the industry. Party poker, iPoker, merge, etc all still exist and all will continue to do ok but still not as well as Poker Stars because they don't have nearly as good software, cs, rewards, etc.

I'd take the Full Tilt Poker software any day against the software of PokerStars.

Anyone with me?

I was more thinking that even if they have the money put aside, if people don't withdraw it, and pay rake while playing, PS/FTP2 makes money. If all of the money is withdrawn, it would take PS/FTP2 longer to rebuild that deposit base, and therefore, longer to make money.

+1, can't argue against that.

the deposits and what is owed to the player base, by and large, are peanuts for a company like pokerstars. The only thing I imagine stars wants to do is keep it's market share high and brand name strong - they will do this by paying FTP players back promptly and completely. They'll have a loyal player-base for life if they make good on this stuff.

Not to mention the DOJ will certainly keep track of who in the US money is owed to, and you can be sure people will be audited if taxes are not paid. So not only does the DOJ make what they make from any deal, but you can be sure the taxman is getting paid too.

Yes, I am sure as part of the deal the DOJ is going to make sure FT's ponzi scheme/ bank fraud deposits are completed.

Sure...but larger fields = more fish.

Wrong

I agree with the first part, but the no rake solution is not so easy as you describe it. Most recreational players don´t know or care about the rake anyway and all those steps the poker rooms take to cater to the recreational players just don´t make sense and also look very bad.

To the players, it´s all about the ultimate UX and it cost an immense amount of money to provide and to maintain.

All those team-ups between US landbased and EU online operators will obv have a huge impact on the market, but what I don´t get, is why the smaller operators aren´t building their own little army of minions from new players.

Even the recreational players know about the skill involved and I assume the % of players who play for the challenge is quite big already. Imo the way for the other operators to seduce new players would be to cut on the other dumb promos, which nobody anyway doesn´t believe, and to create long term campaigns, where the new players who have shown the best results in the end of the quarter or year get some packages etc.

Bodog just had a long vlog about theri recreational player model and the benefits of it. SOunds really stupid to mee and imo it refelcts in Pokerscout also.

I am rooting for Shuffle Master and Ongame, when US finally gets it to the federal level.

YES

jesus i hope its true... getting tired of this bs