The predicted merging of two of online poker’s biggest names – PokerStars and Full Tilt – looks certain to go ahead with a date being set for the two to join forces. Online poker aficionados have been awaiting the announcement regarding the merger ever since it was first reported in mid-February. Full Tilt is set to merge its liquidity with its sister site PokerStars on the 17th of May. An Amaya Corporation report back in Autumn hinted that the merger was on the cards when it stated its intention to encourage the “stabilization of Full Tilt brand through access to PokerStars’ world leading liquidity and technology.”

Michael Josem, the chairman of PokerStars and Full Tilt Public Relations, announced in a press release that an official date has now been set with players being able to play on one centralised network starting on the 17th of May 2016. He stated that “in the coming days, Full Tilt players will be emailed direct and personal information on how this will affect them specifically, which depends on a variety of factors including their jurisdiction and the status of their PokerStars account”.

Full Tilt poker customers should expect an email from the company within the next week or so on how the new development will specifically will affect them, which according to Josem will depend on a variety of different factors. Many online poker players use both Full Tilt and PokerStars, and these individuals will find the transition to be straightforward, with cash and loyalty points automatically being transferred once the merger officially takes place.

“In many cases, Full Tilt players who already hold a PokerStars account will not need to update any information or transfer their account assets (loyalty points, cash balances etc) which will be transferred automatically to their PokerStars account and they can simply log in to their PokerStars account and enjoy all the great benefits on offer, including even more game choices and bigger tournaments,” Josem explained.

Many commentators have questioned what the overall impact of the PokerStars/Full Tilt merger will be. The consequences for PokerStars’ overall liquidity after the merger takes place will probably be minimal. PokerStars is the largest and most popular online poker room in the world with 13,000 ring-game players based on a seven-day rolling average according to the PokerScout Online Poker Traffic Report. Full Tilt sits much further down the ranking when it comes to popular online poker rooms. It is currently in 14th place with 575 ring-game players just behind Adjarabet and just ahead of the Swedish Svenska Spel. Another fact to consider is the reality that many Full Tilt players may already play at PokerStars perhaps decreasing the impact of the merger for ring-games even further.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 9th, 2016 at 9:43 am and is filed under Poker News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.