PokerStars Makes Major Changes to VIP Program
12/29/2011December 29, 2011 update: After many angry emails and forum posts from players, PokerStars decided against changing the cash game rake structure. The 2012 cash game rake schedule will remain the same as it was in 2011.
PokerStars, the world's largest online poker room, announced some major changes to their VIP program for 2012. These changes include a change to their rake calculation as well as some big changes to how they rake the cash game tables.
Effective January 1st, PokerStars will move to the weighted contributed formula. Currently PokerStars is one of the last two online poker rooms that uses the dealt method. The other poker room that uses dealt is Cake Poker and its skins. After January 1st, PokerStars players will earn VIP Player Points based on the amount that they contribute to the pot instead of just getting dealt in like they do now.
PokerStars will also change how they rake cash games. No limit and pot limit cash games will be raked 4% or 4.25% at micro limit games and 4.5% at higher limit games. Fixed limit games will be raked 4% at lower limit games and 3% at games 2/4 and higher. This means that some pots that were not raked before will now be raked as every hand that sees a flop will have a drop.
One other change that drew the ire of players is that 5 handed games will see the rake cap move from $2 to $3. While this will have little effect on low limit games, mid limit 6 max games will really feel the extra rake increase. That is because if one person sits out the table will now pay the same rake as they would if the player were sitting in. Now those players would receive a slight break.
Most players that spoke their minds today were unhappy with the change. Some threatened to move their action to other online poker rooms. Others stated that they would protest by disrupting cash games by sitting out in them. Only time will tell if any of this catches the attention of the world's largest online poker room.
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