iPoker Expected to Split Player Pools Next Week
Starting next week the iPoker network is expected to divide its player pools into two, with some operators being excluded from the main liquidity pool.
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The new move will see smaller "lower-tier" skins being removed from the main player pool if they fail to meet network criteria.
What will the liquidity pools look like?
• The operators will be informed on September 2 which tier they will belong to, and we expect the split will take place on September 4.
• One player pool will contain the "high tier" operators and the other will contain the smaller skins, and be the lower liquidity pool.
• The two player pools will be segregated, which may mean that only players in the same player pool will be able to play against each other at the same tables.
There are, however, some games where you will share a table with both sets of players, just like you always have. For example in multi-table tournaments, you will share tables with players from both player pools.
Exact details on how this will look from the players point of view have not been released yet.
• Cash game traffic will be segregated all the way up to NL 400. Higher stakes than NL 400, fixed limit, and pot limit games will share the same liquidity pool.
• Sit and Go traffic is expected to be segregated all the way up to the $30 buy-in level, higher stakes sit and goes are expected to share the same liquidity pool.
• Speed Poker and Multi Table Tournament traffic will share the same liquidity pool.
• It is expected that a lot of smaller operators will merge with larger skins in order to join the higher tier pool. Other outside operators are expected to join iPoker in the future to boost overall traffic (For example, Everest Poker is rumoured to be joining them).
Do players need to do anything when the iPoker pools split?
The segregation should be seamless for poker players. We will inform you as soon as possible next week which player pool your iPoker skin will be using.
At PokerStrategy.com we only deal with the best operators on the iPoker network and we fully expect most of, if not all, our partners will be part of the superior player pool.
Why are the liquidity pools splitting?
In June, iPoker confirmed in a press statement that:
"iPoker has decided to extend the network policy to include specific quality standards that would regulate the interaction between the various card rooms. Failing to meet any of these standards will cause a separation of the card room from the network main liquidity pool."
The new network criteria is for a skin to be maintaining 6,000 active players (Raking $1 or more a month) as well as acquiring 850 new active players a month (Raking $5 in the first 30 days).
The reason for this move is to improve the action on the network, to encourage more social poker among recreational players, and to discourage skins from offering illegal rakeback deals to high volume players. The second tier network is likely to contain a lot more winning players, and thus, will be less appealing to play on.
