A PokerStars Full Tilt Poker merger is, at the moment, a big rumour and just a rumour. PokerStars themselves have not confirmed it and the only real mention of them buying FTP is by Groupe Bernard Tapie in their ‘resignation letter‘ of their failure to buy Full Tilt.
If it is true and PokerStars do get DOJ approval and then the Full Tilt Poker shareholders agree to the sale and PokerStars buy FTP then PokerStars will have online pokers equivalent monopoly of the single sites and player liquidity. Would a PokerStars Full Tilt merger be a force for Good or Evil?
PokerStars Full tilt Merger … does you like to Party?
Doubts will remain that this is nothing other than a rumour until it is officially confirmed and PokerStars are very unlikely to be able to confirm it until it is signed, sealed and delivered. Especially as the real issue is that PokerStars themselves are in trouble with the DOJ.
Questions will be asked of and about the DOJ and the possible merger itself. The questions, answers and thoughts will depend on … does you like to Party?
Here are a few quick ideas and thoughts on a PokerStars buy Full Tilt Poker merger scenario, that we had during unfortunately watching the 2nd half of the Real Madrid v Bayern Munich game.
Pros
- Massive injection of money/liquidity/players back into the poker economy
- Could help to restore poker’s good name or reputation in the Main Stream or those who take a casual interest
Cons
- Gives Stars almost a monopoly
- As competitors they used to keep each other check and drive development, innovation and value for the player. Now that motivation is gone. Examples are synchronised breaks that Full Tilt introduced and PokerStars used the same time as FTP, also Rush Poker eventually triggered Zoom Poker.
PokerStars Full Tilt merger – what’s in it for Stars?
- The goodwill effect – PokerStars are buying players respect, goodwill, loyalty etc
- Buying Full Tilt’s database who are use to large player liquidity that they will struggle to find elsewhere other than Stars
- $750 million is the cost of entering the US market? It is very unlikely that PokerStars are doing this without it being their ‘fine’ for being naughty and literally getting caught with their hand in the US till. Is this their payment to wipe the slate clean and guarantee they have a chance at the regulated US market?
A PokerStars Full Tilt Poker merger?
Food for Full thought …
- Will Full Tilt Poker not be allowed to do any business or promos that will impact PokerStars core business/markets/revenues?
- Joint promotions?
- Joint other stuff like special tournaments etc?
- PokerStars White Labels through Full Tilt Poker?
- PokerStars use Full Tilt for promotions or game ideas that they can not run on their officially non rakeback site?
- Here is one scenario that could happen. PokerStars buy Full Tilt database and software and then shut down Full Tilt and migrate everyone to PokerStars. Never going to happen? Tribeca had perhaps the best poker software on the market at the time, or it was certainly miles (kilometers) better than the Playtech software who bought the Tribeca Poker Network (lol at the Editors notes in the linked article). Playtech then turned off the Tribeca software, much to the dismay of many.
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