Weekly Roundup May 20 2016
PokerStars and Full Tilt Merge Player Pools
Full Tilt’s poker software is officially retired. Its player pool merged into the PokerStars platform this week. The Full Tilt brand is still being used. The PokerStars software was skinned with Full Tilt logos and branding. Otherwise, it is essentially identical to PokerStars. The effect on PokerStars cash game traffic was negligible.
Howard Lederer Apologizes for Full Tilt Debacle
After five years of mostly silence, Howard Lederer apologized to the poker community for his part in the Full Tilt implosion. Daniel Negreanu’s Full Contact Poker site obtained the statement. Lederer accepted responsibility for his role in the defunct business that managed to misappropriate more than $150 million in player funds. PokerStars bailed out most Full Tilt players in a shotgun wedding created through a settlement related to Black Friday.
The reaction to Lederer’s apology was mixed. Some attributed it to his hopes to return to the World Series of Poker events this summer in Las Vegas at the Rio. Others wondered if the timing was more connected to the demise of Full Tilt as a standalone poker site, as described in the section above.
Intertops Reload Bonus
Intertops is offering a 200% up to $200 reload bonus. The offer is valid until May 23. The bonus code is SUNDAYGTD. Players must earn 83 Player Points for every $5 in bonus. One point is earned for every dollar in rake paid cumulatively by the table or paid in tournament fees. Players have 30 days to clear the bonus.
Bovada Rolls Out Bitcoin Withdrawals
Players may now withdraw from Bovada via Bitcoin. The feature was introduced last week. This came about one month after the site opened Bitcoin deposits. Bovada is the largest poker site that accepts U.S. players.