PartyPoker Rake Changes Delayed as Players Protest

A plan to change the rake structure at PartyPoker has come under fire.  Company officials have announced they will be delaying the proposed rake alterations.

Party had planned to move from a dealt rake structure to weighted contributed rake.

Dealt rake essentially is calculated by dividing the total rake paid in the hand by the number of players that were dealt into it.  PokerStars and Cake Poker both use the dealt method for rake.  Cake Poker still accepts US players.

Weighted contributed rake structure would have every player credited rake based on the percentage of money that he or she adds to the pot.

“Loose” players were likely to benefit over the so-called “tight” players.

A sit out was organized by a group of online poker players at the TwoPlusTwo.com forum. 

PokerFuse.com explained the concerns:

Since Party Poker issues players two Party Points for each $1 of rake they pay, the new method will offer greater rewards for those players that are more active, play bigger pots, and generate more rake for the site. (Tim) Matthews (one of the organizers of the sit out) believes these tendencies are commonly found in recreational players. And, by shifting the amount of rake paid towards players that will not achieve the highest levels in the loyalty program, the Party Points issued to the recreational players as a result of the new rake paid calculations will be redeemed at a lower rate of return resulting in more profit for Party Poker.

Estimates had 45 percent more rake being paid playing at $3/$6 and 63 percent more at $5/$10.

PartyPoker eventually issued this statement: 

“[b]ased off of player feedback, we are discussing the possibility of not implementing the rake changes for $3/6 and $5/10 NL, and will make a decision in the morning.”

- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com