Top Stories This Week:  Full Tilt $1 Billion Play Chip Pot, PokerStars FPP Satellite Policy and Greg Merson Partners With WSOP.com Top Stories This Week:  Full Tilt $1 Billion Play Chip Pot, PokerStars FPP Satellite Policy and Greg Merson Partners With WSOP.com
Key Takeaways
  • Greg Merson Partners With WSOP.com.
  • PokerStars Reverses FPP Satellite Policy.
  • Full Tilt Player Rakes $1 Billion Play Chip Pot.

We wrap up the week with a rundown of the most read news articles and features from the past seven days on pokerfuse. Never miss a story with our special feature every Saturday.


10. PokerStars’ Billionaire Club: Play Money VIP Benefits

Free entry to the “Sunday Billion” plus bespoke customer service is on offer to the richest play money players. The increased marketing effort that PokerStars is putting into its play chip poker room has included the creation of a VIP rewards package called the “Billionaire Club.”


9. “Spin & Gos” Could Launch on PokerStars.com By August

October launch date “best guess” for new variant’s debut on primary PokerStars network. PokerStars new sit and go variant, dubbed Spin & Go, could launch on other markets as early as October this year.


8. ARJEL Reports Accelerating Decline in Cash Game Poker

An increase in tournament entries may reflect the growing popularity of Expresso, but cash game bets were down by 17%. The second quarter and half year report from French regulator ARJEL shows that the declining trend in cash game online poker is accelerating—with no sign of a plateau in sight.


7. Partypoker Unveils Swipe-Friendly Fast-Fold Mobile App

FastForward: Special Edition introduces new “patent-pending swipe-based interface” for fast online poker play. Partypoker has unveiled a new mobile poker app, “FastForward: Special Edition,” which uses swipe gestures to control the online poker action.


6. French Regulator Authorizes Amaya/PokerStars Deal

ARJEL greenlights “change of indirect control” of PokerStars’ French subsidiary. French regulator ARJEL has authorized a change in ownership of PokerStars’ French subsidiary.


5. Borgata Responds to Ivey’s Motion to Dismiss “Edge Sorting” Lawsuit

Borgata lawyers cite lack of NJ Casino Control Act reach. Lawyers representing the Borgata have responded to Ivey’s July 3 motion to dismiss a $9.6 million lawsuit brought by the casino that alleges Ivey cheated during a Bacarrat game.


4. PokerStars, Full Tilt and Online Poker Players Donate More Than Half a Million Dollars to Philippine Typhoon Victims

Six month PokerStars Blog status update provides details on how donations were allocated. In November, Typhoon Haiyan resulted in an enormous amount of suffering in the Philippines while catastrophically changing the day-to-day livelihoods of millions in the region.


3. Full Tilt Player Rakes $1 Billion Play Chip Pot

$2,000-worth of play money chips won at Six Card Omaha 6-max table. On Tuesday, July 22, the first ever $1 billion play money chip pot was raked in by a player on Full Tilt Poker.


2. PokerStars Reverses FPP Satellite Policy

Poker room will “revisit policy”—and expects another change by the end of the year. PokerStars has reversed its recent decision to stop players from unregistering from events won through satellites purchased with frequent player points.


1. Greg Merson Partners With WSOP.com

WSOP champ signs with the regulated online poker room in Nevada and New Jersey. Greg Merson has signed with online poker room WSOP.com, the former WSOP Main Event winner stated publicly this week.