GGPoker high stakes strike after new experiment with unbeatable rake

GGPoker has always argued that its ecosystem needs to take action beyond the usual industry norms.

The Asian operator’s table rake has been high, but that hasn’t slowed its growth to the point where it’s now the most important player in online poker, with twice as much traffic as its direct competitor, Pokerstars .

The secret to GGPoker is the number of casual players it gathers in its lobby. The very high rake charged by the room serves several purposes, but one of them is clearly to deter pro players who wish to take advantage of the situation.

The Grinder is using the table selection strategy that is so despised in the industry to flatten the tables rather than drain them, which is why there is a community of high rollers in the room, with games ranging from NL5000 to NL40000.

Recently , GGPoker decided to nearly double the already inflated rake numbers it charges on $25/$50+ tables .

Funny and scary move by GG.

I think the GG team is sharp. Either they decide this will improve their business, or it will be a good test and their favorite is proven right.

But what if the future of online poker doesn’t have big winners? https://t.co/yUnq5vK40N

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) April 3, 2023

Phil Galfond commented in his tweet that he believed that “the GGPoker team are very smart. They thought this would improve their business, or at least be a good test, and they were right.”

Those who understand Galfond agree that making the high stakes tables a breathless environment for professionals seems like a good idea.

It is not.

I’m not sure how some people think I would support high commissions, but to be clear, that’s not the case.

As some of you may recall, I started @RunItOncePoker with the whole mission of keeping the dream of being an online pro alive, and I was afraid that dream would be shattered.

That’s why it scares me so much. https://t.co/hVOKHvd91I

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) April 4, 2023

In fact, it seemed to terrify him. His initial reaction suggested that GGPoker had a plan that seemed to go the extra mile instead of protecting casual players from regs.

However, the delicate life balance of a poker room has always required high traffic players to firstly provide traffic to players looking for slots, and secondly to help the room turn deposits into revenue through pumping, because without traffic there is nothing without such transmission.

That’s what the professional high rollers at GGPoker wanted to prove , launching sit-ins that emptied the cash rooms at the most extreme of times.

This is the first strike in my 15+ year career and certainly not because of @GGPoker. Many of us work hard every day to save on your already high commissions. almost doubled. I want you to think about it and think about it too..

— J0hn McClean (@manuelsaavedr1) April 3, 2023

Whether the Regs strike is unpleasant for GGPoker or, conversely, the desired effect of this rake increase remains to be clarified.