The Amaya Group’s decision to merge Full Tilt with Pokerstars is apparently well enough advanced for the merger to take place on May 17 this year, with preparations for the big move well in hand.
The company has announced that the Full Tilt poker platform will not be offered for sale, and will instead be quietly retired, although the combined FT-Pokerstars player base will still be able to play The Deal game which formed the centrepiece of the VIP scheme revamp implemented in late March.
FT players will not be disadvantaged in the merge, receiving VIP benefits equivalent to those their compatriots already enjoy on PokerStars.
“Full Tilt players will continue to enjoy the brand experience they love, with the continuation of Full Tilt avatars and innovative rewards, such as The Deal,” Amaya revealed earlier this year. Players will have one account for both brands, so play on both sites will be aggregated in calculating VIP benefits.
Amaya has given an undertaking that all FT players will be briefed by email on how the merge will affect them, but in general they should be better off, given the lower Pokerstars rake on a number of staking levels.
FT players will also have access to a wider range of poker games and tournaments with larger guaranteed prize pools.