Second PokerStars Boycott Involving 1,579 Players Ends

The legion of online grinders who frequent the PokerStars are determined to not be underestimated as a group of customers, and demonstrate to the site just how important they are to its overall success. Prior to the sweeping changes to its VIP Rewards program, almost 3,000 grinders organized a three-day boycott of PokerStars from December 1st to 3rd, and the day the changes came into effect, a second seven-day boycott was arranged from January 1st to 7th, which draws to a close today.
The first boycott was quickly dismissed by PokerStars, which subsequently hailed the resultant improved poker ecosystem, presumably because a lack of professional players meant that its recreational customers could experience a more fun playing environment, and enjoy more bang for their bucks. The latest boycott is also likely to receive a similar response, as this time around just 1,579 players took part in the protest, according to poker social network TiltBook.
While any damage to the site’s bottom line has yet to be assessed, its fair to say that the hoped for a 30% reduction to PokerStars’ rake may well be a tall order. Nevertheless, PokerStars grinders are evidently taking a long term approach to the issue, and are also another planning another boycott from February 2nd to 11th. A special website has even been set up to coordinate opinions and efforts, called wearepokerplayers.com, with one of its aims to garner 5,000 players to participate in a one month-long boycott of the site.
In the meantime, this week saw the resignation of Isaac Haxton from Team PokerStars, after Alex ‘Kanu7′ Millar did likewise just a few weeks earlier. As Haxton explained at the time:
“I believe PokerStars is behaving unethically.. I cannot in good conscience continue to endorse a poker site that treats its players this way.”