PokerStars Launches Early Payout Tournaments

As the world’s biggest online poker room, PokerStars is continually tweaking its products in order to attract more players and make the site as enticing as possible to a wide range of different players. In recent times, this includes moving its focus from professional grinders to recreational players as this group of customers is seen as the life blood of the industry.
The latest move designed to provide a better gaming experience for these players involves the introduction of a new multi-table tournament offering early payouts immediately after a minimum cash. PokerStars rolled out its ‘Early Payout Tournaments’ in March, and the new format has proven such a success that currently more than half of the multi-table tournaments (MTTs) on its dot-com site are already using the feature. Furthermore, its licenses in other countries are also expected to follow suit in the coming months.
Early Payout Tournament
One usually has to wait until a tournament is completed before receiving any money, but with PokerStars’ new “Early Payout Tournament” a player receives a minimum cash payout as soon as the bubble bursts, with anyone advancing further in the tournament subsequently collecting their total prize money minus the min-cash that they have already received. As PokerStars explains:
– Once the tournament reaches the paid positions, all eligible players will instantly receive the minimum cash amount specified in the tournament’s prize structure.
– A pop-up message will appear on the table advising all eligible players they have received the prize.
– The tournament will then carry on as usual. After a player is eliminated from the tournament (or wins it), a second payment for any difference between the minimum cash amount and the total prize earned will be credited to that player’s account. If a higher prize hasn’t been earned, there will be no second payment.
Benefits
There are a range of benefits associated with the new format, not least of which being that it provides players with the chance to immediately put their winnings to work, rather than waiting for a tournament to end before receiving their payout. In this way, those players on limited or low funds can use the money they have won to buy into other tournaments right away, without resorting to dipping into their virtual pockets in order to deposit additional funds.
This should lead to a greater number of recreational players entering more tournaments, whilst given them the extra confidence associated with playing with winnings, rather than additional cash. Other benefits include allowing players nursing short-stacks to sit out and turn their attention to other tournament should they so wish, or perhaps more experienced players using this knowledge to gain an advantage over their lesser experienced opponents.
Tried and Tested
PokerStars launched its early payout system at the beginning of March, with the feature initially offered for its Daily Bigs tournaments on its dot-com, dot-EU, and dot-UK sites. On March 9th, their success then saw the format also applied to its Hots, Bounty Builders, and Majors tournaments, and as of today more than half the site’s MTTs are utilizing early payouts, with PokerStars aiming to apply it to all its markets in the coming months, including in New Jersey.
Needless to say, Early Payout Tournaments have received overwhelmingly positive support from PokerStars customers, with online tweeter Michael Josem writing:
“The early payout that @PokerStars introduced a couple of months ago is good for players (faster access to their money) and will be good for PokerStars by allowing players to wager more while deep in a tournament. Everyone wins!”
The latest innovation is part of PokerStars’ overall plan to maintain greater flexibility in responding to changing market dynamics by constantly reviewing and adjusting its prices, promotions, and rewards program. On March 26th, for instance, it increased the fees for its $20 or less tournaments, while decreasing the charges for its Time Tourneys.