PartyPoker will introduce a Fixed Buy-in feature for all its cash games by the end of June, the company has announced.
PartyPoker’s June Update: What Is It About?
June 2019 will see the arrival of a new future at PartyPoker, one of the world’s best known poker brands. The company is preparing a slew of changes that will affect all sorts of functionality features in the online poker site as well as screen names and suspension of third-party tools.
However, the first truly significant change that seems to be set to upend the world of poker – at least at PartyPoker – is the introduction of a fixed buy-in system which will ask players to stake 100 big blinds.
Cash game news: All of our #cashgames, including #fastforward, will have a minimum buy-in of 100 big blinds by the end of June as part of our ongoing improvements. More details coming soon. https://t.co/jO5hpF2NY4 18+. Play responsibly. begambleaware pic.twitter.com/p7ausZOhdE
— partypoker (@partypoker) June 14, 2019
This feature will apply to all cash games and it will also affect FastForward, the fast-paced cash game that PartyPoker introduced for the sake of those players who love to have a quicker pace of gameplay. This will uproot the current system that allows players to sit on tables when they lack the funds to compete in the stack-range they have selected, hoping to clinch a quick victory and turn their luck around.
All cash games should get overhauled by the end of the month, allowing players to only participate if they have the necessary funds to play. The move is not only designed to help the platform introduce industry-defining changes, but also to ensure the safety and security of individual players.
Is Fixed Buy-in for Cash Games Too Restrictive?
While it may appear that card rooms are asking for more money, this is hardly the case. PartyPoker has the players’ interest foremost and here is why. For starters, eliminating the ability of a player to punch above their weight by entering games out of their financial status would mean less people burning through money they can’t afford to lose.
Plus, accounts that have been used to scout weaker opponents and join with shorter stacks and pinch money from players, would no longer be able to do so. Fixed Buy-in is not exactly flash news in the poker world either.
Phil Galfond launched his Run It Once Poker giving the same explanation in a blog post, i.e. that a Fixed Buy-in would help keep dishonest players at bay while providing some form of protection to those individuals who have decided to try their luck against more affluent opponents.
PartyPoker seems to be the first platform that is adopting the measure en masse whereas competitors such as PokerStars and 888 have still been experimenting with individual segments from their portfolio.
A Long Process Towards Changing the Entire Platform
This is just the first of many changes that will arrive to PartyPoker with the ultimate goal being streamlining the user experience and making it more accessible for regular players to enjoy the access they have been given to better poker solutions.
Stating Monday, June 17, PartyPoker will begin to gradually phase in the Fixed Buy-In feature which should take hold over the entire platform in the course of the next two weeks. There is also a special promotion dubbed “Race to Alias” which is designed to award estimated $500,000 in total prize money.
The visuals will be both on the functionality and behavior of the platforms, but they will also pertain to the overall visuals. PartyPoker is going to suspend the option that allows gamers to observe cash game unless the game that is in progress is a featured game.
In light of the planned changes, PartyPoker is introducing a number of things that the platform holds to be important for the player experience, including a new hand replayer and as already mentioned – the use of third-party software. To elaborate on the screen names, players will be asked to use a different screen name starting today. Yet, players would be allowed to use previous aliases.
Players notes will also be affected and you will need to use up all your free tickets by Thursday, June 20, before a wipe-out takes place. The update may also come with some changes to the schedule which means that players are advised to double-check any event or tournament they want to participate in.
Because of the limited nature of “Race to Alias”, players should all log in today and get a chance to select their new screen name right away. PartyPoker reminds all users that this promotion is a limited one-time offer only that will expire 24 hours after it has been introduced. Hurry up and pick your new PartyPoker moniker now!
