PokerStars to Use New Systems to Calculate Rake

Play Poker » PokerStars to Use New Systems to Calculate Rake for Ring Games and VIP Program

January 1, 2012

PokerStars has introduced a few changes to the rake structure in its ring games and VIP Program. Modifications have been made to the policies that surround the two. The new structures will be implemented on the first of January 2012.

PokerStars has a system for determining the VIP status of its players. It uses VIP Player Points, also known as VPPs, to decide the VIP tier in which a poker player is. The points are generally given to a player who participates in ring games. It is contingent on the amount of money that the pot contributes to rake. Till recently, the points were divided among the players who received cards in a hand. This system of determining the rake is known as the dealt method.

New Weighted Contribution Method for VPP Calculation

The new system that will be adopted by the poker room is the weighted contributed method. This will reward players with points based on the amount of money they contribute to the pot. The more money added to a pot, the more points a player will earn. For instance, if a player contributes $10 to a pot of $100, he will get 10% of the points for that hand, while $20 to the pot will fetch 20%.

Through the system, it is likely that players who use a tight style of playing will not earn as many points as those who play loose. This is because tight players generally add less to the pot when compared to loose players. Players at the bottom of the VIP ladder are more likely to benefit when compared to those above. But, players who are at the top will be able to earn quickly as they will already have a number of points in hand.

Rake Structure for PokerStars Ring Games

The current rake calculation system for the ring games is incremental. This means that for every dollar that is added to the pot, a set amount of rake is taken. The system will change to “round half to even”. With the new system, when the rake calculation has a half a cent, it will be rounded to the even integer nearest to it.