GG Poker Concedes to High-Stakes Players After Successful Boycott

GG Poker has made significant concessions to high-stakes players following a nearly two-week boycott organized by regulars in early April. The boycott, which lasted nearly two weeks, resulted in a significant reduction in rake for games with four or more players, with the new rake at NL5k approximately 4.2bb. Additionally, the rake in regvars (3-max and heads-up games) was reduced to below pre-boycott levels.

George Frogatt, a prominent figure in the high-stakes community, stated that the boycott was a significant victory for the high-stakes community and online poker. He also noted that this was the first successful boycott in the history of online poker. Frogatt thanked GG Poker and Elky for their open dialogue, which he believed was crucial for the success of the boycott.

BootieInUFace, a high-stakes player, provided an in-depth analysis of the situation. He noted that GG Poker's high-stakes games have always had higher rake compared to competitors, but the platform's ability to attract recreational players has kept the games profitable. The average win rate of positive regulars was around 1.5bb/100 over the past two years, while the average loss rate of recreational players was around 15bb/100, with the rake from the table being 24bb/100. During the boycott, several regulars continued to play, and some games had up to four recreational players, but the regulars still lost money. GG Poker increased the rake to 42bb/100 from 24bb/100, making it difficult for games to be profitable. GG Poker's official statement mentioned increased operational costs as the reason for the rake increase.