- New Ocean Rewards program goes live today, Jan 30.
- Most players will be enrolled automatically, without any action required.
- All players will be upgraded to the next higher tier.
- Fish Buffet points will be automatically cashed out to player’s account balances.
- Points accumulated Dec 1, 2025 – Jan 30, 2026 will be turned into Tide Points.
As of today, Jan 30, GGPoker is retiring its long-standing Fish Buffet, replacing it with a new and improved loyalty program named Ocean Rewards. The change was announced a few weeks back, and the operator has done a pretty good job of keeping players in the loop, but there is always some confusion and uncertainty around major changes such as this one.
This article aims to clear the air as much as possible, answer some questions about the transition from the old to the new program, and provide a quick overview of what players can expect moving forward.
It is important to note that the change applies to all players, so there will be no one left behind. Fish Buffet is no more, and Ocean Rewards are taking over.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
What Players Should Know & Do
As far as players are concerned, the majority will be moved to the new rewards program without any action required on their part. In some jurisdictions, players will have to manually opt-in for Ocean Rewards. This is a one-time simple action, after which you’ll be fully enrolled.
One thing that players are usually concerned about during these changes is losing value. Nothing of the sort will happen with the transition to Ocean Rewards, as everyone will automatically be moved to the higher tier, and all existing Fish Buffet rewards will be cashed out automatically to your account balance.
This means that all Plankton players will be moved to Fish (increasing rakeback from 10% to 16%), Goldfish and Shrimp will become Shrimp, etc. In all cases, the effective rakeback rate will increase.
| Tier Level | Points Required | Expected Rakeback |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Fish | 0 TP | 16% |
| 2 Shrimp | 10,000 TP | 25% |
| 3 Crab | 50,000 TP | 30% |
| 4 Turtle | 200,000 TP | 40% |
| 5 Octopus | 750,000 TP | 50% |
| 6 Dolphin | 2,000,000 TP | 60% |
| 7 Whale | 5,000,000 | 70% |
| 8 Shark | 10,000,000 | 80% |
Players holding the Fish Buffet Platinum Octopus status will be moved to the Octopus tier.
So, in short, there isn’t much (if anything) you need to do. The new rewards program comes into effect today, and players will be seamlessly enrolled, with a majority receiving an upgrade in terms of rakeback percentage moving forward.
Additionally, because Ocean Rewards is designed to reward year-long efforts, all points that players have earned from Dec 1, 2025, to Jan 30, 2026, will be transferred to Tide Points to ensure players are credited for activity during the transition period.
Ocean Rewards in a Nutshell
The new GGPoker rewards program represents an improvement over the old system, allowing players to get as much as 80% of their rake back. This is a significant bump compared to Fish Buffet, which offered up to 60%.
Ocean Rewards is a long-term loyalty scheme, with a player’s status maintained throughout the calendar year (Jan 1 — Dec 31). There are eight tiers in total, awarded based on the number of accumulated Tide Points. Tide Points are earned at the rate of 100 TPs for $1 in rake paid.
In addition to cashback rewards earned from the tier, players can now also collect GEMs, which can, in turn, be exchanged for cash rewards. The exchange rate of GEMs increases based on the total amount (i.e., $5 for 5,000 GEMs, $100 for 90,000 GEMs, etc.).
Players can also look forward to tier multipliers, allowing them to accumulate GEMs faster, the higher their loyalty tier is. On the base level, these are generated at the same rate as Tide Points, i.e., 100 GEMs for $1 in rake.
If you want to know more details about the new rewards scheme, we suggest you check out our detailed GGPoker Ocean Rewards guide. There, we bring you the full breakdown and address any additional questions you may have.
