Spanish Players Protest PokerStars' "Spin & Go" Spanish Players Protest PokerStars' "Spin & Go"
Key Takeaways
  • The new lottery-style sit and gos, introduced earlier this month, award a random prize pool to participants, introducing an additional luck component to the game.
  • Complaints range from the perceived high rake (7%), which some claim make the games unbeatable; the threat of reduced traffic in out sit and go tournaments; and the high variance the format introduces.
  • “The comments made here remind me of the time when no-limit, hyper-turbos, and rush poker were first introduced and became the 'new fashion’,” responds a PokerStars rep.

Players are organizing a protest on PokerStars Spain, angered by the introduction of “Spin & Go” tournaments.

The new lottery-style sit and gos, introduced earlier this month, award a random prize pool to participants, introducing an additional luck component to the game.

Response from regular players on forums has been mostly negative.

Complaints range from the perceived high rake (7%), which some claim make the games unbeatable; the threat of reduced traffic in sit and go tournaments; and the high variance the format introduces.

Some players are even predicting the death of online poker in Spain thanks to the introduction of Spin & Go. PokerStars dominates the market with a 75% market share in cash games, and large changes to its games spread will have a noticeable impact in the market.