The ongoing surge in activity at the virtual felts appears to be a positive development for online poker, but things aren’t always what they seem according to British poker pro Patrick Leonard. In a series of tweets, the partypoker ambassador recently shared his thoughts on the current MTT situation and why it could lead to some serious problems for the industry in general.
iPoker Crash Looming?  
Leonard co-owns a high-profile staking company, providing staking and coaching across poker’s three main formats — cash games, SNGs, and MTTs. As a head coach and investor, he stakes a huge stable of players amid the current online boost, from which he actually gains some massive benefits. However, Leonard believes the present surge could actually result in a disaster, because of how things are being run right now, especially in the MTT scene.
The partypoker ambassador said the pandemic has opened up a huge opportunity for online poker, but the current MTT situation will create more harm than good for the players and the industry as a whole.
Since the start of the global lockdown, operators have come up with a wide range of tournament offerings to keep pace with high demand, leading to supersaturated schedules. Some of these schedules feature tournaments allowing unlimited re-entries, a prize-pool boosting format that entices a lot of players. This is currently the norm at GGPoker, where late entries are limited to 10 BBs. As a result, some tournaments that were previously popular with players, such as PokerStars’ $530 Stars Marathon, are now experiencing overlays.
While overlays are not entirely bad for players, they represent losses for the operators, and if things remain this way for a longer time, these companies will be faced with two options – either cut back on tournaments and focus on quality, or adopt GGPoker’s unlimited re-entry strategy. Leonard said the sites will likely go for the second option, and it would spell trouble for the industry.
Leonard thinks the presence of unlimited re-entry tournaments prevents players from spreading their hard-earned money. They’re taking a shot at limited opportunities which could eventually result in them easily going broke. If things stay as they are for an extended period, Leonard warned that online poker might have to deal with a massive financial crash.
Collective Approach Needed
Something has to be done right now to reverse the potential negative consequences of the current situation, and a collective effort is needed. Leonard is calling on the leading online poker sites, including the brand he currently represents, as well as other ambassadors to come together and agree on the best possible way to ensure a sustainable future for the industry.
Unlimited re-entries and late registrations may be generating bigger profits for online poker operators at the moment, but their decisions should be geared towards the best interest of players as without them, the industry will not survive.
Leonard said it’s about time the operators pick quality over quantity for long-term sustainability. He recommends a cut back on the number of MTTs on offer and choose single re-entry tournaments. If the major sites continue with unlimited re-entries, such as GGPoker’s 10BBs late entry offer, everyone will suffer and online poker will eventually die.
Dusk Till Dawn founder and partypoker partner Rob Yong also pitched in, saying they’d be willing to make major changes, provided their main competitors also do the same.
While some players agree to Leonard’s observations and predictions, such as Kenny Hallaert who also previously expressed his distaste towards unlimited re-entries, others aren’t convinced, including 2017 WSOP Main Event winner Scott Blumstein who suggested that Leonard is just pissed because the current scenario might not favor his personal interests in the long run.
Leonard’s Twitter thread has gained multiple reactions from the poker community. It has also ignited discussions on online poker forum TwoPlusTwo. The partypoker ambassador is hopeful that the key people would listen and do something before it’s too late.