online poker dies some more

[villaridge]

The Merge network has introduced "Late Registration" for games

I am very sad, as they were the last hold out to this poker abomination.

[Washerwoman]

Well...as long as it's not til heads up on the final table, you should be all right, villa

[Poker Orifice]

This is actually (genearlly) a very good thing as it'll make the prizepools go up significantly. I think they were way overdue to make this happen!
Obviously on the flip side it'd suck for the players who were used to playing in the guar. prizepool tourneys on Merge that weren't meeting their guarantees (no more extra dead money in the pool... sighball).
It's also good if they get more players in their tourneys for other reasons... ie. alot of sites are dying out.... numbers dropping off significantly while the major two or three continue to grow. These smaller sites MUST keep up with the other if they hope to stay in existence imo. Part of this includes 'late reg.' for MTT play.
Sorry if you're losing out in the shortrun. (I think it'll be good in the longrun though).

[Logan]

At least is only 20 minutes and not 1 hour like Stars.

I do some times come late to games and enter running to can make it, im ok for 5-10min late registration.

1 hour is insane.

[Elbarad]

At least is only 20 minutes and not 1 hour like Stars.

I do some times come late to games and enter running to can make it, im ok for 5-10min late registration.

1 hour is insane.

I agree there. I don't mind the 10 minutes late reg on Stars, an hour is silly.

[Dan Abnormal]

This is actually (genearlly) a very good thing as it'll make the prizepools go up significantly. I think they were way overdue to make this happen!
Obviously on the flip side it'd suck for the players who were used to playing in the guar. prizepool tourneys on Merge that weren't meeting their guarantees (no more extra dead money in the pool... sighball).
It's also good if they get more players in their tourneys for other reasons... ie. alot of sites are dying out.... numbers dropping off significantly while the major two or three continue to grow. These smaller sites MUST keep up with the other if they hope to stay in existence imo. Part of this includes 'late reg.' for MTT play.
Sorry if you're losing out in the shortrun. (I think it'll be good in the longrun though).

if they want players they need to learn to payout a little quicker, so far both merge sites seem to hold your money hostage while both UB networks and Cakes networks paid out in 3 days and 6 days later merge is still pending approval, makes me very lery to want to put money on anymore merge sites. I was experimenting to see which sites are reliable to payouts and merge sites dont even like to answer emails on this but while its pending approval 6 days later, that money is in limbo. As far as late registration, I dont like it, if you miss a start time, then wait until the next tourny but these torunies that have late registrations 20 min - an hour after the fact (Just not good)

[Poker Orifice]

, I dont like it, if you miss a start time, then wait until the next tourny but these torunies that have late registrations 20 min - an hour after the fact (Just not good)

Players who start late & with fewer bb's are at a clear disadvantage. I agree that 1hr. is overdoing it & probably 20mins. would suffice.

As far as 'you're late so then wait til' the next one' goes.... come on... I can't sit & wait 2hrs. for a MTT to start. The buyin level I typically play in, there's only 1 mtt every 2hrs. or so (and that's on the bigger sites). ie. Pokerstars - I prefer to play the $10+1 MTTs, nlhe, 3,000chips 10-15min. blind levels. There aren't that many of them in a day. Sure I'll throw in a $5 & an $8, but this still doesn't fill the gaps. (even playing the other site's tourneys of this buyin level barely fills in the gaps).

[scrawnybob]

hi

I think on balance I agree with orifice - but also agree that the seemingly "never ending" late reg on a couple of sites with already big traffic numbers is a pain in the butt

definately think that its a good idea for all the sites that arent the big two - basically for reasons outlined .... the last thing sites want to be doing is putting off players if they have a limited or reasonable tournament schedule I think 15-20 mins late reg is fine and good

any longer is irritating and also for the big two sites may even be a bit counter productive as they have plenty of games on all the time its only a 15min wait for a very similar game

I dont think any of the established networks including merge will die out but it would definately be a bad thing for the top 2 to continue to get much much bigger and others fall even further behind -

without competition sites get complacent and players will start to get a worse deal -sometimes things that look good for a player arent actually in the long term interests of players

cheers scrawnybob

[Dan Abnormal]

OK, how bout instead of late registrations, they have all day registrations so you can sign up all day long (meaning you can sign up at 4am for a 5pm tournie) , and then when the tourny starts if you miss the start, you dont miss a seat or the blinds that go with that seat. I know the first few minutes we aint talking much but hour after the fact registrations, that would be 3rd or 4th level wouldnt it? Or how bout you can join the tournie late until someone is knocked out. While some people join late cause they are late, many I feel join to avoid the early pitfuls, or maybe if they are going to have late registration dock some chips off the starting amount, the later you join the less chips you have. I mean a nice chunk of chips maybe a 3rd that way late registration wouldnt be as desirable if you start with 1K instead of 1.5K and if you decide to wait an hour to start, give them 500 chips instead of 1.5K. OR like my local card room does for MTT's sign up early for the event and they give you an extra 500 chips. There has to be some balance instead of giving late registrants a brand new start after the tourny has already started

[Assistanc3]

there is no late reg on most of the GTD's