5 new features after the Paddy Power Poker update

Find out what has changed after Paddy Power Poker switched to the PokerStars platform and what new benefits are now available to players.

Last week, Paddy Power Poker, one of the oldest online poker brands owned by the Flutter group, completed its transition to a new platform—now players from this room play on the famous PokerStars software and have become part of the unified PokerStars Network. This event marked Paddy Power Poker’s departure from the iPoker Network and opens up a host of new opportunities for players that were previously unavailable on the old client. Now, Paddy Power Poker users can not only enjoy an updated interface and features, but also gain access to the largest tournaments, innovative formats, a wider selection of poker variants, as well as new loyalty programs and opportunities to qualify for live events around the world. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the key innovations awaiting players after the upgrade and discuss the advantages they offer to every member of PPPoker clubs. Legendary Online Tournaments: Sunday Million, SCOOP, and WCOOP One of the main benefits of Paddy Power Poker’s move to the new platform is access to iconic online series and tournaments that attract thousands of participants every year and award multi-million dollar prize pools. Sunday Million is the largest weekly online No Limit Hold’em tournament, held for almost two decades and considered a must-play event for any serious player. Now, Paddy Power Poker users can register directly for this tournament and compete for a share of the impressive prize pool. In spring, the platform hosts the Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) —one of the most prestigious online series, featuring hundreds of tournaments with various buy-ins and huge guarantees. Winning any SCOOP event brings not only a solid payout but also the champion’s status, highly valued in the poker community. In autumn, it’s time for the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) —the world championship of online poker, which traditionally gathers the strongest tournament players from around the globe. Thanks to integration with the PokerStars Network, Paddy Power Poker players can now also compete for WCOOP titles and multi-million dollar prizes. For players from the UK and Ireland, Paddy Power Poker becomes the official platform for participating in SCOOP, WCOOP, and Sunday Million, making it especially attractive for fans of major online events. Spin & Go: Fast Tournaments with a Shot at a Million Among the most popular formats on the new platform are Spin & Go —three-handed hyper-turbo tournaments with a randomly multiplied prize pool. The Spin & Go format is highly dynamic: each tournament lasts just a few minutes, and the prize pool is determined randomly before the start. Spin & Go buy-ins start at $0.50 and go up to $1,000. Special attention goes to tournaments with $5, $250, $500, and $1,000 buy-ins—these feature a $1,000,000 jackpot. In recent months, this top prize has been hit four times, proving that winning a million is a real possibility even in a short session. Spin & Go is the perfect choice for those who value speed, excitement, and the chance to win big in a short time. Thanks to the new Paddy Power Poker software, this format is now available to all room players. Expanded Selection of Poker Variants While the old Paddy Power Poker client only offered No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha, the range of games has now expanded significantly. The new platform features both classic and rare variants that were previously only available on the world’s largest poker sites. 5- and 6-Card Omaha —Omaha variants where players are dealt 5 or 6 cards, increasing the number of possible combinations and adding more action to the game. 5-Card Draw —a classic game where players receive 5 face-down cards and can exchange some of them to improve their hand. 7-Card Stud —one of the oldest poker variants, where some cards are dealt face up and some face down. Razz —a Stud variant where the lowest hand wins. 2-7 Triple Draw —a draw poker game where players can exchange cards up to three times, aiming to make the lowest possible hand. Badugi —an Asian variant where the goal is to make a four-card hand with all cards of different suits and ranks. 8-Game —a mix of eight popular poker variants, with each hand played under different rules. All these games are available in both cash game and multi-table tournament (MTT) formats. Especially large guarantees for rare variants appear during SCOOP, WCOOP, and other festival series. This variety allows every player to find a format they enjoy and try their hand at new types of poker. Power Path: A Free Route to Big Prizes With the launch of the new platform, Paddy Power Poker introduced a unique opportunity to win big prizes for free—the Power Path program. This is a multi-step qualification system that allows players to progress from a free ticket to tournaments with buy-ins up to $10,300. Every day, by logging into their Paddy Power Poker account, players receive a free Step 1 ticket worth $0.50. This ticket can be used to enter the first stage of qualification. Winning at Step 1 earns a Step 2 ticket, which can be used in a $1 Sit & Go or a $1.50 multi-table tournament (MTT). After passing Step 2, players move on to Step 3—an MTT with an $11 buy-in. At this stage, players can also buy in directly if they didn’t make it through the previous steps. Clearing Step 3 grants access to Step 4—a tournament with a $55 buy-in. Winners of Step 4 receive one of four types of Power Pass: Spade Power Pass —worth $109 Bronze Power Pass —worth $530 Silver Power Pass —worth $2,500 Gold Power Pass —worth $10,300 These passes can be exchanged for tournament packages, tickets to live events including the European Poker Tour (EPT), and other valuable prizes. Power Path is a chance for every player to reach the world’s biggest poker events without spending their own money. Qualify for the European Poker Tour and Other Live Tournaments With the transition to the new platform, Paddy Power Poker has become a full-fledged hub for online satellites to the biggest live poker events. Now players can win packages to series such as: European Poker Tour (EPT) PokerStars Open Sunday Million LIVE Brazilian Series Of Poker (BSOP) Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Irish Open Satellites usually start with buy-ins from $1.10, making the path to live tournaments accessible to most players. Winners receive not only tickets to main events but also full packages including accommodation and other bonuses. This is a great opportunity for Paddy Power Poker players to fulfill their dream of playing on the international poker stage. New Stack+ Loyalty Program: Up to 25% Rakeback For regular players, Paddy Power Poker has launched a new loyalty program called Stack+ . This is a seven-tier system where players earn points for every rake or tournament fee paid: 1 point for every $0.01 in rake. Depending on the number of points earned in a calendar month, players move up to a new level and receive a higher rakeback percentage. As soon as a player reaches a new level, the rakeback percentage increases immediately. At the end of the month, points are reset, but the achieved level is retained for the current and following month. An important advantage of Stack+ is the absence of wagering requirements and limits on the amount of rake returned. Players can receive up to 25% rakeback depending on their activity. Below is a table showing the program’s terms: Level Required Points per Month Rakeback Percentage 1 0 ? 2 ? ? 3 ? ? 4 ? ? 5 ? ? 6 ? ? 7 ? 25% The exact values for intermediate levels and rakeback percentages depend on the game format and player activity. The Stack+ program applies to all types of poker, including cash games and tournaments. Once enrolled in Stack+, a player remains in the program permanently. New players are eligible for a welcome bonus of up to $200 on their first deposit, allowing them to start playing with extra bankroll. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Paddy Power Poker’s move to the PokerStars Network highlights an important trend in the industry: players are increasingly choosing platforms with a broad ecosystem, major tournaments, and a variety of formats. For PPPoker club members, this signals that developing infrastructure and expanding the range of games are becoming key factors for the success of any poker platform. First, it’s worth noting the popularity of multi-step qualifications and loyalty programs. Formats like Power Path and Stack+ help retain player interest by offering real chances at big wins and rakeback. PPPoker clubs would benefit from implementing similar mechanics—for example, rewarding active players with bonuses, free tickets, or exclusive satellites. Second, expanding the list of variants and formats is an important tool for attracting new members. As the Paddy Power Poker example shows, adding rare poker types and fast tournaments (Spin & Go) increases engagement and allows everyone to find a game they enjoy. PPPoker clubs should consider this experience when designing their schedules and club game structures. Finally, integration with major networks and the opportunity to qualify for live events is a powerful incentive for players. Even if PPPoker clubs are not directly connected to international series, they can run their own satellites to local offline tournaments or offer valuable prizes, increasing the club’s prestige and appeal.