What is the PokerStars network? Explanation of shared liquidity

Learn how the PokerStars network brings together players from different countries, what shared liquidity is, and how it affects online poker.

In recent years, online poker has faced serious challenges related to the fragmentation of players across different jurisdictions. Differences in legislation, tax regimes, and regulation have forced the largest platforms to restrict access for players from entire countries and even continents. As a result, players have been divided into so-called “ring-fenced” markets, where the player pool is limited only to residents of a single country or group of countries. This negatively affects traffic volume, prize pool sizes, and game variety. PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker operator, has announced the launch of a new structure — the PokerStars Network (PSN) — to overcome these limitations and restore poker’s former scale. PokerStars ambassador David Lappin has provided a detailed explanation of the essence and prospects of this initiative. Reasons for Creating the PokerStars Network: An Insider’s View David Lappin notes that over the past ten years, the online poker industry has become significantly more fragmented. This is due to many European countries introducing strict regulations, while the US and Australian markets have become inaccessible to international operators. As a result, PokerStars and its parent company Flutter were forced to leave a number of territories, which negatively impacted liquidity — that is, the total number of players simultaneously at the tables. Lappin emphasizes: “It’s no secret that in recent years, or perhaps even the last decade, poker has become more fragmented. Restricted-access territories across Europe, the loss of the American market, then the Australian one — all this has made PokerStars’ operations more complicated, whether due to different regulatory systems or tax regimes.” In response to these challenges, the PokerStars Network offers a flexible model that allows players from different countries and brands within the Flutter group to be combined into unified pools wherever permitted by law. This should lead to fuller tables, larger prize pools, shorter waiting times, and a greater choice of limits and formats for players. How the PokerStars Network Works: Structure and Formats The PSN model is implemented differently depending on local legislation. The main liquidity sharing formats are: Global .Com Pool : combines players from internationally licensed markets, including British brands such as Betfair, Paddy Power, and Skybet. Here, players from different countries can play at the same tables, ensuring maximum traffic and large prize pools. Regional Shared Pools : for example, the Southern European pool, which includes France, Spain, and Portugal. In these countries, liquidity sharing between national markets is allowed, enabling large tournaments and cash games with players from all three countries. North American Shared Liquidity : in the US, PokerStars operates in partnership with FanDuel, combining players from Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania into a single pool — where permitted by local law. Ring-fenced Markets : in some countries (such as Italy), strict restrictions apply, and players can only play among themselves. Here, PokerStars operates alongside other local brands such as SNAI and Sisal, maintaining a separate pool for Italian players. Lappin explains: “If you create a network model where companies from the Flutter family can join from places where PokerStars isn’t present, and actually reunite liquidity, it’s like putting together the scattered pieces of a puzzle and bringing all the players back under one roof — and that’s really important.” Flexibility for Partners and Local Brands One of the key features of PSN is its openness to external partners. Operators can integrate into the network in two ways: through the Access white-label platform — keeping their own brand and local identity, but gaining access to the shared player pool; or via the PokerStars franchise — using the global PokerStars brand directly, if that fits their interests and market strategy. This allows major regional brands to remain recognizable at the local level while connecting to shared liquidity and enjoying the benefits of large-scale tournaments and cash games. This approach is especially relevant for markets with strong local competition or specific regulatory requirements. Lappin notes: “I won’t try to predict the future, but I think this is an extremely important step. There’s huge potential here — to bring players from different countries back under one roof.” Impact on Players: What Will Change with the Launch of PSN The main goal of creating the PokerStars Network is to maximize liquidity. For players, this means: More participants in tournaments and cash games, leading to larger prize pools and a wider tournament schedule with various buy-ins; Shorter waiting times at the tables, especially in less popular formats and at higher stakes; The introduction of new formats and a wider range of stakes, making the game more interesting and diverse; Increased guarantees in regular and special series — thanks to pooled liquidity, PokerStars will be able to offer more ambitious prize funds. Lappin emphasizes: “For players, liquidity is everything. Everyone knows: players go where the most action is. We hope that with the launch of PSN, games will become noticeably bigger in the coming years.” Examples of Liquidity Sharing: Regions and Partners Depending on legislation, PSN is implemented in different ways: In the UK, PokerStars, Betfair, Paddy Power, and Skybet players can now play with each other in a single pool; In Southern Europe, the markets of France, Spain, and Portugal have been combined, creating one of the largest pools on the continent; In the US, the partnership with FanDuel has made it possible to combine players from three states — Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; In Italy, despite ongoing restrictions, PokerStars continues to operate alongside SNAI and Sisal, maintaining a separate pool for Italian players. The flexible structure of PSN allows it to adapt to the requirements of various regulators and quickly connect new markets and brands as opportunities for liquidity sharing arise. Tournament Results and Statistics Although the article does not provide specific tournament results, David Lappin notes that the launch of PSN is already having a positive impact on tournament attendance and guarantee growth. For example, after pooling liquidity in Southern Europe, the prize pools of the largest tournaments have grown significantly, and the number of participants has reached record levels. A similar effect is expected in the UK thanks to the combination of players from several Flutter brands. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, the launch of the PokerStars Network is an important signal that major operators are striving for integration and pooling liquidity to increase player numbers. This confirms that the future of online poker lies in flexible network solutions that allow players from different countries and brands to meet at the same tables. PPPoker club players should pay attention to the advantages of large pools: more opponents, a variety of formats, and bigger prize pools. This means that even within club games, it’s worth striving to unite with other clubs and leagues to ensure maximum traffic and exciting games for all participants. Moreover, the PokerStars experience shows that flexibility and a willingness to cooperate with other brands are the keys to success in modern poker. PPPoker clubs can use this experience by developing partnerships, joint tournaments, and shared pools to make the game even more attractive for their members.