Paddy Power Poker has moved to the PokerStars network, leaving the iPoker Network and becoming the latest Flutter-owned brand to switch to PokerStars software. PokerNews reported the change on November 4, 2026, noting that the migration took place the week before. For UK and Irish players, it is one of the more significant shifts in the regulated online poker landscape this year, because it merges a well-known high-street brand with the largest player pool in the sector.
What Actually Changed
The core of the upgrade is software and liquidity. Existing Paddy Power Poker players are prompted to download the new client when they open the old one, and new players can download it directly. Players can now face opponents across the PokerStars network, which the article says means busier cash games and larger tournament fields and prize pools.
That matters more than any single feature. Online poker is a liquidity business: the more players in the pool, the more tables at every stake, the faster tournaments fill and the larger the guarantees can be. A brand sitting on a smaller network has to fight against thin lobbies at off-peak hours. Joining a bigger network solves that problem overnight.
For background on how networks differ, see our poker networks guide, which explains why network size drives the quality of the games on offer.
The Features Players Get
PokerNews highlighted six features that become available after the upgrade.
Flagship tournaments
Players can now enter the Sunday Million, the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) and the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) from Paddy Power Poker. The article describes the site as the place to play these events in the UK and Ireland. These are among the best-known online tournament brands in the world, and getting access to them from a familiar skin is a big draw for tournament grinders. For more on formats, read our tournaments hub.
Spin & Go
The Spin & Go lineup consists of three-handed hyper-turbo games with buy-ins from $0.50 to $1,000. The $5, $250, $500 and $1,000 games carry a jackpot multiplier that awards $1 million. The article says four jackpots have hit in recent months. These games are high-variance by design, so they suit players who can accept swings and treat them as entertainment rather than a profit engine. Our bankroll management guide covers how to size buy-ins for that kind of volatility.
More game variety
Before the move, Paddy Power Poker players had only No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha. After it, the lineup includes five- and six-card Omaha, 5-card Draw, Seven Card Stud, Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, Badugi and 8-Game, in both cash games and multi-table tournaments. For anyone curious about variants beyond hold'em, our Omaha page and hold'em vs Omaha comparison are useful starting points.
Power Path
Power Path is a stepped ticket ladder. Players receive a free Step 1 ticket worth $0.50 daily. Step 2 is a $1 Sit & Go or $1.50 MTT, Step 3 is an $11 MTT and Step 4 is a $55 tournament. Winners can claim Spade ($109), Bronze ($530), Silver ($2,500) or Gold ($10,300) Power Passes, redeemable for items such as live event packages. It is a low-risk way for beginners to climb stakes without depositing much, although the odds of progressing through every step are naturally small.
Live event satellites
The satellite lineup includes qualifiers for the European Poker Tour (EPT), PokerStars Open, Sunday Million LIVE, Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), the Irish Open and other partnered events, with satellites usually starting around $1.10.
Stack+ loyalty
The loyalty programme is called Stack+. It has seven tiers, and players earn 1 point per $0.01 paid in rake or tournament fees. Opted-in members stay in the programme for life. Points reset monthly, but a level stays in place for that month and the next, and the article says there are no playthrough requirements or rakeback caps.
Stack+ Rakeback Tiers
The percentages below are as reported by PokerNews. They show monthly points needed and rakeback on Spin & Go/Zoom/All-In, regular cash games and other formats.
| Level | Points needed | Spin & Go, Zoom, All-In | Regular cash | Other formats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Midnight | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2 Scarlet | 500 | 10% | 7.5% | 5% |
| 3 Emerald | 2,500 | 12.5% | 8.5% | 6% |
| 4 Onyx | 10,000 | 15% | 9.5% | 7% |
| 5 Saffron | 25,000 | 17.5% | 11% | 8.5% |
| 6 Azure | 50,000 | 20% | 12.5% | 10% |
| 7 Apex | 150,000 | 25% | 15% | 12.5% |
To understand why this matters, check our explainer on what is rakeback and our wider rakeback comparison. A recreational player generating a few hundred points a month will sit in the lower tiers, while volume grinders reach the upper levels where the percentages are meaningfully higher. The "no playthrough, no cap" claim is a notable selling point compared with bonus systems that lock rewards behind conditions.
New depositing customers can also claim a welcome bonus worth up to $200, per the report. Always read the terms before depositing; see our bonus page for how to compare offers.
Why Flutter Is Consolidating
Paddy Power Poker is the latest Flutter-owned brand to move onto PokerStars technology. The strategic logic is straightforward: one software platform and one liquidity pool is cheaper to run and offers a better product than several fragmented networks. For players, the result is a consistent experience across brands, more tables and a more reliable tournament schedule. For the industry, it is another sign that scale and shared liquidity increasingly decide who wins in regulated markets.
There is also a trade-off. Consolidation reduces choice in the network layer, and players who preferred iPoker's softer lineups may find the PokerStars pool tougher. A bigger network also tends to attract more regulars and more sophisticated players, so recreational players should be prepared for a slightly more competitive environment, particularly in popular stakes.
What This Means for Players
If you are a UK or Irish recreational player who previously used Paddy Power Poker, expect more variety and bigger tournaments. Take a few minutes to explore the new game types in low-stakes cash games before committing real money to unfamiliar formats; draw games and stud variants play very differently from hold'em. Our poker strategy section can help you build a foundation before you move beyond the basics.
If you grind volume, work out which Stack+ tier you are likely to reach in a normal month and compare the effective rakeback to other options. Rakeback is a significant part of long-term win rate, particularly at micro and low stakes. If you play offshore as well, our rakeback comparison and reviews of BetOnline and Americas Cardroom show how other sites structure their rewards.
Finally, check your local rules. This change applies to the UK and Ireland-facing brand, while players in other regions have different options; our UK toplist covers the market from a British perspective.
The Paddy Power Poker switch is not a flashy headline, but it is exactly the kind of structural change that reshapes where players sit down every day.