A weekly round up of poker news including PokerStars plans for wholesale change in 2016, World Poker Tour creating Tournament of Champions and more.

PokerStars is protecting the present players and future posterity after announcing plans to make wholesale changes to the site in 2016. The pulverising changes will pound heavily on the Supernova and Supernova Elite players, but will create a tributary for recreational players to start swimming into more welcoming waters.

They are revamping the rewards program by axing a volume rewarding plan and replacing it with a skill based one aimed at retaining and attracting new players. Starscoins will become the new PokerStars currency of choice, third party software will go the way of the Dodo, and Neymar Jr. and Cristian Ronaldo will start earning their enormous salaries in marketing campaigns designed to drag their fans into the game.

Overseeing these changes will be Rafi Ashkenazi. The former Playtech Chief Operating Officer (COO) will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO), for Rational Group, replacing interim CEO Michael Hazel on Nov 9. Ashkenazi joined Rational Group as COO in 2013.