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State of Online Poker

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This update on the STATE OF POKER ONLINE is in response to the recent legislation prohibiting or limiting financial transactions with gaming sites.

It appears that the major distinctions have involved PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES versus PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES. Many of the publicly traded sites are bowing to pressure and denying access to money games to USA players. Most publicly traded companies are NETWORKS of two to hundreds of sites that share a common software platform AND player base.

PokerNetworks are NOT just several sites owned by the same company with different colored graphic/table colors…or different names on the tables. Networks are usually several different companies who all have different marketing programs and target different shares of a market with different focus and promotions to gather more players to a single poker room…

Imagine a large room with several doors…each door may be marked TOURNAMENT, SITNGO, MICRO LIMT, EUROPEAN, USA, SWEDEN, JAPAN but allows people in the same room…the only problem with the picture is that when the players get to the table, they see different site names on the table…but play the same players.

Originally software developers sold or licensed their software to individual rooms and that tended to fragment the people who liked one style of software into small groups…the modern skin/aggregate cardroom tends to gather all the people who like one software program in one group. As a result, the difference from room to room on a network are less than the differences from network to network, but please check with us to find out what to look for and what to avoid.

If you look at PokerSiteScout, you will see daily traffic for these and other sites and networks, and you will see breakdowns on limits and styles of games that fit your needs…but please contact us at info@pokerscene.com for a detailed list of suggestions for YOU! You can also go to www.pokerscene.com/sitedirectory/php for a list of almost all sites on the net…there have been some changes recently, so it is possible some listings have changed, but you will get a good feeling for relative size of a network and representative list of names for established sites. Please notify us of any changes you find!

MicroGaming/Prima Poker Network:

123Poker has overwhelmed all the old sites like, The Gaming Club, Royal Vegas,/Fortune Affiliates, Golden Riviera/Golden Star, Piggs Peak, and many other Online CASINO based rooms. Each room has its own cashier and customer service, but the Prima network has the last word in opening or closing customer accounts, and has a strong anti chip dumping program…with no player transfers. They also have strict rules that do not allow more than one different player to have an account for any one computer. While this sounds like a good way to control collusion, it is more effective in keeping players from helping their friends set up an account. The rakeback at an established affiliate is an astounding 50% or more and the cardroom is very large, and software is quite good

Prima:

Prima does allow multi table play, and has many nice features and no real deal breakers…They calculate rake in the contributed style and they do not allow interaccount transfers or they would be our overwhelming favorite!

OnGame Network:

OnGame Network: includes Pokes Poker, our favorite, but is better known by PokerRoom and Full Contact Poker…have announced they will continue to allow USA players, but interaccount transfers and rake calculations keep them from being among our favorites. The software is a little different from most and is not the most popular with regular online players.

AbsolutePoker:

AbsolutePoker: has become a network recently, and has announced they are going to accept USA players eagerly. Their software is somewhat quirky, but has improved recently…they have many advantages with frequent reload bonuses, and their bonuses are not subtracted from the gross rakeback of 28% on DEALT CARDS rake…the most favorable for good players.

The Absolute Poker site is one of our highly recommended sites!

Those are the major networks that will still allow USA players…but there is one more standalone site that is recommended Full Tilt Poker…the rest of the sites and networks below have stated that they will not, or do not allow USA players. PokerStars is another standalone site, but they have not determined what they will do, and Stars has never allowed rake back, so they are not highly recommended. We are not sure about the choice of Tribeca/Apex/VictorChandler/Golden Palace group…it is likely that part of the network will continue to allow us, most probably Doyle’s Room. TAIN poker has closed to USA players as well, but it has never been a popular site for our players. Mansion Poker will likely allow USA players, but Poker.Com has stated publicly that they will be open to USA players. Contact us at info@PokerScene.com for details or up to the minute details.

FullTiltPoker:

FullTiltPoker is one of the largest standalone sites…poised to replace PartyPoker as number one! They allow interaccount transfers, calculate rake for all hands you are dealt cards, and have quality software. They also allow rakeback to players up to 27% but have some customer support problems that are more hassle for affiliates than for customers it appears. This is a highly recommended site.

Bodog:

Bodog allows us to offer you special incentives in addition to their reload bonuses, however, they calculate rake by money contributed to the pot, and do not allow interaccount transfers. They may be a good fit for higher limit players.

IGlobalMedia:

IGlobalMedia has recently changed to PartyGaming: Party Poker, Empire Poker, are the only sites left…Intertops Poker, Coral Eurobet, Multi Poker, and the latest Poker Now have been consolidated under the PartyPoker name. They do a great job of enforcing rules that keep players from opening accounts at both of the sites, and sitting at the same tables. They also keep track of who sends money to whom and don’t allow people who have played at the same computer or transferred money back and forth to play at the same computer. Players can play up to ten tables now, but rake share has been discontinued for anyone who cannot calculate rake independently, as Party disallows rake rebate and has done many things to make it difficult to share money with the players who generate it.

However, prizes are allowed to be given to the players. This loophole is big enough to allow a steamship to pass, so make sure you find out what you can get from your affiliate. Contact info@pokerscene.com for details.

Party Poker:

Party Poker has made public statements that they will not allow USA players, but will only close to real money players. They are waiting until the legislation is actually signed…unlike crypto, boss and b2b networks. Watch for an 11th hour change of heart from Party, for they will likely find that their huge share of online poker players will find new homes if traffic is reduced by 80%. It is also likely that they will use play money player numbers when they advertise their size, but look to PokerSiteScout.com for REAL MONEY STATISTICS.

Wager Logic/PartnerLogic, CryptoLogic:

Wager Logic/PartnerLogic, CryptoLogic: InterPoker, Caribbean Sun Poker, or SUN POKER, Classic Poker, and PokerPlx play at the same tables in the cardroom. These sites have no player transfers, but many do have deposit or PLAY bonuses that encourage people to play by giving a monthly bonus from 40 to 100 dollars. Unfortunately, they no longer accept USA players, but since their focus was European players, their player base rates to remain somewhat stable. Look for access to be re-opened if it appears that the law becomes unenforceable, at least so SOME of the sites.

B2B Poker:

B2B Poker: previously 24hPoker is a Swedish site that overnight turned into a busy site with the addition of some skins. I believe they are sports book based sites. The software is quite standard, and doesn’t have many bells and whistles. I have not checked with them recently to test it. They play mainly pot limit Omaha and are no longer accepting USA players. Their player base was dwindling prior to the legislation and skins had been leaving the network faster than they were joining, so this network may be a casualty of competition soon.

Boss Media:

Boss Media: PokerHeaven and others are primarily European…have contributed rake, and no transfers. Though the games are soft they no longer allow USA players. They do allow us to give you back 30% of your rake if you live outside the USA…so not a bad place to play.

iPoker Network:

iPoker Network: CDPoker, Noble, Titan are the major sites in this network that had such great promise…dealt cards rake and limited interaccount transfers, they have recently disallowed USA players and stopped rakeback to players…not one of our recommended sites any longer, as service has been weak at best!

We also represent a few smaller sites that are poised to grow and are allowing USA players. CAKE POKER is one of the finest and Planet Poker is the original poker site online…they offer special programs through us and are worth while for many players! Be sure to contact us at info@pokerscene.com for complete CUSTOM details that fit your needs.

There are several smaller networks, but the differences in payment to skin owners, who does customer service and cashier duties and how easy it is to sign up for more than one skin are different for each network. It is always to your benefit to contact us to find out any specific details that apply to that site or network.

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