Pokerstars deal with the department of justice to acquire Full Tilt and repay players was more than welcome… It is the first real piece of good news that online poker has enjoyed in years.
Looking forward to the Fall / Autumn, there are actually several reasons why online poker fans should be feeling optimistic. Stepping outside of my usual style of posting for this one… with 5 great reasons to feel that the world of online poker is getting better!
#1 – Full Tilt Are Coming Back!
Yeah, there are some concerns about how the DOJ will repay US player’s bankrolls and whether it will be good long-term for Stars to own 2 huge brands… Having said that I think that the news is fantastic, as a dedicated fan of the Full Tilt software and games (the 90 knockouts, FTOPS etc etc) I can not wait to get back again!
#2 – iPoker Are Splitting Their Tables
Great news for recreational players comes from Titan Poker, William Hill and some of the other bigger betting brands you will find on the iPoker Network. Come September, the network will split between those members who bring in depositing (new) players and those who do not (the ‘VIP’ skins). This will mean that those going through the big betting brand sites will see games with far fewer ‘grinders’, making the games softer and more profitable. See my article on the iPoker Network Split for more.
#3 – 888 Poker Are Getting Better And Better
It is great to have a genuine success story from a smaller / mid-sized site, and that is exactly what we are seeing with the resurgence of 888.com (formerly branded as Pacific Poker). Their software is the only one to come close to the playability of Pokerstars. On top of this the games are much softer, with cross-over traffic from the big 888 Casino brand really helping keep the games easy to beat… and that is even before I get to the excellent promotions! Check out the 888 Poker Website and see just how good this site has become.
#4 – Competition Between The US Networks
Lock Poker recently left the Merge Network, buying the Cake Network and renaming this ‘Revolution Gaming’. There have been a couple of early problems concerning confusion about the depositing process – though it does look like these are now being worked through. Already the increased competition between Merge and Revolution has seen some cool deals emerging for players. For example, Carbon have brought back rakeback and increased their Sunday guaranteed to $125k ! This extra competition for US players can only lead to more player benefits as we move forward.
#5 – Legal Online Poker In Nevada
Alright, this will not affect the majority of readers – as you will only be able to play inside Nevada’s borders. However the gravity of the first legal online poker in the US can not be underestimated! Not only will this provide a model for other states wanting to get on board (and maybe link their player pools down the line), any action at a Federal level will have new urgency too – since they will see the States taking the tax and start looking at ways to get involved. Sure, it is still early days for US players, however this is a great start and for me is another reason to feel optimistic.
Stay tuned to the PokerBonusNetwork – I’ll bring you all the good news as it comes in!