Every smart grinder seeks value.
The decision of where a professional online poker player sets up their operations is fundamentally influenced by various static factors such as VIP programs, welcome bonuses, and rake limits.
However, it’s the dynamic factors, specifically promotions, that ultimately dictate how much time grinders are willing to spend on a site in a day.
They also play a key role in drawing in recreational players who are eager to take advantage of a good deal. Consequently, the increased presence of these players attracts more experienced ones, leading to a larger overall player volume and a more balanced poker environment.
Simply put, carefully planned promotions are crucial for the success of any iPoker room.
What’s the point I’m trying to make here?
The influence of power promotions on the poker community has been clearly evident in Nevada over the past two months. The traffic margins of WSOP NV can be directly linked to the robustness of its promotional schedule.
My suggestion is to run more promotions.
Poker regulated by the US is still in its early stages. Nevada’s sites are prepared to take a financial loss now in order to maintain higher average liquidity in the future. Increased liquidity not only strengthens the brand but also, more significantly, raises awareness for online poker.
Websites that maintain consistent promotional schedules will be well-positioned for market expansion, which is simply good business practice.
Now that we’ve addressed that, let’s discuss the impact of Nevada’s latest promotions on cash game liquidity.
WSOP’s October promos rule the day
The current 7-day cash game averages in Nevada, as per data collected by PokerFuse Pro through PokerScout, are as follows (last week’s figures are in parenthesis):
- WSOP NV: 90 (86)
- Ultimate Poker: 64 (60)
Take note that Ultimate Poker had a slightly higher percentage growth than WSOP (6.7% versus 4.7%). However, since Saturday, WSOP’s volume has experienced a substantial increase of 9.8%.
Why? There are two reasons. First, WSOP launched three new promotions on Sunday.
Over the weekend, the network launched its much-awaited Android application, secondly.
The promotional schedule for WSOP in October largely mirrors that of last month. This is a sensible strategy, given that September’s anniversary promotions resulted in a volume increase of around 15%. It’s anticipated that similar growth will be seen in October, with these results likely to be maintained for the next week-and-a-half.
The reasons behind Ultimate Poker gaining any traction could be complex. It may possibly be related to the site’s cross-promotional links with the Peppermill, which is set to launch its Fall Challenge.
Perhaps it’s the Ultimate Poker Live Series 2 that is offering players an opportunity to participate in a $10,000 GTD event at Green Valley Ranch.
Alternatively, it might simply be an irregular occurrence. More unusual events have taken place.
Fall Poker Festival rules, other MTTs, not so much
The most profitable October promotion of WSOP, the October APP Dash, is more focused on cash. Consequently, the network’s tournament volume didn’t see the same weekly growth as its ring games.
The network’s Fall Poker Festival promo, which is awarding $60,000 in guaranteed prize money across eight events (and a WSOP branded ring), seems to have roused tournament grinders in the Silver State out of hibernation, with one exception.
Here’s a brief summary of the events that have taken place so far:
- Event #1: $20,000 Guaranteed No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry drew 85 participants, with 23 rebuys and 38 add-ons, each costing $185. This led to the creation of a $27,010 prize pool.
- Event #2: $2,500 GTD NLHE KO: 112 participants each paid $40, with $18.50 from each entry contributing to the prize pool, resulting in an overlay of over $400.
- Event #3, a $6,000 GTD NLHE R&A, was a huge success with 198 buys, exceeding its guarantee by more than $3,000.
- Event #4: $2,500 GTD PLO R&A is gaining popularity in Nevada, as evidenced by its statistics – 52 buys, 29 rebuys, and 37 add-ons, generating a prize pool of $3221.40. This shows that even PLO tournaments are becoming popular.
The state’s other regularly scheduled tournaments did not perform as well due to the extensive focus on the Fall Poker Festival.
Most notably, Ultimate Poker’s largest Sunday Major – a $10,000 GTD NLHE event, fell short by $2,356 of meeting its minimum benchmark. This represents a roughly $900 decrease compared to the previous week.
The volume for WSOP’s smaller weekend majors also showed a downward trend, albeit nominally.
Interestingly, the total prize pool for the Fall Poker Festival in Nevada is on par with that of New Jersey’s, despite New Jersey having a population 3.2 times larger. This suggests that the company values its Nevada brand more.
Justifiably, WSOP NV is attracting 80% of the volume compared to its East Coast equivalent. This implies that a Nevada resident is 2.56 times more likely to engage in online poker on WSOP.com. This likelihood increases when factoring in that a segment of New Jersey’s online poker traffic originates from neighboring cities in New York and Pennsylvania.
The reasons for this situation can be explored in a different article on another day. However, it’s fair to say I won’t be surprised if Nevada’s promotions continue to offer comparable value to those in the Garden State moving forward.
This is positive news for those in search of consistent value.
