The 2014 World Series of Poker has officially commenced, indicating that we’re about to witness the potential for online and live poker cross-promotions. The WSOP and the Rio are putting everything on the line in their marketing efforts to promote their online poker product, WSOP.com.
In this edition of the Nevada Online Poker Review, we’ll examine the initial events of the 2014 WSOP and try to draw conclusions from this limited sample, applicable to both the WSOP itself and WSOP.com.
We’ll also keep you updated on the most recent online poker revenue data from Nevada, which the state just released. Additionally, we’ll delve into an alarming unfolding story about thefts at the Rio hotel. As always, we’ll review the latest traffic data and tournament outcomes from the Nevada online poker market.
Nevada Revenue Drops like a stone
The online poker revenue numbers for April in Nevada have been released, and they are not impressive.
Based on the state’s figures, there was nearly a 15% decline in Nevada’s online poker industry from March to April, with revenue falling from $926k to $784k.
The dip in revenue is concerning, particularly because it follows a significant rise from February to March, where earnings rose from $824k to $926k. This is even more troubling given that February, with only 28 days, outperformed April, which has 30 days, by about $50,000.
WSOP off to a very strong start
As we approach the first weekend where the action intensifies, the 2014 World Series of Poker has already generated several intriguing narratives. Judging from the initial events, this could potentially be one of the most successful WSOP’s in history.
Event #2 sees Vanessa Selbst competing heads-up for her third WSOP bracelet. Selbst, already the most successful female player in poker history, could solidify her status as the greatest female poker player ever with a third bracelet win (all of which, by the way, are open events). She could also be recognized as one of, if not the, top tournament players in the game, regardless of gender.
Event #3 at the WSOP broke the record for the largest non-Holdem field in its history, with 1,128 players registering for the $1,000 PLO event. This, in my opinion, suggests the size and type of fields we can anticipate this year. Much of this success can be attributed to the online satellites and the almost $100 million that the Garden City Group has recently distributed to former Full Tilt Poker players.
In the $10,000 2-7 Championship, known as Event #5, numerous renowned poker players and legends graced the event, Doyle Brunson included. Despite his earlier announcement of retirement from tournament play, it appears the 2-7 Championship was too attractive for him to resist. Brunson managed to progress to the second day of the tournament, but he’ll need assistance to advance to the third day, given that he has one of the least sizeable stacks in the game.
For the first time, players now have the option to legally play real-money online poker on WSOP.com while in Vegas. They can even play at the WSOP’s custom table located in the Grind Room.
As you’ll see at the end of this column, the WSOP and the Rio have unfortunately not had an entirely positive experience so far.
Weekly Guaranteed Tournaments in Nevada
WSOP.com Sunday $15K Guaranteed
The participant count in WSOP.com’s $15k guaranteed week-over-week dropped significantly, with only 85 players registering for the event compared to the 105 players last week. However, the tournament still exceeded its guarantee, resulting in a final prize pool of $17k.
We also spotted a prominent player, Christina Lindley (lindeyloo at WSOP.com), at the final table where she finished in 3rd place.
Here are the complete final table payouts from last week’s tournament:
- Zentrain: $4,845<br>CindrllaMan: $2,805<br>lindeyloo: $1,700<br>legum: $1,360<br>Guypie: $1,173<br>FMyWife: $1,003<br>allprowi: $833<br>ship_ou: $578<br>ValueBet: $459
WSOP Main Event Satellite
This past Sunday, 53 players competed for another 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event seat at WSOP.com, and there was no overlay this time. The seat was ultimately clinched by “Who_Is_Ivey” who triumphed over “Guypie” in heads-up play.
Although $600 is significantly less than the $10 million prize in the WSOP Main Event, “Guypie” is only the second player from these satellites to receive any kind of consolation award.
- Who is Ivey, who had a seat at the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event, and Guypie who had $600?
The $10K Guarantee tournament at Ultimate Poker
Attendance at Ultimate Poker saw a significant drop, with only 90 players at their $10k guaranteed Sunday Major, compared to last week’s 101. This decrease in players resulted in a greater overlay, requiring UP to contribute an additional $1,890 to the prize pool.
These are the final payout amounts from the tournament:
- MattZman $2,500.68
- Upay4MyHJs $1,750.48
- TheOtherDave $1,200.30
- RedMike99 $900.20
- Wealthy360 $700.14
- DatDude $550.08
- GrnSmoothie $450.06
- PottyTrainMe $350.04
- Kristin $248.02
Traffic trends in Nevada
Over the past week, average traffic has remained stagnant on both Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com, with 55 and 110 average cash game players respectively, based on data from www.pokerscout.com. However, it appears that both sites may soon experience an upward trend, thanks to the WSOP.
I state this because although the average traffic hasn’t changed yet (as per the 7-day rolling average of pokerscout.com, and WSOP has only been around for a few days), there has definitely been a notable increase in peak traffic, particularly on WSOP.com, which recorded a peak traffic of 289 players on Thursday.
I’m curious to see how many visiting players will register and play on the site. I anticipate that tournament traffic on Sundays will benefit the most.
The word on the street
Thefts at the Rio
As noted earlier, there has been some initial controversy at the 2014 WSOP, unrelated to the tournaments. Allegedly, the rooms of at least three poker players at the Rio were burgled, with cash and computers reported as stolen.
At the very least, the details of these stories are peculiar. While no confirmations or resolutions have been made, it is advised that all poker players in town exercise extreme caution to protect their money and valuables.
WSOP tournament director Jack Effel conveyed to PokerNews.com:
We are treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness and are convening a meeting with the security and hotel management this morning for an in-depth discussion. We will promptly provide updates to everyone. Thank you.
