Nevada Online Poker Review: WSOP Dominates Online and Live

The online poker market in Nevada has experienced a memorable and celebratory week. It has not only seen a surge in traffic on its two main online poker sites, but also, for the first time, surpassed the numbers of the New Jersey sites.

The World Series of Poker live tournament series, including the start of the WSOP Main Event, is the most prominent story in Nevada poker. However, a significant part of this tournament’s success can be credited to WSOP.com in Nevada and New Jersey. This online site has been awarding seats for the $10K buy-in Main Event for months, showing that online poker plays a vital role in expanding the world’s largest live tournament.

Another cause for celebration in the Nevada market is the approval of a shared player pool between 888 and WSOP by the Gaming Control Board. This decision has multiple positive implications for the rapidly growing market in the desert.

Who Knew Nevada Had the Potential?

WSOP.com executives would claim they have anticipated this all along. The merging of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and WSOP.com’s online poker always had the potential to skyrocket. Now, it’s beginning to manifest.

Tracking numbers from PokerScout revealed that the seven-day average of players on WSOP in Nevada was 160. In comparison, industry leader PartyPoker / Borgata in New Jersey had 140 players. This was the first time PartyPoker / Borgata had lost its lead since its inception. WSOP New Jersey, ranking third with 130 players, showed signs of catching up to the state’s leader.

Ultimate Poker struggled in Nevada, particularly due to the promotions related to the WSOP on its online platform. The figures for Ultimate Poker in New Jersey are nearly negligible. Furthermore, its Nevada platform also experienced difficulties due to the WSOP in the past two months.

Online Plus Live Equals Success

WSOP.com in Nevada and New Jersey diligently promoted a connection with the live summer series. They ran online poker satellites for several months, awarding seats for numerous live WSOP events, ensuring at least one $10K Main Event seat was given out weekly.

As the Main Event was approaching, a five-seat scramble took place in New Jersey, while a highly successful 25-seat scramble occurred in Nevada. The Nevada scramble was the most successful online tournament in the state’s brief online poker history. With $250K worth of guaranteed prizes, they needed 1,250 players to break even. The tournament attracted 1,235 players.

Indeed, WSOP.com had an overlay. However, it still saw a significant turnout, a notable achievement in an industry that is always, metaphorically speaking, scrambling for players.

The WSOP Main Event kicked off with somewhat unsettling numbers. The first of three starting days had only 771 players, a significant drop from the previous year’s 943 players. Given the special $10 million first place prize guarantee this year, WSOP officials were hoping for a larger turnout.

Fortunately, the second day started off on a more positive note and the third day turned the tide. The 2014 Main Event attracted 6,683 players, an improvement from the previous year’s 6,352 participants. Impressively, the 2014 tournament made it to the top five largest tournaments in the series’ 45-year history.

The success of WSOP.com satellites in Nevada and New Jersey undeniably played a significant role in the Main Event’s success. Reports indicate that at least 30 players transitioned from their online victories to the live tournament, with the actual number likely being higher due to the presence of satellites in both states. This clearly made a significant impact.

WSOP.com’s attempts to merge live and online poker in Las Vegas did not entirely go as anticipated. The “grind station” established at the Rio failed to draw the expected number of players. Moreover, the presence of multiple site representatives at the Rio, aimed at registering people for the online platform, was considered more of a nuisance to players and fans in the corridors than anything else.

Despite some challenges, a number of attempts proved successful. A sufficient number of players created new accounts and participated in online play during the WSOP, propelling the site to the top spot among US regulated sites.

Even small steps are still steps.

Bigger Things to Come with 888

Up until now, 888poker hasn’t had a live online poker site in the Nevada market. However, this is about to change as their partnership with Treasure Island and Golden Gaming will result in a site launching soon.

Now, it could occur on a larger scale.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board, just this week, greenlighted a proposal to let 888 pool its players with WSOP.com for liquidity purposes. A separate hearing on the issue will be conducted by the Nevada Gaming Commission on July 24, and it’s expected that their likely approval will trigger much-needed liquidity in the small market.

However, the deal has even bigger implications. Back in February, Nevada signed an agreement with Delaware to share liquidity, though this has yet to be realized. The agreement between 888 and WSOP could potentially expedite this process. 888 operates all three online gaming sites connected in Delaware, so the integration of 888 and WSOP could potentially increase liquidity even further, encompassing both sites in Nevada and the three in Delaware.

Players have been eagerly awaiting larger prize pools, more extensive tournament fields, and more significant cash game options. It appears that Nevada may finally be taking action to address this issue, potentially enhancing the marketability and eventual success of the online poker industry.

The Little Tournament Called the Main Event

Indeed, THAT tournament. The previously mentioned WSOP Main Event is the hot topic in Las Vegas and the global poker community.

After the conclusion of the preliminary tournaments, only one major tournament remains on the WSOP schedule – the Main Event. This is where all attention in the poker world is now focused. From an initial 6,683 players, the number dwindled down to merely 746 on Day 3, which was on Thursday, July 10.

On various days, players such as Phil Ivey and Martin Jacobson have dominated the field. However, when Day 4 begins, the leaderboard will be topped by relatively unknown players. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few familiar faces amidst the crowd.

Day 4 of the tournament, with a whopping prize pool of $62,820,200, is one of the most thrilling. The money bubble is set to burst, initiating payouts for the top 693 players. The unfortunate eliminations will give way to delighted players who will end up with more money than they initially had.

Nevada online poker sites are hoping that the majority of poker fans, who are currently watching events at the Rio, will log on for some Internet poker action of their own. So far, this strategy has proven successful.