While most online poker networks are anxiously awaiting the inevitable traffic uptick that comes with Fall, WSOP NV is taking full advantage of its intimate ties to the world’s most exclusive tournament series.
And so far, the results have been outstanding.
According to data collected on PokerFuse Pro and PokerScout.com, cash-game traffic on WSOP.com Nevada is about to eclipse its all-time high. This, during a time when traffic across the global market is tumbling down towards its annual low.
We’ll highlight a few of the primary reasons why WSOP NV is bucking the seasonal cash-game trend, and examine how the WSOP.com Online Championship series is faring compared to its equivalent counterpart in New Jersey.
Counting down the reasons behind WSOP NV’s traffic surge
#5 – New laptop friendly rules at the Rio
To date, only a few players have been caught grinding it up online while physically seated at one of the Rio’s poker tables.
This might have something to do with the fact that live World Series of Poker events typically require at least some measure of concentration. Or it may just be that lugging an unwieldy laptop around is too inconvenient for most players.
The Rio’s “Grind Room” hasn’t exactly been a huge hit either, but all told, the online poker-friendly casino floor has done something to facilitate WSOP NV’s growth.
#4 – B&M Marketing
WSOP.com logos adorn the Rio. From lighted displays to banners and branded tables, players can’t walk 15 feet without some reminder that WSOP.com is live in Nevada.
And while most WSOP veterans are accustomed to seeing all sorts of blatant advertisements during their stay at the Rio, I have to imagine that all the glitz and glamour is having some sort of residual effect on WSOP.com traffic levels.
#3 – David Tuchman
As someone who lives on the East Coast, I often have to live vicariously through players lucky enough to play at the WSOP. And thanks to the (nearly) live streams hosted by David Tuchman, I’m able to do so.
But this year’s play-by-play differs somewhat from last’s, in that Tuchman can’t go more than two minutes without interjecting some WSOP.com related tidbit.
Whether its general talk about regulated online poker, a direct plug or a reminder that a satellite or Online Championship event is about to start soon, Tuchman is one of WSOP NV’s most vocal advocates, and his reach is undoubtedly helping to spread awareness.
#2 – WSOP.com Online Championship and online qualifiers.
The Rio has this Deepstack tournament that runs daily at 3 p.m. Always a popular draw, the $235 buy-in tourney is known to regularly attract 1,000 or even close to 2,000 runners during the WSOP, amassing six-figure prize pools in the process.
Why? Because poker players who bust from WSOP events early, in the words of John Malkovich’s Teddy KGB, “feel so unsatisfied.” That, and some players participate in smaller tournaments to build a Main Event worthy bankroll.
The currently running WSOP.com Online Championship offers similar incentives in that it’s a series of mid-priced tournaments featuring top prizes in the $10,000 range.
Then there’s the WSOP online qualifiers, which allow players situated at the Rio to win their ticket to a $1,500 or $10,000 event online, go downstairs and parlay their good fortune into hundreds of thousands of dollars – or at least that’s the plan.
#1 – The WSOP
For all its cross-promotional hoopla, the main reason players are mixing it up online is because anything associated with the WSOP right now is a win. That, and Las Vegas’ poker community probably tripled in the past two weeks.
Last year, even Ultimate Poker experienced significant gains during the series? Could we really expect anything less now that a site brandishing the same name as live tournament poker’s crown jewel is available to the masses?
Notable facts about WSOP NV’s traffic surge
- For the first time since December, cash-game traffic on WSOP.com NV is greater than it is on WSOP.com NJ. Also, Nevada’s Online Championship events are outperforming those in New Jersey by a significant margin.
- 7-day average cash-game volume on WSOP NV is hovering around 140, breaking the all-time high of 135 set in early November, 2013.
- Traffic has increased a staggering 37% since May 20th.
- Most satellites into the $215 2014 WSOP Main Event 25 Seat Scramble are offering incredible value for poker players.
- WSOP NV is nipping on the heels of PartyPoker NJ for first place among US regulated poker sites.
- Traffic on Ultimate Poker NV has remained relatively flat since the WSOP began.
A Rundown of the WSOP.com NV Online Championship Thus Far
To date, five of the 15 scheduled WSOP.com Online Championship events are in the books.
I’ll be the first to admit that I thought most would have trouble meeting their lofty guarantees, but the proof is in the pudding:
- Event #1: $215 NLHE, $50k Guaranteed: 196 runners, $10,800 overlay
- Event #2: $109 NLHE 6-Max, $10k Guaranteed: 177 runners, $17,700 prize pool
- Event #3: $109 PLO, $10k Guaranteed, 97 runners, $300 overlay
- Event #4: $109 R&A NLHE, $25k Guaranteed, 168 entries, 121 rebuys, 109 addons, $39,800 prize pool
- Event #5: $109 NLHE – $10k Guaranteed, 142 entries, $14,200 prize pool
