The influx of hopeful bracelet winners at the Rio’s casino floor is causing a surge in traffic on WSOP NV. The site, which is envied for its brand, has been averaging 146 cash-game players in the past week. This is the highest average in the US regulated market.
For the first time since last December, WSOP has once again led the charts. During that time, the former champion PartyPoker NJ was only a week old, providing it some leeway. However, despite an initial surge to nearly 280 in early January, the network, which frequently faces criticism, has seen a sharp decline in traffic, hitting a new low of 141 on Sunday, its lowest in five months.
No excuses anymore.
WSOP NV has performed significantly better, only losing about 21% of its cash-game traffic in the two-and-a-half months prior to the live WSOP. This might not seem very remarkable, but it’s worth noting that most international networks usually lose 15 – 20% of their traffic in the spring.
In this week’s Nevada Traffic Report, we closely examine WSOP NV’s performance in both cash-games and tournaments. We also analyze the impact of the WSOP on its most significant (and essentially the only) competitor. Lastly, we strive to forecast traffic trends for the upcoming two weeks.
WSOP NV owns the virtual felt
Tournament and cash-game traffic on WSOP NV is showing a steep upward trend.
The following are the 7-day cash-game averages across all Nevada iPoker networks, along with the percentage changes over two weeks, presented in parenthesis:
- WSOP NV: 146 (+31.5%)
- Ultimate Poker NV: 54 (down by 1.8%)
- Real Gaming remains at 0 (no change)
Just to note, I won’t be covering Real Gaming anymore until they start generating significant cash-game traffic.
PokerScout provided the data via PokerFuse Pro.
Interestingly, since the start of this year’s WSOP, traffic on Ultimate Poker has remained relatively stable. There could be several contributing factors:
- Players are naturally attracted to the site that carries the same name as the most prestigious tournament in poker, not Ultimate Poker.
- A multi-faceted marketing campaign has been launched by WSOP NV.
- The promotional schedule offered by WSOP NV is superior.
- The software of Ultimate Poker is not as good as WSOP’s.
Certainly, reasons #4 and to some extent #1 explain why WSOP NV normally performs better than Ultimate Poker. I suspect that some out-of-state players are attracted to WSOP.com simply because of its name, but this isn’t the main reason the site’s traffic is thriving. This also applies to the temporarily increased poker-playing population in Nevada, although it undeniably has a positive effect.
Variables #2 and #3 are more relevant as they could potentially elucidate why WSOP is thriving while UP remains stagnant.
So which one reveals the most?
The primary driving factors of WSOP NV’s promotional schedule are its 100% match reload bonus up to $1,000 and the currently ongoing WSOP.com Online Championship Series.
However, these two promotions are also going on in New Jersey, where there has only been a nominal increase in traffic. So, this eliminates rule #3.
We’re now down to the second point, the marketing strategy of WSOP NV. I have previously discussed the numerous methods WSOP.com has utilized to increase the visibility of online poker (insert self-promotion here). However, it’s worth emphasizing how the constant repetition of “WSOP” and “online poker” has ensured that poker players are well informed. I would be surprised if the guests playing poker at Rio were not fully aware of the recent modifications in Nevada’s online poker scene.
While both #2 and #3 are working together, it’s WSOP NV’s marketing campaign that is primarily driving player awareness of the network’s promotions. On the other hand, the lack of a marketing campaign by Ultimate Poker is what’s causing fewer out-of-state players to visit its site. Regardless of whether or not Ultimate Poker has interesting promotions running, it becomes irrelevant without sufficient marketing.
Details here…
To put it simply, meticulously planned and timely marketing campaigns are effective. Is New Jersey paying attention?
WSOPOC events in Nevada outperform those in NJ
Here’s a brief overview of the performance of this weekend’s WSOPOC events:
- Event #6: $55 No Limit Hold’em, $5k Guaranteed – 185 participants, $9,250 total in prizes.
- Event Number 7: $109 Rebuy and Add-on No Limit Hold’em, with a $20,000 guarantee – with 75 participants, 58 rebuys, 50 add-ons, and an overlay of $1,700.
- Event Number 8: $530 Rebuy and Add-on No Limit Hold’em, $100,000 Guaranteed – 101 participants, 23 rebuys, 71 add-ons, $2,500 overlay.
- Event #9: $55 Rebuy and Add-on No-Limit Hold’em, $10k Guaranteed – 152 participants, 123 rebuys, 96 add-ons, with a total prize pool of $18,550.
Although two events this weekend didn’t meet their minimum standards, the WSOPOC has excelled beyond its counterpart in New Jersey overall.
Interestingly, Event #8 in New Jersey had an $11,000 overlay, which was $8,500 more than its equivalent event in Nevada. This is beneficial for players but not so great for WSOP NJ.
Well, they now understand how Ultimate Poker NJ feels on a weekly basis.
Predictions for the two weeks ahead
As long as players keep arriving in Vegas, the traffic on WSOP NV is expected to continue growing. However, I anticipate that the significant daily increases will become less frequent once the Online Championship concludes this weekend.
To put it differently, the majority of European players are anticipated to reach NV within the next week. Considering the possibility of European gamblers joining the virtual game, there’s a slim chance that the traffic on WSOP.com may skyrocket to unprecedented levels. However, it’s not something to rely on.
When the Main Event hits its midpoint, traffic will inevitably begin to falter. The extent of the drop depends on several factors, but that’s a topic for another article.
In conclusion, brace yourself for an exciting couple of weeks ahead WSOP NV. Expect a rollercoaster ride filled with unprecedented new highs and the largest guaranteed tournament in your short history. Enjoy!
