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Partypoker Product Overhaul Shows Industry’s Move Toward Mobile and Social gaming

The focus on mobile poker and social gaming continues to grow in the industry.

Just 15 years ago most players wouldn’t have imagined how big a role cell phones would play in online poker. Mobile gaming is now a major part of the industry and operators are catering to this growing segment of players.

Partypoker recently announced a new mobile experience for its players. A more social gaming experience is also included – also a growing trend in the industry.

“The new SPINS product shows our commitment to improving the mobile experience for our customers,” partypoker head of product Ross McQuater said. “The new lobby and portrait table for SPINS with new and exciting features … aims to provide our customers with a more fun and engaging playing experience.”

“This is just one of many updates that will be delivered in the coming months as we overhaul our mobile proposition.”

Partypoker brings new landscape design for social gaming

The new partypoker app offers significant changes and appeals to those accustomed to already using a mobile device for gaming. Partypoker SPINS are three-handed sit and go tournaments. A multiplier randomly determines the size of the prizepool before the first card is dealt.

These types of tournaments have become extremely popular since their debut on PokerStars in 2014. They include an added element of luck. That and such a low number of players make them perfect for mobile play.

Along with the focus on SPINS, partypoker players will find a new portrait layout meant to emphasize ease of use. With more players now betting and bluffing a small screen, supporting one-handed gameplay was a major focus.

“This app brings poker on your phone into the modern age,” partypoker Team Online member and Twitch streamer Jaime Staples said. “The experience of just being able to play with one finger is something I have never had the chance to experience before. It’s so simple and intuitive.”

Players will also notice improved table tiling to easily cycle between games. The new platform is pleasing to the eye with easy to use action buttons, graphics, and icons. A player’s hand is easy to see as well as the flop, turn, and river.

Partypoker has taken a minimalist approach to make mobile play simple and efficient. Players won’t need to search among numerous small icons — finding what a player needs is easy.

The company plans to seek player feedback in the coming months to further improve the mobile product.

New mobile poker features include social currency

With 750 million players utilizing social games worldwide, it serves operators well to move in that direction with poker. Zynga Poker boasts hundreds of millions of users around the world.

Partypoker seems to be adopting that approach with hopes of continuing to grow its player base. The first phase of the mobile product overhaul includes a new SPINS interface with some innovative features. 

Gameplay now introduces a new social-friendly currency, known as Diamonds. App designers hope it “offers a more immersive playing experience.”

Diamonds are earned based on the number of hands played. They can be spent on in-game benefits such as rabbit hunting for cards cards or even throwing a variety of animations at opponents.

As an example, throwing an item at a player will cost one Diamond and comes with animated sounds adding to the experience.

Other features designed to provide a social element include:

  • bubble chat
  • emojis and animations
  • enhanced dialogues such as announcing tournament winners, aimed at generating greater excitement among players
  • new hand re-player
  • easier SPINS tournaments search tool
  • a redesigned and more user-friendly lobby
  • a redesigned multiplier animation

Mobile and social are huge parts of online poker’s future

Party certainly isn’t the only operator heading in this direction. PokerStars has emphasized social gaming and mobile poker. Daniel Negreanu mentioned GGPoker’s emphasis on mobile poker this week in his announcement about becoming an ambassador for the site.

“The mobile client is cutting edge,” he said. “It’s super user friendly, fun, and engaging.”

GG has even included a staking feature. Players can offer others the opportunity to buy their action or choose to back others.

While mobile and social has been a focus for years, that appears to be ramping up even more.

“Mobile gaming – on phones and tablets – has been the center of online poker for many years now, and it will likely increase its dominance in the future,” says longtime industry insider Michael Josem, who has worked as senior manager for game security and then as head of public relations for PokerStars.

“We can expect online poker operators to slowly de-prioritize their Windows and Mac downloadable software in the near future as the industry focuses on mobile clients and some sort of online HTML5 client for desktops and laptops.”

Mobile may be a priority now, but laptop players won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Operators remain open to reaching players on any medium.

“I’m surprised that recent online poker entrants like Run It Once even bothered creating a desktop client,” Josem notes, “but that shows a remarkable commitment to the legacy model of online poker.”

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Platinum Passes Up for Grabs at EPT Prague; Online Qualifiers Running Now

The EPT Prague returned to King’s Casino from March 5-16 following a two-year hiatus, with $30 million awarded to players.

Two PokerStars Platinum Passes will be on the line at the last stop of 2019 of the European Poker Tour in Prague. The series will be held at Casino Atrium at the Hilton Prague and runs from Dec. 6-17.

The series features 46 events and offers an action packed-schedule with tournaments for event bankroll. PokerStars has also promised plenty of extras in store for players.

The Platinum Pass is once again a highly sought-after prize in the poker world. Winners earn the €22,500 buy-in ($25,000) PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC). The event is this time set for Aug. 20-24, 2020, in Barcelona, Spain.

European players can qualify for some of the fun by playing online – including a shot at a Platinum Pass.

Winning a PokerStars Platinum Pass in Prague

With two Platinum Passes on the line in Prague, there should be plenty of interest in this tour stop. The first will be available to those who qualified online for the €5,300 Main Event and make it to Day 2.

These qualifiers will then be entered into a Crazy Pineapple hand. The winner of the hand takes home the pass and will have some big plans for that next poker adventure.

Another Platinum Pass will also be available with a focus on Germany as part of the “Chase Your Dream” promotion. Players who competed in Spin and Go challenges will be entered into online freerolls on Nov. 9 and 10.

Finalists will compete in an exclusive live poker game in Prague on Dec. 14 for a Platinum Pass.

Players from Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein can still qualify for the freerolls online. The final challenges for the promotion will conclude on Nov. 10.

What else is on the schedule at EPT Prague?

Players will find plenty of action in Prague including cash games and tournaments. Those looking to battle it out in the €1,100 EPT National (Dec. 7-11) or the Main Event (Dec. 11-17) can qualify for as little as €1 online.

The live tournaments kick off on the first day with a €1,100 Freezeout and a €10,300 NLHE Eighth-Handed event with only a single re-entry.

Off the felt, PokerStars players will have plenty to do as well. Some of those opportunities include:

  • Daily excursion tours – These free trips include stops at Prague Old Town, Prague Castle, Thrill Park haunted house experience, and the Breakout Prague escape room. All are free to players in the series.
  • Spin the Wheel game – Each player attending EPT Prague earns a free spin for shot at a variety of prizes. Simply beat the house’s hand and walk away a winner.
  • Christmas party – To get players in the spirit, a Christmas party will be held Dec. 11. Guests can expect live bands, artists, workshops, an open bar with mulled wine, and swag for partygoers. Santa Claus may even be making an appearance.

PokerStars is promising plenty of fun in historic Prague. Online qualifiers are running now and players can get in the action.

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PokerStars Europe Announces Galactic Series For Players In Spain, France, Portugal

Online poker players in the new shared liquidity markets of Spain, France, and Portugal received some good news on Thursday as PokerStars announced a new poker series in those countries. With €15 million in total guaranteed prize pools, the new Galactic Series offers plenty of bang for the buck and runs Aug. 26 to Sept. 13.

PokerStars says the new addition will offer “two and a half weeks of Southern Europe’s biggest ever tournament series.”

Players in Spain, France in Portugal will have 186 events on the Galactic Series menu to choose from as part of the PokerStars Europe network. Spain and France entered the shared liquidity world in January and Portugal joined up in May. The moves have meant larger numbers of players and bigger prize pools.

The original goal of shared liquidity has been to link much of Europe with Italy among the early countries that expected to get on board. So far that hasn’t happened and players within Italy are only allowed to play cash games and tournaments on sites within that country’s borders, including PokerStars’ Italian brand – certainly a frustration for players there seeking bigger action. The country, in fact, seems to be going backward when it comes to online poker, even moving to ban advertising from operators. That could severely limit operators attracting new players and publicizing events.

PokerStars was the first operator offering legal online poker with shared liquidity among all three countries. The group is collectively known as PokerStars Europe and has seen impressive numbers in the TRIO and SCOOP events. TRIO drew 40,816 entries in its 78 events. SCOOP, which was only available for Spanish and French players, attracted more than 30,000 entries and awarded over €11.7 million. The Galactic Series should even top those numbers.

Much of the Galactic Series will run at the same time as the site’s popular World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) series, which is available in many of the rest of PokerStars’ markets Sept. 2-17. The new PokerStars Europe series will offer tournaments for every bankroll with no lack of big money available. Some of the Galactic highlights include:

  • Aug. 26 – €5 NLHE Rebuy with €50,000 guaranteed
  • Aug. 26, Sept. 2 and 9 – €10 Classico PKO with €150,000 guaranteed
  • Aug. 26 – Sept. 5 – The €20 Hercules Flighted Event with €300,000 guaranteed

Small bankroll? No problem. The company is offering players a chance to get in on the action by giving away 400 Main Event tickets, each worth €250. Players can win a ticket as part of the €100,000 Main Event Depositor Freeroll. 

PokerStars is also offering other ways for players to get into a tournament field at a fraction of the cost. A total of over €200,000 worth of tournament tickets will be given away from Aug. 27 to Sept. 13 in the Main Event Depositor Freeroll, Galactic Daily Challenge, and Second Chance Freerolls.

Multi-table satellites have already begun at PokerStars Europe and run daily beginning at just €0.50. Spin & Go’s with €2.50 and €12.50 buy-ins will begin Aug. 20 and run daily – awarding €50, €100, and €250 tickets for the series as well as cash prizes up to €75.

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese players have a lot to look forward to with this opportunity – galactic fields and paydays, and a great way to wrap up the summer.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions. He is also the host of the True Gambling Stories podcast, available on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, PokerNews.com, HoldemRadio.com, and other platforms.

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NJSCOOP Reaching A Fever Pitch This Weekend

PokerStars NJ‘s New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker (NJSCOOP) has been running for almost two weeks. Things are building to a fever pitch this weekend, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in guarantees on the line.

NJSCOOP is one of PokerStars’ premier events. The annual series promises more than $1 million in guaranteed prizepools and buy-ins for every bankroll level.

Much like a stack of pancakes, the last part of NJSCOOP is going to be the best. The buttery, syrup-laden center, if you will, includes the two main events and tournaments for every major type of poker game.

Here’s a list of all the remaining events:

Event #ClassificationTournament NameJanuary 12, 1900TimeGame TypeBuy-inGuarantee
32HighBigStack TurboMay 17, 20198 PMNLHE$15012,000
32LowBigStack TurboMay 17, 20198 PMNLHE$15$3,500
33HighFinal Weekend KickoffMay 18, 20196 PMNLHE$200$17,500
33LowFinal Weekend KickoffMay 18, 20196 PMNLHE$20$7,500
34HighStud Hi/Lo [8-Max]May 18, 20197 PMStud8$200$5,000
34LowStud Hi/Lo [8-Max]May 18, 20197 PMStud8$20$1,500
35HighNLHE [4-Max, Turbo, Rebuy]May 18, 20199 PMNLHE$50$7,500
35LowNLHE [4-Max, Turbo, Rebuy]May 18, 20199 PMNLHE$5$2,000
36HighMixed NLHE/PLO [Progressive KO]May 19, 20192:30 PMMixed NLH/PLO$200$14,000
36LowMixed NLHE/PLO [Progressive KO]May 19, 20192:30 PMMixed NLH/PLO$20$4,000
37HighMain Event, 2-Day EventMay 19, 20195 PMNLHE$500$130,000
37LowMain Event, 2-Day EventMay 19, 20195 PMNLHE$50$40,000
38HighPL Omaha [6-Max]May 19, 20198 PMPLO$150$12,500
38LowPL Omaha [6-Max]May 19, 20198 PMPLO$15$2,000
39HighSunday Supersonic SE, Hyper-TurboMay 19, 201910 PMNLHE$100$10,000
39LowHyper-TurboMay 19, 201910 PMNLHE$10$2,500
40HighNightly Stars - NJSCOOP Wrap-UpMay 20, 20197 PMNLHE$100$18,000
40LowNJSCOOP Wrap-UpMay 20, 20197 PMNLHE$10$5,000
41HighWrap-up - Deep, Hyper-TurboMay 20, 20199 PMNLHE$150$12,500
41LowWrap-up - Deep, Hyper-TurboMay 20, 20199 PMNLHE$15$4,000

The NJSCOOP Main Events

NJSCOOP has a unique two-tiered system of tournaments to allow play from every level of poker player. So, each event is a pair of tournaments that are designated High and Low.

NJSCOOP’s Main Event is no different. There are two awesome tournaments that bear the name of the top tournament in this series.

The High event is a whopper. The $500 buy-in event will run on Sunday, May 19 at 5:00 p.m. There is a mouth-watering $130,000 guaranteed prizepool with the primo tournament.

For those on a budget, the Low main event only costs $50 to enter. However, players who choose to throw their hats in the ring will compete for at least $40,000. The Low tournament will kick at the same time as the High – 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The other NLHE NJSCOOP events remaining

For those looking for something smaller or a supplement to the main events, there are plenty of other no-limit hold’em events available.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the remaining tournaments is the aptly-named Final Weekend Kickoff. This pair of contests will get things started on the last Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

The High event for the kickoff is a $200 buy-in collision. There will be $17,500 guaranteed in the prizepool, ensuring that there’s plenty to smile about.

The Low event will run concurrently with a scant $20 buy-in. Still, players will be able to compete for $7,500 in this tournament – not too shabby for such a cheap entry fee.

There is also the NJSCOOP Wrap-up that should send everyone out with a smile on their faces. The High and Low iterations of this event are $100 and $10 to enter, respectively. However, they have extremely appealing guarantees, with the High drawing $18,000 and the Low $5,000.

The other other NJSCOOP events remaining

If no-limit hold’em is not your cup of tea, don’t worry. There are still opportunities for players with other games in mind.

The next most popular game after hold’em is likely pot-limit Omaha. So, it figures that any tournament series worth its salt would have some great Omaha events.

NJSCOOP doesn’t disappoint, even on the final weekend. There are a pair of PLO tournaments that will run at the same time on Sunday, May 19, at 8:00 p.m.

The two tournaments come with buy-ins of $150 and $15. The High event will have $12,500 as a guaranteed prizepool, and the Low will carry $2,000. Since Omaha players tend to be a more specialized group, this pair of contests should have certain PokerStars patrons licking their chops.

There is also a mixed event a few hours earlier on that same day. The progressive KO tournaments will require entry fees of $200 or $20. Each tournament will have quite a healthy guarantee, with $14,000 and $4,000, respectively.

Finally, there is also a Stud Hi/Lo event yet to be played. While this game is a bit more esoteric, the combined guarantees of $6,500 are as mainstream as they come.

So, if you were concerned about missing the NJSCOOP this year, never fear – there’s still time. Make sure to check out all the great action this year.

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4 Ways You Can Celebrate PokerStars’ 200 Billionth Hand

Online poker giant PokerStars is about to deal its 200 billionth hand of poker. To commemorate the occasion, Stars is offering four different ways for players to celebrate with them.

200 billion is almost too big a number to comprehend. To give some context, the Milky Way galaxy contains roughly 250 billion stars, including our sun.

So, to have dealt that many hands of poker is quite the achievement. Here are the four ways that PokerStars is marking the occasion.

PokerStars’ 200 billionth hand itself

Naturally, players who sit for Hand #200,000,000,000 are going to be handsomely rewarded. So, because a round number deserves another round number, each player seated for the milestone hand will receive $10,000.

It does not matter the outcome of the hand. Even players who fold preflop will still receive their five-digit bonus.

Needless to say, players should keep an eye on their hand counters. The lucky hand is not one anyone wants to miss.

Cash Game Surprises

However, there’s not just one lucky hand at PokerStars. In fact, during select hours between now and April 30, there will be one lucky hand per hour.

All players must do is play at a table between 7:00 p.m. and midnight Eastern. At some point during each hour, Stars will drop a reward chest onto a random active table.

The chest will contain a reward worth 20 times the big blind at that table. So, some players will find themselves hundreds or thousands of dollars richer instantly.

There is no opt-in for this promotion. Players must simply be seated during that time.

The one caveat is that heads-up tables are not eligible for the drops. So, consider your game selection if you want to remain active in the promotion.

Milestone tournaments

If cash games aren’t your thing, don’t worry. PokerStars is doing random drops in various tournaments, too.

During select tournaments, Stars will randomly select a table to receive a free tournament ticket. Each player at that table will receive a tournament ticket of equal value to the buy-in of that tournament.

So, for instance, a player in the Sunday Special could potentially receive a $200 tournament ticket. Effectively, players are getting a BOGO deal for the tournament they’re playing.

The milestone tournaments in which these drops will occur are:

  • Sunday tournaments
    • $10 Sunday Storm
    • $200 Sunday Special
    • $75 Sunday Supersonic
  • Daily tournaments
    • The Big $20
    • $5 KO Fever
    • The Hot $20

Daily Rewards

Finally, if playing is not your thing, you can still benefit from the celebration. PokerStars is giving away thousands of dollars every day through random pop-up rewards.

The only requirement is that you must play a single hand of poker at some point between now and May 1. That’s it – there’s no other requirement.

In response, you will be eligible to receive a rewards chest worth up to $2,000 in your account – instantly. Potentially, you could win a chest each day of the promotion, so make sure to log in at least once a day during the next couple of weeks.

In addition, the very first chest you win will come with an added bonus. There will be a ticket to a special $10,000 Mega Freeroll inside.

The Mega Freeroll will run on May 1 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. The only people between you and a share of $10,000 will be other chest recipients.

So, PokerStars is celebrating 200 billion hands in grand style. Make sure you check it out – money might just appear in front of you.

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Three Ways To Qualify For PokerStars’ Final Big Game

The annual showcase of buzzer beaters and upsets, March Madness, is drawing to a close. In recognition, PokerStars NJ is offering a chance at a $50k guaranteed prizepool in the Final Big Game tournament.

This tournament will run on April 7 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. It will be a no-limit hold’em freezeout with a $50 buy-in.

Compared to some of PokerStars’ other tournaments, a $50,000 guarantee might seem a bit ho-hum. However, the winner of this tournament might be looking at a five-digit score.

It’s easy to get a ticket for the Final Big Game

One of the best parts about the Final Big Game is how accessible it is. Players can receive tickets for almost nothing – literally.

The first and most obvious way to receive a ticket is to deposit with the proper promotional code. Simply deposit $250 or more and use promo code FINAL to receive a $50 ticket to the Final Big Game – completely free. This code will be valid and active all the way through late registration for the tournament.

If that avenue isn’t appealing, then players can also acquire a ticket through a sports betting deposit. All they must do is wager $500 on basketball games of any type before the NCAA final game begins, and a free ticket will be on its way.

If both options remain unpalatable, a player can possibly win a ticket for free. They simply must play in the Final Big Game Depositors Freeroll.

To enter, a player must deposit $10 or more and use promotional code FREEROLL. The freeroll, which will run two hours before the actual tournament, will award 40 free seats to the tournament.

Finally, there are lower-cost satellites running to allow players into the tournament. So, there are a multitude of ways to punch one’s ticket to the Final Big Game.

Sundays are special on PokerStars NJ

If the Final Big Game is not appealing, there are plenty of other options. Sundays on PokerStars are very special, with a group of excellent tournaments called the Sunday Majors.

All five of them are no-limit hold’em events. Each comes with a guaranteed prizepool and enough money to brighten any weekend. They are:

  • Sunday Warm-up
    • $50 buy-in
    • $5k guarantee
  • Sunday Storm
    • $10 buy-in
    • $3.5k guarantee
    • 6-max tables
    • 5 minute blinds
  • Sunday Special
    • $200 buy-in
    • $25k guarantee
  • Sunday High-Roller
    • $500 buy-in
    • $10,000 guarantee
    • 6-max tables
  • Sunday Supersonic
    • $75 buy-in
    • $4k guarantee
    • 3 minute blinds

So, there is truly something for everyone this Sunday on PokerStars. There’s no reason not to play – at the very least, it may ease the pain of watching your bracket go up in flames.

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PokerStars Winter Series Gives Players 40 Million Reasons to Play

PokerStars Winter Series

The end of the year is a time of giving and receiving. PokerStars is generously giving players the opportunity to win their share of $40 million in the PokerStars Winter Series.

The PokerStars Winter Series will commence on Dec. 23. The series will offer 60 online events over the course of 16 days.

Well, actually, it’s a bit misleading to say that there are just 60 events up for grabs. Each of the events has four tiers – micro, low, medium, and high – that essentially quadruples the actual number of events.

The tiers are separated according to their buy-in levels. They break down as follows:

  • Micro – up to $5.50
  • Low – up to $55
  • Medium – up to $530
  • High – up to $5200

So, there’s an opportunity to hit it big no matter the size of one’s bankroll. Each event carries guarantees on all four tiers.

Notable PokerStars Winter Series events

The series will build to a fantastic Main Event on Jan. 6. The guaranteed prize pools for the four tiers of this tournament are worth nearly $4 million alone.

The Main Event will feature 8-max no-limit hold’em. The four tiers of the event are:

  • Micro: $2.20 buy-in – $100,000 guaranteed
  • Low: $22 buy-in – $750,000 guaranteed
  • Medium: $215 buy-in – $1,500,000 guaranteed
  • High: $2,100 buy-in – $1,500,000 guaranteed

If a $2,100 buy-in seems a bit steep, PokerStars is running special Spin & Gos that will award seats to the big table. For either $2.50 or $20, players can compete against two other players in a hyper-turbo winner-take-all battle for a seat or, at least, a random cash prize.

There will also be two High Roller events during the series, running Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. These events, which 8-max no-limit hold’em tournaments as well, carry a $5,200 buy-in with a $500,000 guarantee.

Even players who are down on their luck can take part in the Winter Series, thanks to the series’s special freeroll. Players who complete the appropriate challenge will earn entry to the Winter Series $25K Freeroll.

Finally, the Winter Series will offer $3,500,000 in guarantees on its selection of phased tournaments. A phased tournament is a fancy way to describe tournaments with multiple flights or Day 1s.

The great thing about them is that they can allow players to lever themselves into a huge payday, even at the lowest buy-in levels. The Winter Series micro tier of the phased tournaments has a buy-in of just $2.20, but a whopping guarantee of $250,000.

Players who want some variety in their game selection won’t be disappointed, either. Almost every conceivable variation of hold’em has its own event, and there are multiple pot-limit Omaha and no-limit Omaha Eight or Better tournaments as well.

Millions in guarantees even without the Winter Series

Of course, the Winter Series is not the only thing going on at PokerStars. In fact, there’s even more money available just in the course of normal business for the site.

Concurrent to the Winter Series, PokerStars will offer tournaments with combined guarantees totaling $45 million. Chief among those tournaments are the ever-popular Sunday Million events.

The Sunday Million is a $215 buy-in no-limit hold’em donnybrook that has been a staple of PokerStars for more than ten years. The tournament runs every weekend and carries a $1 million guarantee on its prize pool. During the Winter Series, the Sunday Million will run on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.

PokerStars remains one of the top sources of innovation for poker, too. There are numerous games exclusive to the site, such as Zoom, Spin & Go, and Fusion.

All in all, there’s simply no reason that PokerStars shouldn’t be on everyone’s list during the holidays. Make this a winter to remember!

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New Jersey Online Poker Revenue Down 14.5% Since Last Year

NJ Online Poker

Last week, the Department of Gaming Enforcement released the revenue figures for New Jersey online poker.

Overall, online poker posted a 0.60 percent decline in revenue in October 2018 when compared to September 2018. Year-over-year also showed a decrease of 14.5 percent. The revenue figures support the trends we have been reporting here.

Each week this report is a mixed bag of news, this week is no different. The most notable story, though, is it appears the cash games welcomed some new players. It has been a while since we have been able to say that.

Let’s take a closer look. Here are the key stories from the US regulated poker scene since our last report published on Nov. 12:

  • PokerStars NJ implemented its new Star Rewards program
  • WSOP.com continued to host the Coast 2 Coast III concluded with enough entries to exceed the $200,000 guarantee for its Main Event
  • partypoker NJ continues to hold down third place while posting the most consistent numbers from week to week

Now, let’s take a look back at the tournament and cash game trends for the two-week period ending Nov. 18, 2018.

U.S. Regulated Online Poker Operators

The major U.S. poker operators are:

Operator Network Provider Other Sites in the Network
WSOP.com 888 888poker
PokerStarsNJ PokerStars None
partypokerNJ partypoker Borgata Poker and PlayMGM-NJ

Pala Poker also operates in New Jersey on its own network. We do not include Pala Poker in this report because the traffic volume is low and doesn’t affect the latest US online poker trends.

Major online poker tournaments summary

The tournament summary continues to rely on big tournament series to produce decent prize pools. Last week we reported that it appears tournaments are losing their appeal.

This report supports that hypothesis. During the last two weeks, each of the three operators exceeded their guarantee once, and each posted an overlay once. There just doesn’t seem to be any consistency.

WSOP.com posted strong numbers both weeks most likely due to the continuation of the Coast 2 Coast Classic III. Even so, it still contributed to the prize pool on Nov. 11 to match the larger than usual guarantee.

On Nov. 18, WSOP.com surpassed the $200,000 guarantee by $15,000. It’s only the second time since shared liquidity that NJ players have had a $200,000 guarantee tournament. Considering, WSOP.com failed to meet its guarantees the previous two weeks, the site took a big gamble. Luckily it paid off.

Now that the Coast 2 Coast Classic III concluded, there is sure to be a new tournament series starting soon. It seems as if a week doesn’t go by without one.

Both partypoker NJ and PokerStars NJ both held a series in Oct. So, it is hard to predict which operator will be the lucky host.

One last thing worth mentioning is PokerStars brought its global Star Rewards customer loyalty program to NJ. However, it is unlikely to have an effect on the results.

Sunday major online tournaments by the numbers

Information for the tournaments held on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018,

Tournament Entries Guarantee Actual Prize Pool Difference
WSOP $320 Coast 2 Coast III #25 $150,000 Guaranteed 488 $150,000 $146,400 -$3,600
PokerStarsNJ $200 Sunday Special $30,000 Guaranteed 188 $30,000 $34,968 $4,968
partypokerNJ $215 Sunday NLH $35,000 Guaranteed 203 $35,000 40,600 5,600

Information for the tournaments held on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018:

Tournament Entries Guarantee Actual Prize Pool Difference
WSOP $525 Coast 2 Coast III #48 $200,000 Guaranteed 430 $200,000 $215,000 $15,000
PokerStarsNJ $200 Sunday Special $30,000 Guaranteed 171 $30,000 $31,806 $1,806
partypokerNJ $215 Sunday NLH $35,000 Guaranteed 157 $35,000 $31,400 -$3,600

Average cash game and peak traffic summary

For the first time in many weeks, NJ poker seemed to grow. Both WSOP.com and PokerStars NJ posted gains to their 7-day rolling average number of cash game players.

It is encouraging that the gains happened without stealing players from partypoker NJ, who remained consistent posting a 7-day average of 45 cash game players.

There hasn’t been much good news for online poker in the Garden State. So it is understandable to latch on to the first glimmer of hope for a growing market in quite a while – no matter how small.

WSOP.com posted a 7-day rolling average of 200 cash game players. It hasn’t seen that number consistently since the summer.

PokerStars NJ showed a 7-day rolling average of 85 cash game players. It, too, was one of its highest figures in quite a while. Although, it was not quite enough to reverse the site’s declining trend line.

Peak traffic numbers were pretty much more of the same for the operators with one exception. PokerStars NJ, for the first time, posted a peak traffic number in the double digits. That, by the way, is not good news. They haven’t even really come close to dropping down that far before this week. We contacted PokerStars for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Factors impacting U.S. regulated online poker in the coming weeks

The holidays are upon us. That means some players will have more time to play and others will have less. Looking back over the past few years, online poker took a small hit over Thanksgiving weekend but rebounded nicely in the following weeks.

It will be interesting to compare last year’s online poker trends without sports betting over the holidays and this year’s trends that include sports betting.

We will take a look at that, and other news affecting the New Jersey poker scene, and the complete U.S. regulated online poker landscape. We will be back here on Dec. 4.