With the 2015 World Series of Poker in full swing, players from around the world are taking part in unique tournament events. Players can register for numerous events, one of which is offered online. While in the state of Nevada, players can easily enjoy online poker gaming, be it in the online tournament or cash gaming whenever they like. Many are now wondering if the online poker traffic is being greatly affected by the many players now visiting Nevada during the WSOP.
The officials of the WSOP have made it easy for players to take part in online poker gaming. With easy access to online services, players can log in via mobile or a laptop devices. Players have the option to compete in online game play during regular tournament events or play in between tournaments. Cash gaming and tournaments can be found at the WSOP website, allowing players to log on whenever they like.
It seems as though, just looking at the early numbers, the WSOP has not been as successful as it was in 2014 when it comes to online participation. During the first ten days of the series, players participated in online game play, creating a 19% bump in cash game liquidity. It seems as though now the new has worn off and the first gains have now slumped out. In 2014, the WSOP saw steady gains from the beginning of the series until the end. Compared to 2015 numbers, players came out with a bang to begin online game play but now the number of online players seems to have slacked off.
Of note, the traffic patterns from 2014 and 2015 have similar curves but 2014 growth period lasted longer. This could be because the activity was new and more players wanted to take advantage of the gaming option. Within the first two weeks in 2014, player traffic increased by 32%. Traffic seemed to stay steady in 2014 while this year had a large surge in the beginning. Average player counts are higher for 2015 due to the Ultimate Poker site leaving the market.
There were many new factors for 2015 that had WSOP officials believing the traffic numbers would greatly increase this year when compared to last year. Mobile gaming was not available last year and now, players have the option to use an Android or iOS device for game play. Players would be able to log on at any time and take part, which the WSOP felt would be appealing to players.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board also white-listed the WSOP.com site from the restriction of one account per IP address, making it easy for players to compete. The new online bracelet event was also a major factor which was thought to help promote online gaming activity. The WSOP has also moved forward with their marketing and promotion efforts in order to bring in more players to the game.
Negative factors that may be attributed to the lower player numbers online could include the larger stack sizes for the live events. Players are at the felt for longer periods of time and may be too tired to participate online. The WSOP also offers more lower buy-in events, which makes it easier for players to compete in more events, which means less time for online game play.
For now the numbers are not adding up to the 2014 figures, however, the World Series of Poker still has many events for players to enjoy. It will be interesting to see the overall traffic numbers once the 2015 WSOP has completed.