Tuesday will mark the end of an era in the online poker community, as PokerRoom and CasinoRoom will shut their doors. The poker site currently makes its home on the Ongame Network and players will be asked to move to bwin.
An e-mail sent to affiliates of PokerRoom on Wednesday read, “I would like to inform you that the option to play poker on PokerRoom and CasinoRoom will be disabled on Tuesday the 14th of April. The remaining players will only have the option to transfer to bwin after they log in.” Many players in the United States have fond memories of the online poker site, one of the first to sport 3D graphics. The site currently spreads Texas Hold’em, Omaha High, Omaha High-Low, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low, and Five Card Draw. It vacated the U.S. market after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Players are currently able to battle it out on up to 12 tables at once on PokerRoom. In addition, they can use a bevy of shortcut keys. Pressing F1 causes a player to fold, hitting F2 induces a call/check, and pushing F3 results in a bet/raise. Similar to other online poker room sites, PokerRoom offers its customers the opportunity to log player notes and keep track of a variety of stats while they play. PokerRoom also offers a web-based version that allows players to compete on Mac and Linux machines. Only two online poker sites, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, offer fully downloadable clients for Mac poker players.
According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the Ongame Network is owned by bwin and is the fifth largest worldwide in terms of cash game volume, boasting a seven day running average of 2,900 players. Its 24 hour peak is nearly 5,500 and, at the time of writing (which is early evening in London), a total of 3,883 players are competing in real money ring games. The world’s largest online poker site, PokerStars, has a seven day running average of 23,000 ring game competitors. Besides PokerRoom and bwin, other sites on the popular Ongame Network include Betsson, Eurobet, Hollywood Poker, PokerLoco, RedKings, and Stryyke.
The Network’s software uses caricatures to represent players seated at the virtual felts. They include a James Bond look-a-like and a man donning the signature hat of the Texas Dolly himself, Doyle Brunson. bwin boasts one of the top sports books in the world, offering wagering on soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, Formula 1 racing, motorbikes, baseball, hockey, handball, and cycling.
bwin’s poker arm is the official sponsor of a World Poker Tour (WPT) event in Venice, Italy on May 6th. The buy-in is a healthy €4,400 and the tournament takes place at the luxurious Casino di Venezia, which sits on the Grand Canal in the heart of the city. WPT Founder, President, and CEO Steve Lipscomb commented in a press release announcing the launch of the new tournament stop, “We’re thrilled to launch our first ever brick and mortar WPT tournament offering in Italy. bwin is a strong partner with the right market position in the region. We look forward to working with them to bring this event and the WPT brand to poker players in Italy and Europe.”
bwin serves as a sponsor of some of the world’s most visible sports teams, including the AC Milan and Real Madrid. It also sponsors Moto GP and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Its stock can be found under the symbol “BWIN” on the Vienna Stock Exchange. It closed the week up €0.86 to €21.36. Its 52 week range has seen BWIN waver between €10.50 and €24.45.
