Gutshot Poker is moving from the Microgaming Network to the Cake Poker Network. The move, which has been delayed, is expected to be completed on Wednesday, October 8th. An official announcement is currently posted on Gutshot’s website. The news comes a day after it was revealed that Mansion Poker had left the Ongame Network after one year.
The statement on Gutshot’s website reads,
Due to circumstances of a timing and technical nature, Gutshot will not be able to launch on the Cake Network until Wednesday [the] 8th of October… In respect of the Microgaming situation, we are not in a position to make any real comment other than the room is now closed and all player balances have been transferred to Cake.
A source inside the Cake Poker Network told Poker News Daily that Gutshot’s move won’t be the last: “This is just the first in a series of solid European gaming partners that have committed to moving to the Cake Poker Network in the coming months and reflects the Network’s rapid expansion into the European market by way of the addition of top-quality operators who found that their current networks were simply not meeting their needs.”
Although it is unknown how the official tournament schedule will change as a result of the move to the Cake Poker Network, Gutshot currently offers its members a $175,000 Guaranteed tournament every Sunday. It runs at 19:00 GMT and sports a buy-in of $65. There are unlimited rebuys during the first hour of play and blind levels last 15 minutes each.
On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Gutshot Poker currently offers its customers a $40,000 Guaranteed tournament. It kicks off on each of those days at 20:00 GMT and boasts a buy-in of $27.50 with unlimited rebuys during the first hour. On Wednesdays, the online poker site boosts the guarantee from $40,000 to $45,000. On Saturdays, Gutshot Poker hosts a $215 buy-in tournament with a $65,000 guaranteed prize pool. Unlike other tournaments found on the site, the $65,000 Guaranteed is a freezeout. Freerolls take place at multiple times daily.
In addition to its flagship site, the Cake Poker Network also includes Bet US Poker, King Midas Poker, Players Only Poker, Sportsbook.com, Pokerbilly, City Poker, and Lockpoker. Features of the Network included shareable hand histories where “players can create a web link to any hand on the network and send it to their friends,” according to its webpage. Gold cards and gold chips are used to reward players on the Cake Poker Network. At the time of writing, it hosted 2,492 players across its sites.
The Microgaming Network includes IntertopsPoker, Royal Vegas Poker, PokerTime, Pokerwize, Ladbrokes, Unibet, Eurolinx, Betway, Purple Lounge, and Jennings Poker, just to name a few. Gutshot Poker still appears on the list of partner sites. At the time of writing, the Network claims that 10,683 players are online; 7,524 are seated at tables. In total, Microgaming has 120 partner casino sites and 40 online poker sites. It rolls out 60 new games each year, on average, including recent releases such as Deuces Wild Level Up Poker, First Past the Post, and Sir Winsalot. Last week, its Mega Moolah Progressive Jackpot reached a healthy $4 million for the second time in 2008.
Gutshot Poker opened for business in 2001. The site’s name comes from a poker term that refers to an inside straight draw. For example, if a player held 9-10 and the flop read 4-Q-K, that player has a gutshot straight draw, needing a jack to complete the five card straight. It is also commonly referred to as an “inside straight draw” or “belly buster straight draw.” A “double gutshot draw” can occur if a player holds two ways to make a straight, but both are gutshot draws. For example, a player could hold 4-5 on a board of A-2-7-8. In this case, a three or a six would make s straight, but both of these cards are gutshot draws.
