Plagued by encryption issues and major tournament series on other online poker sites, the CEREUS Network dropped from the sixth largest worldwide to ninth according to PokerScout.com. Two weeks later, the network, which consists of UB.com and Absolute Poker, has reclaimed its spot at number six.
The PokerScout.com Weekly Online Poker Traffic Update revealed that CEREUS leapfrogged Everest Poker, Boss Media’s International Poker Network, and the Microgaming Network on its march to the sixth spot in the rankings, which are determined by real money ring game traffic. What caused the spike in traffic remains to be seen.
PokerScout.com staff speculated on what may have spurred players to return to CEREUS after a two-week hiatus: “The reason for the bounce is unknown, but it does not appear to be related to the network’s announcement a week earlier that it had patched all remaining security holes in its client-server communication. A larger than usual bad beat jackpot may have contributed to the late-week climb.” On Monday, May 24th, UB.com member “POKEHER0706” spiked a bad beat payout of nearly $60,000. At the time of writing, the CEREUS Network’s bad beat jackpot stands at nearly $100,000.
In the interim, CEREUS also fully implemented OpenSSL encryption, ensuring that hole cards, passwords, user names, and data are secure. Whether the conversion from XOR to OpenSSL had any bearing on CEREUS’ traffic growth remains to be seen. PokerTableRatings.com, which originally uncovered the security vulnerability, urged players to avoid UB.com and Absolute Poker entirely until the hole was plugged. If players insisted on logging in, they were encouraged to do so by plugging directly into their modems and avoid using wireless networks.
Complicating matters were the Mini Full Tilt Online Poker Series (MiniFTOPS) and PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), which wrapped up on May 16th.
According to PokerScout.com, the USA-friendly CEREUS Network boasts a seven-day running average of 2,350 real money ring game players with a 24-hour peak of 3,250. Its average daily traffic is on par with that found on the Ongame Network, whose family of sites includes Betsafe, Hollywood Poker, PokerLoco, and RedKings.
CEREUS saw a peak of more than 4,000 cash game players on May 21st and 22nd, a threshold that had previously been crossed just three times in the last two months. Over the first 24 days of May, the CEREUS Network features an average daily maximum of 3,358 real money ring game players. During the same period in April, that number was 3,355, which means that traffic month over month has remained relatively flat.
UB.com offers a roster of pros that includes reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, former “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, and recent European Poker Tour (EPT) San Remo champ Liv Boeree. The site happily takes action from the United States and has qualified 70 players for the 2010 WSOP at the time of writing.
On June 6th, UB.com will hold a 25-Seat Guarantee to send even more players to Las Vegas to compete in the world’s most prestigious poker tournament. Two weeks later, another 50 seats will be up for grabs. Each tournament comes with a $530 price tag and qualifiers begin as low as $0.10.
UB.com is also offering players an extra incentive to show up donning the site’s gear at the WSOP. Up to $5,000 per player will be put into a prize pool that will ultimately be divided among players who show up to and cash in the Main Event. The progressive prize pool currently stands at $350,000.