Poker News Daily has learned that Poker Host, which currently makes its home on the Microgaming Network, may soon depart for one that accepts players from the United States. The revelation came from “John” at Poker Host’s Customer Service Department. The move follows a similar one made by Doyle’s Room, which left the Microgaming Network for the Cake Poker Network last month.
When asked about deposit and withdrawal options for players who make their homes in the United States, Poker Host Customer Service responded, “Just to avoid misunderstanding, I want to let you know that we’re not accepting new U.S. players at the moment, but we will be pretty soon… Like in one or two weeks at the most.” In November, the Microgaming Network ceased taking new real money sign-ups from the United States. The decision followed a move to halt new registrations from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where pending legal action would have potentially resulted in the forfeiture of both PokerHost.com and Microgaming.com. Both were singled out in the case involving 141 internet gambling domain names.
Poker Host Customer Service representatives continued, “We’re [on] the Microgaming Network at the moment and the Network is not accepting new U.S. players at all. So, we’re moving from that Network [to] a new one that accepts U.S. players.” When prompted as to whether its new home would be the Cake Poker Network, Poker Host responded that its destination was “one of the best.” Besides its flagship online poker room of the same name, the Cake Poker Network also includes PlayersOnly and Red Star Poker. Doyle’s Room, which bears the name and face of 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, joined the Cake Poker Network last January.
The allure of the Cake Poker Network for Poker Host would be the ability to accept new U.S. customers once again. Other sites that also register poker players from the United States include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Bodog, the Merge Gaming Network, and the CEREUS Poker Network (which is the combined player bases of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker). Microgaming Network rooms include Betway, Cool Hand Poker, Eurolinx, and GNUF.
According to PokerScout.com, which ranks online poker room traffic, the Cake Poker Network currently sits at number nine worldwide with an average of 1,660 cash game players. It has a 24 hour watershed of 2,868. By comparison, the Microgaming Network is ranked eleventh with 1,280 ring game players on average; its 24 hour peak is 2,374. The world’s largest online poker site, PokerStars, has a seven day running average of 29,000 cash game players with a 24 hour peak of 43,523.
In addition to its popular online poker room, Poker Host also features a sports book, race book, and online casino. Poker Host allows players to compete in its $150,000 Guaranteed every Sunday at 4:00pm ET. Qualifiers for the tournament run seven times per day Monday through Saturday and begin at $5.50. The daily guaranteed tournament schedule is capped off by a $13,500 event with a $38 buy-in that plays out nightly at 6:30pm ET. The site also sends players to tournaments on the European Poker Tour (EPT) and World Poker Tour (WPT) circuits, as well as the Amsterdam-based Master Classics of Poker. The site spreads Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and Five Card Draw.
In a separate conversation with Poker Host Customer Support, officials stated that more information on a possible network switch will be available “in the coming weeks.” We’ll keep you posted right here on Poker News Daily.