February 1st marked the launch of a new online poker site, as Victory Poker opened its virtual doors for business. The site, which is represented by a team of highly-regarded professional players, makes its home on the merged Everleaf/UPN network. The new network has yet to take on an official name.
According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the newly created network will boast traffic similar to that of Betfair. With several big names attached to Victory Poker, including Antonio Esfandiari, the site is expecting a substantial increase in traffic to the network, which will accept U.S. players. Victory Poker will offer cash game and tournament formats in a variety of games, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Seven Card Stud.
Victory Poker’s website was unveiled early Monday morning. As expected, players in the community were curious about the new site and unloaded questions and concerns about matters such as security, support, rakeback, and glitches. A spokesperson from Victory Poker responded with some updates and answers in a thread on TwoPlusTwo:
- Your personal email information is safe. We did accept emails to share information about Victory Poker as we move forward.
- This is a soft launch and it’s meant to have a few days to make sure everything is running smoothly and all areas of concern are addressed.
- Our official launch is Super Bowl Weekend around the Trash Talk Championship of the World Poker Charity Tournament at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.
- There is a “support” email issue that is being resolved as we speak.
- Any questions regarding the affiliate program or rakeback can be sent to lupe@victorypoker.net.
One of the immediate topics of discussion on the forums was the site’s logo, which features an olive in a martini glass taking the shape of the initials “VP” for Victory Poker. The logo drew harsh criticism from members on the TwoPlusTwo forums, but Team Victory Poker pro Andrew “good2cu” Robl came to the artists’ defense. “I can see why some people don’t like Victory Poker’s logo as it’s not for everyone,” said Robl, a well-respected high-stakes cash game player. “But it was designed by Michael Godard, the No. 1 selling artist in the world; in general I think his work and logos are highly respected.”
Joining Robl as representatives for Victory Poker are Esfandiari, Brian “tsarrast” Rast, Keith Gipson, Paul Wasicka, Dan Bilzerian, Danny Wong, Lee Markholt, Sander Lylloff, and David “The Maven” Chicotsky.
Chicotsky, the 2008 Bluff Magazine Online Player of the Year, talked about the launch of the new site with Poker News Daily: “The team of players and people working behind the scenes on Victory are second to none. I’m just so happy to be associated with such a great team and see great things for the future of the company.”
“I plan on playing on Victory a ton,” Chicotsky continued. “Just like with tournaments, I plan on working my way to the top in cash games. I’ve been offered cash game help from the likes of Andrew Robl, Keith Gipson, and Brian Rast… so, needless to say, I’m very excited to be learning new cash game tricks and using them on Victory Poker.”
Alec “traheho” Torelli will also be a sponsored pro at Victory Poker after parting ways with DoylesRoom last month. The 22 year-old, who has more than $1 million in tournament earnings, discussed his decision to join Victory in his latest blog: “As a (Victory Poker) pro, we are given not only a great sponsorship deal but an input in marketing, advertising, budget control, signing new players along with personally knowing and trusting everyone involved. Although in its infancy, the site has big plans. With an unparalleled marketing campaign and plans to take Victory on an international level, the site looks promising.”
For those interested in creating an account at Victory Poker, the site offers 24-hour live support to answer any questions about the launch. The site also has a sponsored support forum at TwoPlusTwo.com.
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