The once mighty Party Poker, haemorrhaging player liquidity as a result of reversing out of the U.S. market in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, was edged out of the number 2 popularity position this week by a private company rival.
According to the PokerSiteScout.com, privately owned Full Tilt Poker.com which has remained engaged with the US player cracked the number 2 position with an average 3992 real cash players over the week, beating by 479 players the Party Poker average of 3513.
Continuing to comfortably lead the field with record breaking numbers for the fourth week running is Poker Stars with an average of 8075 players, evidence that its decision to continue to offer poker to American gamblers is still paying off.
Further back in the field was Ladbrokes; although the UK betting group has barred US players its popularity is clearly growing with an average of 677 real cash players and observers predict that using its considerable marketing muscle and solid reputation this online poker provider could be one to watch in the months ahead. The company has already announced (see previous reports) plans for a European version to compete with the popular American concept of the World Series of Poker.
Poker sites gathered under the banner of the Tribeca Tables network, which averaged just over 1500 real cash players in the current week looked impressive but could be impacted by the recent Tribeca withdrawal from the US market and the consequent loss of American players.
Speculation in the industry is rife that major Tribeca sites that have consistently displayed a commitment to the US player will bail out of Tribeca and seek other online poker providers and networks. One rumour suggests that several Tribeca sites will depart and become part of a new network using the Dobrosoft platform.
Major components in the Tribeca network that are believed to be intent on remaining in the US sector include Doyle’s Room, Golden Palace Poker and BetUS.com.