T/O From Reality: Imagine You're Opening a Poker Site

[darrin6]

Suppose you have enough investers to create a MEGA Poker Site. The software is already developed and it's time for a SHOCK & AWE marketing campaign. What would you offer to separate your site from the crowd and attract immediate attention? How far would you go to reward your loyal players? How much profit do you think a successful internet poker room generates per year?

Which existing card room/group do you think is top dog right now?

Who has dropped the ball?

[darrin6]

Never ask a theoretical question that you, yourself can't answer (otherwise you might get BS'ed). So here are my thoughts on what you might experience at my poker site.

First I would offer an insane deposit bonus without ANY freerolls. This would attract the crowd that assures a solid customer database. Often, mega freerolls attract players who don't have the slightest inclination of ever depositing. I've never understood how it could even be possible for a freeroll tournament to crash the same servers that real money tables are using. That is often an ugly problem when new sites try to offer "the biggest freeroll man has ever seen". Just avoid the whole issue and can take great care of the paying players and give them the freebies as an incentive/reward. Also, this would weed out the fraudsters with minimal time/resources spent and promote a better quality of poker.

My card room would have a Magic Hand Jackpot or something similar that and it would pay off every hour or so. This would keep players there 24/7. I would have software that detected what kind of decisions players make and chances they take. At the end of the month, the most solid play would be rewarded with a rakeback in the form of a curved percentage based bonus. This would create a new genre of internet poker players, and maybe attract some of the B&M "purists" , further solidifying my player base.

My software would allow players to choose their opponents avatars. Then you could identify a table full of fishes from a distance. But they might have YOU labeled as the fish. And notes could be kept on their forehead, shirt, somewhere easy to see without having to open another window. My software would also have built in mini-browsers with so players could check scores, porn, weather, BTB Forum and still be able to play their hand with ease. And if I'm going that far, I might as well include built in XM radio, Sat feeds with strippers, mp3 capabilities that could be unlocked by playing enough poker.

These are just a few of the things I have thought about in the middle of a 4 hour MTT while trying not to tilt and/or fall asleep. LOL

[BangTheBook]

WOW great ?? Darrin

I think you need a good mixture of freerolls and bonuses that are attainable! Entrance in depositor only freerolls are cool. Canbet seems to have really grown there poker room in the right way. I think their model was great. It did have the help of a sportsbook and money already in house but still. I think if you gave a player a deposit right away and had a rollover type requirement would go a long way instead of having to play 600 hands to get it. I know I have taken beats where my deposit might be gone in a half hour 20 hands.

I like the magic hand idea kind of like the bad beat in partypoker. But it would be cool if you could get something for laying down a monster in the right situation.

Siruis or XM should offer there services to poker rooms that would be cool to listen to whatever I want right there instead of opening another browser etc. I hate when I need a break but as soon as I close the game window its flashing because its my turn.

I will have to think about the "Best Out" rigt now. I am not sure if I play at enough to give an answer.

Full Tilt had a bad run for me for a bit they seemed to crash at the wrong time causing a few tourneys to be lost for me. But I think they are fully upgraded now.

[nour41]

what i noticed is most of of the poker rooms have a bad software( i think paadise poker room is the exeption)their software is awful, either it's too shinny, or have no colors at all,o first thing my poker room has to have the best software possible ,i don't think freerolls will attract the right crowd,so some bonuses will do better than any freerolls,i will have some one earn a trip for 2 to any capital in the world(paris, london, ....)i will have have a trip each month for the best raked player of the month and the names of the 50 best raked hands will be posted to make it as a challenge for every one,another thing i will focus is the shaffling , most poker rooms have the worst shffling , so i will take care of that and have a shffle that will be very close to reality,i am sure i will have more ideas and the best one is to try to make my players having a lot of fun

[Arjonius]

How much does a successful poker room make? I seem to recall Party announced over $125 million for a fairly recent fiscal quarter.

[sassyk]

I have yet to see a site where people play online and you can see them on webcam and talking on microphones.. i think that would be 1 attraction to some players .. i also think you would have to have a bunch of freerolls before the site actually launches..