Re: With your permission...
<<For example, we're still contimplating the buddy list and how to implement this. One the one hand, we want folks to build bonds (because this is a social game). On the other, we'd hate to see it used for "stalking" easy players. I'm curious to hear about comments on this, pro or con.>>
Bonds are dangerous in poker, given that they may lead to shared AIM names and eventually start charing cards during a hand. There's a reason sites do not implement "whisper to" functionality like online video games often do. So from a site's perspective, I'm not sure there are any true pros for a buddy list. I love them on party for fishing, but that's all. The actual "poker friends" I have, I don't want to have at my table, because they all take the game or or less as seriously as I do.
Attracting fish definitely comes first. In addition to the ideas having a super-awesome-cool "I'm all-in" animation, perhaps make sure there are attractive women everywhere on the site, perhaps the dealer, for instance. How scantily clad is a matter of market positioning. I remember hearing that one online casino that actually had live women on webcams "dealing" table games. I'm not sure of the details, or how successful they were.
Another factor that seems to bring fish is alliance/integration with a sportsbook, or perhaps traditional online casino. Getting someone to play whose primary focus is not poker, but who is already interested in gambling, is a big win.
If you provide fish, we will come... eventually. But we'll come a lot faster if there are more attractions than just fish. The "shark-friendly" ideas people have suggested are also very important... it seems you've the right attitude of catering to both so far.
Good luck to you. I'm sure you're aware of how very difficult it is to bring a new site off the ground these days, compared to buying a skin at an established network. There are some truly brutal network externality/critical mass issues to overcome.
Need a network security analyst? Heh.
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