So who thinks Party was on the ball?

NL__Fool · #1 02-01-2007, 08:50 PM

Everyone couldn't believe that Party voluntarily banned all US players from their site when the new law was announced back in October.

Why would they do that? Why give up so much revenue months before they had to? Could it be because they saw the writing on the wall where no one else did?

How did they get to be #1 in the 1st place? Advertising, they sank the most money into it and reaped the benifits. No one had even come close to taking the #1 spot away from Party before the new law was passed

So is it possible they decided to abanded the US market and be the 1st to concentrate heavily in the Non US markets and again reap the benifits? Stick with the formula that made them #1 in the 1st place?

Did they decide to take a short term loss to gain in the long run?

Lets face it, Online poker for Americans is pretty much done with. All the pro's and semi-pro's will want to keep playing and have every reason to want to but what will they do without the influx of new fish?

Soon it will be a lake full of Sharks all eating each other up to take the occasional break when the odd lone fish swims by, tear the lone fish shreds and then continue feeding on each other.

Honestly, how many casual or recreational players will want to deposit online again after they have gotten burned by Neteller holding their money for 6 months? They will see it no other way, even when they get their money back they will think they were screwed, plain and simple.

And the odd fish that wasn't burnt by Neteller who deposited by some other means will hear stories about what Neteller did to their friend, or brother or Uncle and that will more then likely frighten them away also.

Even when the sites find a new funding method all the goodwill and trust that was there is gone from the fish who were burnt by Neteller. They will not want to deposit again.

Party has had a huge head start, heavily advertising in the non US countries while most other sites left it alone figuring that even when Neteller bailed there would be a half dozen or so ther compnaies ready to replace it.

What they did not count on was the US getting as aggressive as they did in trying to cripple the online gambling industry such as the recent Neteller arrests.

They did not count on Neteller freezing funds for 6 months destoying any faith or goodwill from the fish which accounts for the majority of the funds being used for online gambling.

I say in a couple of months Party will be #1 again by a huge margin, not that I'm happy about it as I'd rather play on Stars

iSTRONG · #2 02-01-2007, 08:53 PM

I was thinking just the same thing right now. I think you've hit it 100%.

The Camel · #3 02-01-2007, 09:24 PM

There's a 0% chance you are correct.

Party has a terrible reputation in Europe. And Mike Sexton is a nobody over here.

Pokerstars sponsor the most popular series of live tournaments in Europe, the EPT, and are renowned for their excellent customer service.

Stars will stay on top, although Ladbrokes will probably do very well too.

okietalker · #4 02-01-2007, 09:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
There's a 0% chance you are correct.

Party has a terrible reputation in Europe. And Mike Sexton is a nobody over here.

Pokerstars sponsor the most popular series of live tournaments in Europe, the EPT, and are renowned for their excellent customer service.

Stars will stay on top, although Ladbrokes will probably do very well too.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about the asian countries? Hasn't Party announced they are going after them also? I think Party will be #1 again very soon and I think the OP just said what all of us U.S. players already know..... just don't want to admit.

Psy_Mike · #5 02-01-2007, 09:55 PM

Does Party have a terrible rep here? Everybody I know who plays there seriously is very happy with Party. They offer quick support (say whatever you want about their support, but they fix things.. fast!), great amount of players, they're steadily growing opposed to many other sites, nice client, good bonuses... They have a LOT going for them, and why somebody would dislike Party is beyond me.

Michael C. · #6 02-01-2007, 09:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
There's a 0% chance you are correct.

Party has a terrible reputation in Europe. And Mike Sexton is a nobody over here.

Pokerstars sponsor the most popular series of live tournaments in Europe, the EPT, and are renowned for their excellent customer service.

Stars will stay on top, although Ladbrokes will probably do very well too.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is just WAY off. Look at the last couple of weeks, and Party is almost even with Stars again, even without the US market. Figure 60-70% of Stars customers are US based, like it was with Party. Simple math shows that Party has at least twice as many non-US players as Stars, and probably more than that. Why? Quite simple. Party is/was and for the time being will be the place fish go to swim, and that to me is way more important than customer service and the EPT, I'm sad to say. Even now, SNGs are much easier on Party than they are on Stars...

Synergistic Explosions · #7 02-01-2007, 10:04 PM

Party is very smart. They did their IPO at the exact perfect moment in time to extract the most from the public.

CharlieDontSurf · #8 02-01-2007, 10:04 PM

The only part that is off is that Stars will continue to grow along with Party.

The part about online poker for american players is true.
The pool of fish will continue to lessen esp on sites that are heavily invested in the US.

Phil153 · #9 02-01-2007, 10:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
There's a 0% chance you are correct.

Party has a terrible reputation in Europe. And Mike Sexton is a nobody over here.

Pokerstars sponsor the most popular series of live tournaments in Europe, the EPT, and are renowned for their excellent customer service.

Stars will stay on top, although Ladbrokes will probably do very well too.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is hilarious. As soon as Stars pulls out of the US, they will sink to the bottom. Party is maintaining 2/3 of Stars numbers on non US players alone...think about that for a second. And that's WITH all the regular Euros chasing the Americans at Stars.

Stars have shown themselves to be incompetent when it comes to marketing. The lack of a percentage based affiliate program is mind boggling. Over the past 4 years online poker has been fairly stable (no big shakeups) and they've managed to leech a lot of regular players from other sites by focusing on service and PR on forums like this one. But they don't stand a chance competing in the new markets vs Party's crack marketing team and large budget.

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OP - you are wrong about this being a "strategic" decision. The UIGEA made it risky for Party to continue servicing US players. As directors of a public company they made the only decision they could make IMO.

NL__Fool · #10 02-01-2007, 11:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
OP - you are wrong about this being a "strategic" decision

[/ QUOTE ]

I freely admit that this being a strategic decsion could be completely off base. It was just a thought that was mulling around in my head.

It is probbaly the only thing that I am wrong about.

I believe I am 100% correct when I say that Party will be #1 again in a fairly short period of time and they will remain #1 because they know how to advertise to pull the players in. No other site has been able to market themselves as well as Party has

I believe I am 100% correct when I say online poker for Americans is prety much done. Yes there will always be places to play poker for Americans Howver the days of 8-12 tabling with any sort of decent winrate by all except for the very few excellent players are over because pretty soon all that will be left is a lot of sharks with very few fish to feed upon

Party currently holds the #2 spot without a single US player.

Give them a few more months of heavy advertising in the Non US markets and they will be #1 again.
Stars is ahead and not by much.