GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 1 - May 2007

13 “We’ve decided to take a little different approach and let our customers decide whether they want to use their winnings to pay for their entry into some of the land-based tournaments,” said Ayre. It’s a choice satellite winners have never had before, which makes it hard to predict how many will play and how many will pocket the entry fee. “It’s a completely different thing for you to win a seat on site X and for them to send you a check for say $12,000,” said poker commentator Phil Gordon his weekly ESPN Radio show “The Poker Edge” last October. “There’s a lot of stuff that can intervene in between the time that you get that check and the time that you actually go to Las Vegas.” Poker Stars and Full Tilt, the two biggest Internet poker rooms, would not comment on how players who win their satellite tournaments would gain entry into the WSOP. Non-U.S. facing poker rooms Sites that do not allow U.S. players can apply for permission to conduct sanctioned satellites, and therefore be able to register their satellite winners directly. As of press time, no Internet poker rooms had completed this process, though Harrah’s has confirmed that there are several in the works. “By registering a player directly we already have guaranteed seats and know that there will be no issues,” said Naomi Addyman, affiliate program manager for Purple Lounge. “Also, we are able to state that ‘Team Purple Lounge’ will be playing at the WSOP. In terms of press and coverage before the WSOP, this is also a great advantage.” The World Series of Poker, regardless of the restrictions, remains a great way for poker rooms to attract new affiliates, and as a result, new players. “We have attracted a few new affiliates with promotions such as WSOP packages and we certainly get e-mails from players regularly stating that they have heard about us giving seats away via specific affiliates and asking where to find them,” Addyman said. Types of promotions Most Internet poker rooms have unique ways to draw players, and those promotions are good ways to generate interest from affiliates as well. Poker Stars, one of the largest providers of WSOP satellites, offers a variety of satellites, including sit-and-goes, double shootouts, and multi-table tournaments. Full Tilt is offering “Main Event Mania” for the third year in a row, giving players who win Full Tilt satellites a chance to claim a $10 million endorsement deal should they go on to win the Main Event. Other sites have been even more creative. Purple Lounge is also offering a $4,200 package to compete in the Ladies’ Event and an $8,100 package for the six-handed No-Limit tournament. Perhaps the most intriguing Purple Lounge promotion is theWSOPmulti-event package that includes $50,000 in tournament buy-ins, two flights, up to 45 days of hotel accommodations and $3,500 spending money. Purple Lounge also offers exclusive satellites for players who sign up through affiliates. “We find that players like promotions where they are guaranteed a prize if they meet certain requirements,” Addyman said. “Therefore, players are given a rake or points requirement which they have to fulfill within a specific period and if this is met then the player wins a package including a buy-in seat at the WSOP with flights and accommodation.” Bodog offered affiliates the opportunity to come up with proposals for WSOP campaigns, and awarded the most creative withWSOP seats and let them run the campaign. Effect on Satellites Despite the restrictions, Internet satellites to the WSOP appear to be as popular as ever. As of April 26, 658 players had qualified for the WSOP on PokerStars, while 96 had qualified on Full Tilt. “We are seeing that affiliates and their players are still excited about theWSOP,” said Barovich. “AP and UB have experienced major growth from last year and we have definitely seen an increased interest in WSOP satellites from last year.” And that’s good news for affiliates. Because for webmasters, the question isn’t whether the players that win the satellites actually play in the World Series, but rather if players will still find WSOP promotions attractive. Greg Raymer won the WSOP in 2004 as participation exploded thanks to online poker. GPWA TIMES | WORLD SERIES OF POKER