Technology moves fast on the internet, so your promotional strategies should move just as fast. For that reason, if you’re not promoting live poker sites, you’re missing out on the next wave of online gambling popularity.
What’s the big deal about live poker sites? Aren’t all online poker games essentially live poker games — meaning that they’re played in real time?
Yes, and no. All online poker is (or should be) live, but they don’t all qualify as “live poker”. Live poker in this context refers to a relatively new development that features simulated live dealers, and emphasizes social gaming — playing with friends and family, ideally (though that hasn’t fully developed yet).
888’s live webcam poker may be the best example of this. Using 3D webcam technology, the poker room, and others like it, strive to closely simulate the experience of playing poker, well, live.
Of course, it still isn’t really live poker in the traditional sense — you don’t get to see your opponents’ poker face, you can’t “read” the competition like you could at a brick-and-mortar poker room.
But it’s the closest that online poker has come to recreating the live poker room experience, and it’s something players have responded to. With that in mind, here are a few of the top “live poker” rooms for affiliates to include in their promotional strategies:
888poker launched its live webcam poker gaming option earlier this year. The introduction of these poker cam tables integrated a “best-in-class mobile video chat solution” along with standard poker gaming to deliver an opportunity for players to see their opponents while playing Texas Hold’em.
“The option builds on the strong social aspects of the 888 poker rooms, which already lead their way in the use of personalized avatars providing an immersive social experience in which players can interact together,” 888 reps said at the time.
888 also integrated a “Teams Tournament” feature to expand the offering even further. Promoted smartly, these new features can create a powerful promotional tool for poker affiliate marketers.
Other rooms
Although other poker rooms haven’t quite reached 888’s level of innovation when it comes to live poker, many incorporate the next best thing for poker promotional strategies: A live dealer to make the action more realistic.
Titan Poker doesn’t yet offer live dealer poker, but Titan Casino does. That’s just as good for poker affiliates. This is a major brand, and its Live Hold’ em poker option can be a powerful marketing tool for affiliates looking to get in on the live poker action.
Ladbrokes also has a live dealer option. And, for those affiliates who like to promote live dealers but aren’t restricted to poker, Intertops remains a popular gaming site room that offers live dealers, and — get this — it’s still open to U.S. players. Although the brand’s live dealer is for blackjack only, that’s still a powerful marketing incentive for affiliates looking to promote live dealer games and who want to retain their U.S. traffic.
Questions? Comments?
What do you think? Is the live poker phenomenon destined to keep growing? Are you using it as part of your promotional strategies — and if so, is it working? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts.