10-05-2001, 02:16 PM
imo deposit bonuses are the way to go. One of the main things I like about online poker is that I can play whenever I want. I can pop in a game for a thirty minute fix, quit, go do something else, play again later, etc. without having to drive or wait on a list for too long.
Freeroll tournaments don't seem to be attracting players. Planet has had a lot of freeroll tournaments for quite a while now, and look where they are. It seems as though players just come for the freerolls and don't play in the ring games, and why not? Tournaments are not all that great for online. In addition to little differences like no award ceremony, smaller prizes, and less satisfaction of beating anonymous players, the time it takes to register, wait, and sit in front of the screen for hours for a chance at just a few hundred dollar prize doesn't seem worth it, even though it is free. You simply have to commit too much time.
Deposit bonuses I think are a much more effective way to get players sitting in the cardroom in ring games. This in turn attracts more players who see these partially filled games and decide to sit down. And after a while there will be a base of regulars. Since since you can't cash out your bonus right away the cardroom will have plenty of chances to recoup it later. It is like a temporary rake reduction.
Once a player commits money to an online cardroom, they tend to go in for more if they lose it. If all they have been playing are freerolls then they would probably be a lot less committed to the site than would a "stuck" player.
As you might've guessed, I did go for a certain online cardroom's recent promotion. Software/login worked fine for me, but dammit, there are no players, maybe I'm wrong after all. Now I'm "stuck" $475.
sucker
Freeroll tournaments don't seem to be attracting players. Planet has had a lot of freeroll tournaments for quite a while now, and look where they are. It seems as though players just come for the freerolls and don't play in the ring games, and why not? Tournaments are not all that great for online. In addition to little differences like no award ceremony, smaller prizes, and less satisfaction of beating anonymous players, the time it takes to register, wait, and sit in front of the screen for hours for a chance at just a few hundred dollar prize doesn't seem worth it, even though it is free. You simply have to commit too much time.
Deposit bonuses I think are a much more effective way to get players sitting in the cardroom in ring games. This in turn attracts more players who see these partially filled games and decide to sit down. And after a while there will be a base of regulars. Since since you can't cash out your bonus right away the cardroom will have plenty of chances to recoup it later. It is like a temporary rake reduction.
Once a player commits money to an online cardroom, they tend to go in for more if they lose it. If all they have been playing are freerolls then they would probably be a lot less committed to the site than would a "stuck" player.
As you might've guessed, I did go for a certain online cardroom's recent promotion. Software/login worked fine for me, but dammit, there are no players, maybe I'm wrong after all. Now I'm "stuck" $475.
sucker