I can now see the Party network falling to 2nd or 3rd place

[PsYcHo-ScHnAuZeR]

Even the fish eventually learn that there are other sites our there. Party marketing may draw them in, but they will eventually try some other sites, and find them better.

With the Party skins now scrubing their membership lists, fish are going to be caught in the net too. Word will spread about their heavy-handedness, fish will hear and be rightfully afraid of Party.

Once someone is part of the online poker world, you hear about stuff, and each heavy handed move by Party will make the rounds in ways we can't even imagine.

Marketing can't trump word of mouth. The good sites will prosper and Party will not (unless they fix their act) and no amount of marketing will save them in the long term.

[SinSixer]

Essentially Party will be marketing for online poker in general because they can't keep the players they rope in happy. Word does spread, and the negative shite spreads further and faster then good stuff.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
Essentially Party will be marketing for online poker in general because they can't keep the players they rope in happy. Word does spread, and the negative shite spreads further and faster then good stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, new online players (within a month or two of starting) are going to Google "poker" and find information (RGP, other forums, etc.) in which other sites and Party behavior is discussed. This is just what I did; I was just good at picking the best forum to read (as all of you did too /images/graemlins/grin.gif).

[imitation]

I just licked my nuts, i didn't know I was so flexible.

[ZBTHorton]

Where...exactly...are these players going to go for ring games?

[solucky]

Hmmmmmmmm so far nothing happens...i got my rakeback.....and my accounts are not closed.........but IF for me its .

tourney ...Stars
ring games........AP and cryptos

[MrBlueNose]

I could see them going to Full Tilt over the other sites. The chance to play with the pros, the incredible bonus(like they'd look at the T&C of it). With Full Tilt's WSOP marketing team on full blast, I can see them getting up there within a year.

[Derek in NYC]

You guys are dreaming. Party poker is the 800 pound gorilla, and nothing will change that in the forseeable future. If anything, the IPO will make them even more powerful, as they will have access to unlimited capital markets to drive marketing expenses. Let's face it, we play on Party because the action is great.

[SinSixer]

[ QUOTE ]
we play on Party because the action is great

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you been playing there lately? There has been a trend towards tighter and tougher games from at least 1/2 to 3/6 that I am aware of.

PokerListings.com used to rate Party a "10" for easy to beat games... now they are a "7" with other rooms ahead of them in fishiness... I dont know their motivation or system for ranking is, but its in line both from my personal experience, and the experiences of others I've read on this board.

Just extrapolate for an minute. There are about 3 other rooms with over 2k players a night. IF all the bad players are at Party, then there are lots of "great players" battling each other out on the smaller sites. Doesnt make much sense..... Whats really going on is the good players are all at Party (with bad players too) earning (or used to be) rakeback and maintaing a good BB/100.

Mediocore to poor players get beat up on Party and gravitate to the secondary rooms where they find themselves doing better against the weaker competition.

There was a time (2 months ago) where I believed Party was untouchable. Then again I used to think that about Paradise. Actually, I felt a lot stronger about Paradise being the king forever back then.....Party is slipping...

[Jeffage]

Party does have the MOST games. But I don't believe they have the best action. And if you're looking for above 15-30, they're obviously an inferior choice. I used to play them exclusively, but I haven't played there in a good four months. This social security number nonsense is even further incentive not to play there IMO. But I go where the action goes. If Party adds bigger games and gets better, I might return.

Jeff

[flair1239]

If you are talking long-term (five years+) then maybe. It is a young and dynamic industry, that is destined to have some twists and turns as it matures.

In the short term however you are wrong. So far the only people who have been alienated have been some people (I include myself in this) who are reciepients of a quasi-legal kickback scheme. And a group of people who proudly refer to themselevs as "whores".

Your average recreational player is not effected by this. He just knows that on Party he does not have to wait for a game.

I do think Party is doing a terrible PR job with these situations. But the bottom line is, as long as they keep some reasonably beatable games they will still get more then their fair share of my monthly hand quota.

[Bodhi]

[ QUOTE ]
PokerListings.com used to rate Party a "10" for easy to beat games... now they are a "7" with other rooms ahead of them in fishiness... I dont know their motivation or system for ranking is, but its in line both from my personal experience, and the experiences of others I've read on this board.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just looked at their rankings, and I think their "softness" ratings are pretty screwy. Maybe times chance, but 40-50% flops at PokerRoom? Rarely, even at low limits like 2/4 and 1/2.

[flair1239]

The 5/10 full game on Pokerroom frequently runs at 35%-38% VPIP. This is partially due to the fact that the SB is $2.50 as opposed to $2 on most sites.

[Rudbaeck]

It's a young business, and Party is about as invulnerable today as Paradise was a few years ago. A clever new company with a decent starting amount can eat them alive with good marketing.

There is room for a company with 10-15% of Party's profit margin. Think Absolute+good software+heavy marketing+even more bonuses, kickbacks, freerolls etc.

And as most of us do live in a (decently) free market there is just no way anyone can maintain a profit a magnitude greater than the operating costs.

[PITTM]

i dont think the fish are having their accounts closed. come on, the sites must know we;re whoring them, empire just got sick of it and closed the whores accounts. why would the fish care about that? where are the fish gonna go? pokerstars? they wouldnt survive 5 minutes there.

rj

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]

Have you been playing there lately? There has been a trend towards tighter and tougher games from at least 1/2 to 3/6 that I am aware of.



[/ QUOTE ]

I have been hanging around here for about a year and a half, and this topic comes up with great fanfare and discussion about every 3 months. There are at least 3 or 4 other current threads on this subject.

Among other things, there are so many players at Party that table selection can make a big difference in one person's day to day experiences. Ask 5 people about their recent experience at Party and you will get (at least) 5 different answers. Playing at Party is like strolling through a big park; right here is the rock garden, over there is the fish pond.