Why is PartyPoker the biggest online poker site?

[pokerdirty]

I've played on PokerRoom for the last two years because I have a Mac, and will be downgrading to a PC soon so I can play on some of the bigger, 'fishier' sites.

My question, why are we all so crazy about PartyPoker here? I feel, advertising-wise, FTPs commercials want me to play there more than Partys. PokerStars has had the last 3 WSOP ME champs. PokerRoom allows for Macs, etc etc.

So, why?

[pokergrader]

Better affiliates

[cardcounter0]

Are Full Tilt's ads better? If I were a casual player, does the prospect of knocking heads with Phil Ivey or Howard and the rest of the sharks really want to make me play? Party Poker ads show idiots having fun. That sounds more like it.

Besides, Full Tilt is a late entry. Party Poker started big advertising right when the Poker boom started. The other sites at the time actually reduced promotion. Party was at the right place at the right time and made the right move. The rest of the poker world has been playing catch-up ever since.

Another factor is cash in. Party Poker has carried over it's experience with credit card processing from it's old porn business. I have never had a problem depositing with my MasterCard with Party. With other sites, there is now a whole 3rd Party Industry created, Neteller, firepay, epassporte, etc. to try to get your money into these sites.

Some sites have called me on the phone to verify my identity, asked for faxed copies of my DL, passport, utility bills, etc. Think a casual player wants to do all that to spew a few chips at a table?

Cash out. My first online experience was with a crypto site. Wait three weeks for a check to arrive, since that was the only cash out option I had (being a newbie, I didn't have the fancy 3rd party net accounts set up yet, who does?) Pacific Poker? Wait a week and a half for them to process your cash out request.

With Party Poker, 48 hours, bam! the cash is in my bank account. No hassle to set that up with Party. I think people underestimate what the ease of getting money in and out of a site and the casual fish player relationship. No transactions fees with Party, quick, easy, and probably the one thing they don't mess up with too much.

But don't worry. Party poker has buggy software with errors that have not been fixed for years. Every aspect of their upgrades and timing is a cluster. Their customer support is legendary for being clueless and non-responsive. It is rare for them to offer a promotion without messing the whole thing up. Their promotional point system is a joke (unless you really like beanies). ETC. ETC. ETC. ENJOY! ENJOY!

In short, they are doing everything possible to screw up their number #1 position. I think eventually their greed and general lack of customer service or care will be their undoing. They will probably make a good future MBA case study of how to destroy your lucky #1 position and fade away.

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
PokerRoom allows for Macs

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

[kenberman]

network effect.

Party Poker was a huge early advertiser in the WPT, and their 1st million dollar tournament was a huge success. this helped them build a gigantic player base, which in turn gave them money to continue WPT/WSOP advertising.

this large player base of fishy players made the site more attractive for pro's/semi-pros.

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
PokerRoom allows for Macs

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

[/ QUOTE ]

While I realize this is funny, I was trying to get more sites out there /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Party Poker ads show idiots having fun. That sounds more like it.


[/ QUOTE ]

plus everything else that's been said.

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Party Poker ads show idiots having fun. That sounds more like it.


[/ QUOTE ]

plus everything else that's been said.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, FTP has the ads with the guy bluffing the best with 72, and the other one with his shirt off rubbing chips on himself, that looks like fun too.

I feel like Party doesn't show idiots having fun. The one ad that I remember is a guy waiting with his ho, who is trying on some ridiculous clothing, and had something to do with a bad poker face. And their new one looked like it was done if 5 seconds by some HSers, with the shuffling the cards telling what they offer.

If by downgrading you mean acquiring an infinitely more functional and applicable machine, then yes, you are downgrading.

[istewart]

[ QUOTE ]
If by downgrading you mean acquiring an infinitely more functional and applicable machine, then yes, you are downgrading.

[/ QUOTE ]

Best first post ever.

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
If by downgrading you mean acquiring an infinitely more functional and applicable machine, then yes, you are downgrading.

[/ QUOTE ]

i predict *** for you before february. let's not make this about hardware.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
PokerRoom allows for Macs

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

[/ QUOTE ]

macs have over 5% market share. that's 1 in every 20 people, which is a significant portion of the market. why do you think full tilt and others are developing mac clients?

[Victor]

you kids are proly too young to remember that paradise poker used to be the biggest. i think it was getting 20k a night prior to party stealing all the business.

[shant]

Party easily has the best software. Stars and Absolute are competing for ugliest and clunkiest software.

[Mathemagician]

Pokerroom has the best looking tables by a wide margin, IMO. Very easy on the eyes.

M

[lehighguy]

It's easy on the eyes.

[lehighguy]

Excellent analysis. I also think the fact that the graphics are the easiest on the eyes of all the sites helps too.

[nuclear500]

If you are that fearful or bias against owning Wintel, why not consider purchasing a copy of Microsoft Virtual PC for the Mac? You'll spend hundreds less and you can keep your Mac as your primary machine.

You'll be able to run Windows XP and bridge or NAT the connection over your Macintosh' network connection?

Seems silly to purchase a whole new PC just to play Poker.

Get Virtual PC for the Mac:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=virtualpc

[BigF]

[ QUOTE ]
Party easily has the best software. Stars and Absolute are competing for ugliest and clunkiest software.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't understand why so many people dislike Party's software. Yes it has problems. But still it's hands down the best in the business.

PokerStars: Those avatars make my eyes bleed.

PokerRoom: My eyes! My eyes! And I don't like CPU hoggers.

Paradise: You think Party is buggy? How do you like a site where 99% of the time you can't get on an EMPTY waiting list?

Pacific: Do I really need to say anything about this one?

UltimateBet: I always feel like I'm playing in a ghost town (not traffic-wise).

Prima/Crypto: Don't even get me started.

[vistaplayer]

Marketing, marketing, marketing... Not just the tv commercials but they also have commercials on local am sports talk radio stations whose listeners I would imagine are the prime demographic.

[UATrewqaz]

Party really needs MAC support bad.

Anyone fishy enough to pay extra for a little apple icon on the side of their PC has $$$ and little common sense!

[ QUOTE ]
Party really needs MAC support bad.

Anyone fishy enough to pay extra for a little apple icon on the side of their PC has $$$ and little common sense!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL I always admired the red opaque see-through monitors from afar...

[ZenMusician]

I thought this was just going to be a
generally ignorant thread; instead I
find it specifically ignorant!

Keep telling yourself that your Timex
is better than my Rolex - you Frankenstein
purchasing, security-flawed, archaic
piece of ugly slow WinTel trash user.

-ZEN

Sysadmin for 20 macs = 4 hour a week job.
Sysadmin for 20 pcs = full time job.

Trust me, I used to do both.

[snowbank]

They will probably make a good future MBA case study of how to destroy your lucky #1 position and fade away.

[UATrewqaz]

I agree completely about Party not deserving the #1 spot at all.

Pokerstars is a billion times better in every regard, with the exception being the look/feel of the software.

However as long as the morons are at Party, that's where I'll be also... does that make me a moron?

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
They will probably make a good future MBA case study of how to destroy your lucky #1 position and fade away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe. It wouldn't surprise me if it happened. And yet, look at microsoft. They've rarely been first in a market, they've rarely been accused of having the best software and yet...somehow they never did fade away.

Historically, its rarely the pioneer in a new market that succeeds long term, its usually the second or third guy. And that pretty much adds up to .. Party.

Damn it.

[lapoker17]

[ QUOTE ]
macs have over 5% market share. that's 1 in every 20 people, which is a significant portion of the market. why do you think full tilt and others are developing mac clients?

[/ QUOTE ]

the demo/psychographics of mac owners do not add up to a large percentage of them playing online poker - or any poker. if you think these sites didn't do research on this, i would imagine you are incorrect. if they are now developing mac compatibility, it is only because they have eliminated most all of the more profitable software improvements for pc.

[UATrewqaz]

The difference is Microsoft came up with a product the world became dependent on.

Sometimes when you become dependent on an inferior product you can't switch to a superior one later.

Example: The very keyboard you are typing on. The QWERTY keyboard layout was originally designed to SLOW typing due to the hammers of hte typewriters getting tangled, etc.

The DVORAK keyboard style came out later and was proved to be far superior, however everyone already had learned to type on the QWERTY and all keyboards in the world were already QWERTY.

Windows is kind of like that.

Party Poker is NOT in my opinion. It's what people are "used to" it's what they like, however people can very easily go to a different site in mass.

[IndieMatty]

I was just about to reccomend you losing your last star for the first worthwhile thread started in general hold em in months, when I realized it was already gone!

The system works!

[driller]

For the same reason that the bars are more crowded on ladies night.

[SoftcoreRevolt]

Party had Mike Sexton, the face of the WPT, and ran a major WPT Tournament. While FTP's ads are better now, FTP has only been in business for a year and a half and is playing catch up. They are doing a great job, but Party was able to market itself best on TV, and combined it with a big affiliate push.

And I agree with the notion that Party's software is really good. The Beta is my favorite platform right now.

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
WinTel

[/ QUOTE ]

Christ I hate this term.

You Mac users ever hear of AMD or Linux?

Also, Mac has some OK stuff, but LORD are Mac users pretentious.

[lapoker17]

i see full tilt getting credit in this thread for "better" ads. ads are (or should be) judged on their ability to convert viewers to buyers. i doubt anyone here has data on the conversion rates these ads generate. there are many examples of hokey, low-budget, no-celebrity-cameo ads outperforming their much more glamorous counterparts.

If party has succeeded in part because of their campy ads, then their ads are good - or great - regardless of the aesthetics.

and the full tilt ads are just gay - wow, checkout the unattractive badasses walking down the street - so cool!

[ZenMusician]

LOL!

I've head of those ones...yeah. I maintain about 5
different operating systems over a very large LAN/WAN.

When your computer can process 76.6 gigaflops under
a true 64-bit architecture, let me know (By then Mac
users will be at 2-3 times that power.)

There is a difference between pretentious and correct.

The PC vs Mac debate is old and has been "settled"
many times over - every year. You lose. Good day, sir.

-ZEN

[freehat]

Sidebets, duh!

[SoCalRugger]

[ QUOTE ]
Are Full Tilt's ads better? If I were a casual player, does the prospect of knocking heads with Phil Ivey or Howard and the rest of the sharks really want to make me play? Party Poker ads show idiots having fun. That sounds more like it.

[/ QUOTE ]
The few times I've seen Phil Ivey sit down at a small stakes NL table, it fills up instantly and the waiting list is 40-50 people deep.

[deaders]

I'm picturing you as the comic book guy from the simpsons. Good day, sir.

[Isura]

Say what you want about Party, but Full Tilt has some of the worst no-limit and MTT players on earth.

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
The PC vs Mac debate is old and has been "settled"
many times over

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, you're right. I guess I should start paying a ton more for marginally better hardware that doesn't run any of the programs I want it to run.

[UATrewqaz]

The snotty/hippy attitude you get from owning a Mac is more than worth the money.

Actually wait...

[TheBlueMonster]

[ QUOTE ]
Say what you want about Party, but Full Tilt has some of the worst no-limit and MTT players on earth.

[/ QUOTE ]
agreed. Which is why I'm switching.

[ QUOTE ]
LOL!

I've head of those ones...yeah. I maintain about 5
different operating systems over a very large LAN/WAN.


[/ QUOTE ]
Like what? A college campus where nobody uses the macs at all?

Party has been in business as long as any other site, and until recently did far more effective marketing than the other sites. This marketing attracts more people on the fringes of the game, ie "fish." Hence, more fish at party would be the main reason I can see to be there. I have not actually played on party yet, but was with Empire beofre the split, which I assume is pretty much the same level of competition. By the way, I suck, so don't listen to me.

I agree with lapoker17. Since when did walking down the road wearing leather and attempting to look tough equate to better poker? Seems more fitting in a Judas Priest video.

[ZenMusician]

Who are you? You're trying to insult me with your 4 posts
on this site with a Simpson's reference? You must be all
the rage over on the Yahoo chat room...YSSCKY

-ZEN

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
marginally better hardware

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus you're dumb. Do some research, you REALLY look
like an ignorant ass.

-ZEN

[ZenMusician]

Anyone who posts on 2+2 has absolutely no
platform to stand on when it comes to
calling someone else arrogant.

Your Mac hatred is unfounded and wrong.

It's not my fault Windows users are content with
and do not demand more than mediocrity.

I used to like you too...

-ZEN

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
Like what? A college campus where nobody uses the macs at all?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, It's been a long time since college. You 15 year olds wouldn't
understand. Silly little jealous monkey.

-ZEN

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
macs have over 5% market share. that's 1 in every 20 people, which is a significant portion of the market. why do you think full tilt and others are developing mac clients?

[/ QUOTE ]

the demo/psychographics of mac owners do not add up to a large percentage of them playing online poker - or any poker. if you think these sites didn't do research on this, i would imagine you are incorrect. if they are now developing mac compatibility, it is only because they have eliminated most all of the more profitable software improvements for pc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have some crystal ball that tells you this, because it makes absolutely no sense.

Lawrence

[lapoker17]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have some crystal ball that tells you this, because it makes absolutely no sense.


[/ QUOTE ]

hahah. hi lawrence. you never post no limit hands anymore.

i helped start a company that ran on a java platform and had many mac compatability issues. we did extensive research to figure out where to best allocate resources with regard to improving mac compatibility vs adding features to improve the experience of pc users. during this time i learned a lot about who mac users are. this was all done with data. once you have the profiles/data, you can easily apply age old database marketing/relational models to figure out what these people like/don't like, how they spend their leisure time etc. so, my knowledge of who mac users are, and how they fit into the world allows me to state that they are not very important when it comes to online poker.


there are numerous books about this stuff if you are still perplexed.


crystal ball would have been sweet though.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

a) I've heard a rumor that FullTilt is coming out with a Mac client.

b) wouldn't just buying VirtualPC be cheaper and more rational?

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
a) I've heard a rumor that FullTilt is coming out with a Mac client.

[/ QUOTE ]

The beta is currently out, and if you are a super cool Mac user, you would have gotten an email magically.

link here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=4264265&an=&page=0&v c=1)

[ QUOTE ]
b) wouldn't just buying VirtualPC be cheaper and more rational?

[/ QUOTE ]

VirtualPC is really really slow. Plus, it defeats the purpose of having a Mac in the first place, because you are just using windoze anyways.

Hope this helps,

P. Dirty

Am I the only one that is continuously getting a chuckle over the idea of Diddy (or whatever) virulently defending Macs? I picture him waiting in line at the Apple store for the latest iPod gizmo or OS.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I use a Mac at work. I have a PC at home on which I play poker. I agree that Macs are superior machines, but for my purposes, my HP serves me well.

What bugs me, though is whay the biggest sites haven't all had Mac clients written by now.

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one that is continuously getting a chuckle over the idea of Diddy (or whatever) virulently defending Macs? I picture him waiting in line at the Apple store for the latest iPod gizmo or OS.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope. Actually, if you read my OP, I said I just switched to a PC. I had a first generation iPod, but I don't know what happened to it, I think it got stolen.

[pokerdirty]

[ QUOTE ]
let's not make this about hardware.

[/ QUOTE ]

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]

Jesus you're dumb. Do some research, you REALLY look
like an ignorant ass.

[/ QUOTE ]

FWIW, I was only provoked by your and others use of the term "wintel," simply because I prefer PCs, but dislike both Intel and Microsoft.

I don't really have a problem with Mac users or Macs in general; I just like to watch you guys get your panties in a bunch.

And seriously, what good is the hardware if I can't play on Dikshit's site without a PC emulator?

Enjoy!

[ZenMusician]

Fair enough, sir.

I have a cheapo Dell at home to use Party...I wouldn't
insult my Mac by installing Virtual PC or any other
MicroSuck apps.

As for my panties...they are never bunched; I use
an old hot-running GateWay machine as an iron.

(G4 Cubes make for good paperweights too - even
Apple makes mistakes!)

-ZEN

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Like what? A college campus where nobody uses the macs at all?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, It's been a long time since college. You 15 year olds wouldn't
understand. Silly little jealous monkey.

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]
You don't have to go to a college to run it's network. But continue living in your mactopia.

[ QUOTE ]
Plus, it defeats the purpose of having a Mac in the first place, because you are just using windoze anyways.

[/ QUOTE ]
That doesn't even make sense.

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
I use
an old hot-running GateWay machine as an iron.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol!

Full disclosure: I'm listening to an iPod right now (but it was manufactured by HP /images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
You don't have to go to a college to run <font color="red">it's</font> network.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for demonstrating your level of education though!

-ZEN

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You don't have to go to a college to run <font color="red">it's</font> network.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for demonstrating your level of education though!

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh you mac users /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[deaders]

[ QUOTE ]
Who are you? You're trying to insult me with your 4 posts
on this site with a Simpson's reference? You must be all
the rage over on the Yahoo chat room...YSSCKY

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear, you just postcounted me? I think you missed the point with the Simpson's guy reference, it was more a dig at your social ineptitude and obsessive one-eyed arguing over insignificant differences in technology that the majority of people couldnt care less about. Good job derailing the thread though.

-DEADERS

[ZenMusician]

Edited by deaders (12/29/05 09:41 PM)

Next time, ask your brother what to type BEFORE you hit "OK"

-ZEN

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
Better affiliates

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread was over after the 1st reply. How it made it this far I have no idea.

[Ulysses]

P,

WPT advertising, PartyPoker Million, affiliate program, network effect.

[UATrewqaz]

[ QUOTE ]
Why is PartyPoker the biggest online poker site?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because you touch yourself at night.

[sweetjazz]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why is PartyPoker the biggest online poker site?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because you touch yourself at night.

[/ QUOTE ]

I want you to think about what you've done and repent, and from now on, stop playing with yourself.