According to the latest data from PokerScout, the Winning Poker Network is now the leading online poker network for US players seeking cash game action.
A little over eighteen months ago, the Winning Poker Network´s CEO – Phil Nagy – declared his intention to make the network one of the [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/nagy-americas-cardroom-could-be-a-top-five-poker-site/”]top five destinations in the world[/geolink] for online poker players within a year. Nagy missed his deadline by six months, but will be pretty happy to wake up this morning and find his ambition has been fulfilled.
According to the latest data from the traffic monitoring site PokerScout, the Winning Poker Network has overtaken the Ignition/Bovada/Bodog Network to be the leading US-facing network, and moved into fifth place worldwide behind the likes of PokerStars, the IDNPoker Network, 888Poker and Winamax. And, there could be even further improvement to come.
Mad March Bonus a Contributing Factor
The network´s rise into fifth place worldwide, and certainly into its position as the #1 USA friendly poker network, is likely attributable to sites such as [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/americas-cardroom/”]Americas Cardroom[/geolink], [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/black-chip-poker/”]Black Chip Poker[/geolink], [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/ya-poker/”]Ya Poker[/geolink] and [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/true-poker/”]True Poker[/geolink] offering players a [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/cash-mad-march-reload-bonus-wpn-sites/”]Mad March reload bonus[/geolink]. PokerScout ranks poker sites and networks according to cash game traffic, so a bump in traffic could be expected while players are clearing the bonus.
However, whereas as worldwide online poker traffic has shown a general decline over the past twelve months, the number of players visiting sites on the Winning Poker Network has increased by 25% since this time last year. In comparison, the cash game traffic at Ignition/Bovada/Bodog has declined by more than 30% and most other sites/networks in the top ten have experienced losses of 20%-25%.
Some industry observers attribute the decline in cash game traffic to poker sites introducing new lottery style games that detract players from regular cash games. However, sites on the Winning Poker Network have not experience such a decline since the introduction of [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/sit-go-2-0-extended-across-wpn-sites/”]Sit & Go 2.0[/geolink] and, furthermore, the Ignition/Bovada/Bodog Network does not offer a lottery style option to its players.
Other Factors Contributing to WPN´s Success
Other factors contributing to WPN´s success include the network´s non-contributory rake race “The Beast”. Since it was launched in 2012, the Beast has paid out almost $10 million in cash prizes and tournament entry tickets. Recently the prize pool has exceeded $100,000 each week, rewarding players handsomely for the time they invest at the cash game tables.
The network´s VIP loyalty programs are also regarded to be the best in the industry. Phil Nagy admits the loyalty programs were designed around PokerStars´ VIP Club before PokerStars reduced the benefits and removed status awards. The incentives offered by the WPN´s loyalty programs encourage players to grind out valuable rewards, rather than chase random (and usually small) prizes playing lottery games.
It is not just cash game action driving players to the Winning Poker Network. The network hosts the most valuable poker tournament accessible by players in the US – the $150,000 guaranteed Sunday Special – and is about to embark on one of its most ambitious tournament series yet – the $5.5 million guaranteed OSS Cubed series, featuring a Million Dollar Sunday event on Sunday April 30.
Why There Could be Further Improvement to Come
The factors that have contributed to the WPN´s success over the past eighteen months will undoubtedly continue to drive traffic to the network, and there are reasons why there could be further improvement to come. Last summer, Phil Nagy [geolink href=”https://www.usafriendlypokersites.com/nagy-declares-war-bots-expect-collateral-damage/”]declared war on bots[/geolink] on the network – an issue many other networks have declined to address – and has created a better playing environment for players as a result.
The position of Winamax Poker above the Winning Poker Network in PokerScout´s rankings has been exaggerated by PokerStars´ decision to ban “foreign” players from its French ring-fenced site. Should a pan-European network be created – as PokerStars suspects – this would see a big decline in traffic at Winamax, as it does not have a presence in any other European state.
The failure to regulate online poker in the US also has to be considered. It is almost six years since Black Friday, and players in non-regulated states are naturally getting frustrated at their lawmaker´s failure to pass legislation. Indeed, in a 2015 interview, Phil Nagy claimed there ain´t nobody else trying
to bring online poker back to the USA harder than the Winning Poker Network. Well Phil, it looks as if your efforts have paid off.
