What are the Benefits of New Poker Formats?

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Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017 | Written by Adam Brown

The world of online poker is constantly changing with the most popular sites introducing new types of games on a regular basis to attract new players to their products. Each time one of these new poker variants is revealed, however, it is usually accompanied by a backlash across social media as pro players lament the addition of yet another game that is not “true poker” and does not require much skill. But are these games hurting online poker the way that the critics suggest?

Games Rooted in Poker

If you’re not familiar with poker variants, these games have their roots in poker but have a greater element of gambling associated with them. Spin and Go games perhaps provide the most popular example of such games, but here are many other newer variants that are more complex, such as Power Up Poker, the latest game to be introduced by PokerStars. It’s played like Texas Hold’em but allows players to influence the game with Power Ups that are inspired by video games.

Aimed at Recreational Players

While it’s true that poker variants aren’t pure poker, they do have a role to play for the success of online poker sites. After all, operators are increasingly having to focus on how to attract recreational poker players to their sites, and keep them returning on a regular basis.

Pro players often say that operators no longer care about them, but the logic behind the new focus on recreational players is sound. After all, poker enthusiasts at the pro or semi-pro level are already playing regularly at sites that they prefer, and will tend to be loyal to it. At this point, the population of pro players is therefore settled, and while there may be some movement of players between sites, operators can pretty much count on their pool of pro and semi pro players being constant. There is little room for them to grow with pro players alone as a result.

Recreational Players Mean Growth

Recreational players provide the only real opportunity that poker sites have to increase membership and boost revenues, as they are far more likely to try out different sites and to experiment with different games. Case in point, many recreational players are looking for fast-paced play that will keep them entertained and give them a chance to win some money without having to spend hours strategizing. Creative variant poker games, therefore, can help online poker sites differentiate themselves by introducing hot new games that will hopefully bring new recreational traffic to a site. It can also encourage recreational players that have not been online for a while to come back.

Win-Win for Players

Pros often argue that more gambling type poker variants will make classic poker games less popular, and ultimately lead to the end of online poker. Operators, on the other hand, are betting on the opposite being true, with their hope being that variant games will provide an introduction to poker for recreational players. Then as these players become more comfortable and skilled, they will be more likely to venture into playing classic type poker games. This should subsequently increase liquidity at the tables and make for a better experience for all site members, regardless of whether they are pro, semi pro or recreational.

Impacts Game of Skill Argument

In terms of promoting online poker legislation in the US, however, there is some merit to arguing that poker variants such as Spin and Gos do nothing to help promote the game of skill argument that has been central to persuading lawmakers to consider regulation. If poker is tacked on to general online gambling legislation as a whole then obviously this is not a concern. After being admitted to the New Jersey market, for instance, PokerStars managed to attract the interest of recreational players by introducing its popular Spin & Go format. New York, on the other hand, is currently considering only online poker and not online casino legislation, meaning such poker variants are only likely to ensure the game remains outside of the “skill” argument, and therefore not a candidate for regulation.