The times of the “poker boom” are behind us. In the early days of online poker, a room only needed to exist – and that was enough to attract novice players.
Now the situation is different. Online poker-rooms fight for newcomers. Some successfully cope with the competition and continue to operate, while others quickly find themselves on the sidelines and close down. The last one on the list was IGT Poker Network. We'll tell you about it.
The IGT Poker Network and its Rooms
International Game Technology Poker Network is best known as “Entraction”.
It wasn’t possible for IGT to become a leader in the online poker world. Entraction is one of the first on the list of dead. Unfortunately for the company, their B2B Network approach to poker didn’t work out.
Formally, the network began operating in 2000, but online poker was added in 2002. At the initial stage of development, the network included only one room, called 24hPoker. That’s why, in some sources, you can find the name “24hPoker Network”.
Over time, it grew into a whole franchise of 57 rooms. This long list is due to the 24hPoker policy. The company provided software, technical support, and payment processing. The new rooms of the network were responsible for attracting customers and marketing.
If you study the entire list of poker-rooms, there are few well-known names there. In addition to 24hPoker (which “survived” the IGT Poker Network), you might notice Betsson, Victor Chandler, and Poker in Venice.
24hPoker left Entraction in 2009 and continued to operate the Microgaming Poker Network until 2020. Betsson is still alive, but as part of the iPoker Network. Victor Chandler managed to change several networks and its name to “BetVictor”.
Closing the IGT Network
In 2009, the Entraction network was acquired by International Game Technology Limited. The network cost the new owners $115,000,000. The company's new policy called for leaving gray markets.
As part of this new direction, in September 2011, Entraction left Russia, Turkey, Israel, Canada, and Norway. In July 2012, Spain, Australia, Cyprus, and Belgium were added. In February 2011, the network was renamed IGT Poker Network, and in December it was closed.
The reason for the closure of IGT Poker Network was stated to be a drop in revenue. It suddenly became clear that the bulk of the profits were coming from gray markets. Most of the small rooms closed along with the network. Successful rooms went to Microgaming Poker Network and Ongame.
Active Poker Networks and Rooms for Beginners
The closure of poker rooms or networks is inextricably linked with problems. Clients are concerned about several factors:
- Safety of bankrolls.
- Searching for a new place to play and an attractive bonus scheme.
- Adjusting to the new environment.
The IGT Poker Network example is useful because it teaches you how to choose reliable poker networks. When looking for new rooms, find brands with years of operation and the absence of problems with refunds.
- Increased first deposit bonus
- Increased rakeback and reloads
- Help with deposits and cashouts
- Access to private freerolls
- Round-the-clock support
Pick Rooms that Are Playing Your Type of Poker
Certain rooms and mobile apps are specialized, leaning toward Holdem (as most rooms do), Omaha, or Short Deck.
Finding a place to play Texas Holdem isn’t an issue, but many players are branching out these days. Even Holdem players are familiar with PLO, but Short Deck and draw games are less common. PokerStars is quite well-rounded in this regard. They’ve easily got the broadest list of game types, including all of what we just mentioned – and much more.
PLO5, PLO6, and Short Deck players should try mobile apps, which download only to smartphones. PokerBros is probably the most notable. Each app is full of clubs and unions, with different game focuses in each one. We can guide you to the clubs that are playing your game – just send our specialists a message at any time of the day.
You don’t always have to face off against random players either. This brings us to our next point.
It’s Easy to Start Online Games with Your Friends
Home games aren’t limited to living rooms and kitchens anymore. Since the pandemic in 2019, poker companies shifted direction a little. As a bonus for players stuck at home, they started letting everyone use their software for personal games.
This means that you can create private clubs, only accessible to the players you want to let in. Want to play for free? That’s fine on many sites, including PokerStars. Freeplay isn’t an option for all sites, but almost every major room has private real-money home games.
After you finish registration with a site, you just need to create a club, choose the game’s settings (like the number of players, stakes, time banks, etc), and send out the invites.
We’ve got a useful article that shows the main poker sites that let you play with friends, with detailed instructions for each one. Send the links to your friends so that they are clear on how to download the same software as you.
