Betfair takes over Poekrchamps

[TonyG]

This is a huge move the full story is at: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2005/11/betfair-buys-pokerchamps.htm

[ifm]

yeah i saw this the other day, i thought betfair had agreed another deal with crypto that lasts longer than 2006?
i thought it was just rumour

[marcro]

Congratulations on selling Pokerchamps Tony.

[TightEnd]

industry consolidation accelerating

I would have thought this was excellent news for Betfair players...platform-wise
 

[Harry Demetriou]

There have long been severe criticisms of the Cryptologic software and whilst all poker software has it's glitches imo Wager/Crypto logic were not looking after their customers and lagging way behind rivals.

Potentially Betfair could become the largest poker room on the internet as they have absolutely thousands and thousands of customers all with money on deposit and rumour has it that they were waiting to have their own poker software before starting to properly promote their card room and this is why they haven't done too much in the way of promoting it in the past.

I cannot for the life of me understand why current online software is so primitive but needless to say newer better software is on its way.

Congratulations to Erik Sangstrom, Tony G, Gus Hansen and the other shareholders on their successful deal with Betfair as I know that they have been working long and hard for this and thoroughly deserve it.

[AndrewT]

Huge moves in the poker market over the last day or so.

Betfair buying Pokerchamps and finally ridding themselves of the Crypto millstone.
Party looking to buy Empire (after convieniently crippling them).
Ultimatebet breaking the legs of Pokershare by getting all the accounts of the PS US players closed.

The big players are not afraid to 'play dirty' to protect their market share.

[Blackbeard]

This has to god news, anything that leads Betfair away from the terrible, dated unstable crypto software has to welcomed.

Couple of points/quiestions.

When will the transfer to the New/better software take place?

Will they still get the same player base? At peak times there is about 6/7 K ish on the Crypto Platforms, How many players does Pokerchamps have?  I presume they will be sharing with their playerbase?

[byronkincaid]

Doesn't everyone on pokerchamps automatically get some sort of rakeback? I wonder if this will be the same for betfair custiomers now?

[Thrapton]

Crypto is a big unstable pile of donkey droppings but I do like the standard and format of the 10k and the 15K that are played nightly.