Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Can you give us an update on the latest news on the renowned actor "Tony Kendall", please?
I'm aware that one month today (i.e. 28/11/2010) will be the first anniversary of his death.
Will your "Google alerts" be going into overdrive?

Groan. I get more alerts as to him than almost anything else. But my alerts are timed for 1600 hours UK, so I still await that pleasure.

[TheChipPrince]

Tikay, how is Sky Poker doing now?  You mention the 'decline of online poker' quite often, just wondering how Sky is fairing.

Lol, you could not make that up! You see, this is how it works. Answer a question "just so", & it produces other questions, & so it goes.....Byron had asked a question on 2+2, I answered it, genuinely, I teased it further here as a regular Diary Update, & off we jolly well go.

So, being as you asked, yes, I do mention the current decline of Online Poker a lot. Or more correctly, the decline of most regular sites,  most especially, the networks, who are being squeezed out as margins compress. google Alerts will flag up reports for all Online Gaming Sites, & I get them all, & one after the other, & they are all coming in with depressing revenues from Online Poker. Party reported sparkling numbers last week - except for Poker. Ditto Wm Hill, i-Poker, Laddies, da de da. Even 'Stars & Tilt have suffered double digit y-o-y traffic declines in 2010. (Party said "PartyGaming announced that group revenue had risen from €78.3m in Q3 2009 to €85.3m in Q3 2010, with growth in all verticals except poker. Poker revenues fell a further 5%".)

Sky Poker? Well it's a young site, yet to reach maturity, & at the lower end in terms of size, so results must be viewed in that context.  But even allowing for all that, the figures are breathtaking, with phenomonal y-o-y traffic & revenue increases. Our Forecast for 10/11 is xty% ahead of last year's actual, & we are absolutely murdering that Forecast, so work that out! With 1 day remaining of the current "poker week" (which is Friday-Thursday incl) we have achieved 109% of the week's Forecast. So today is all bonus, a freeroll if you like.

And all that has been achieved on a Flash Client. So heaven knows what will happen when the DC is fully released. It's currently on soft launch, which will roll out over the next 10 days, then we have to spend a whole bunch of ££££'s promoting it, & off we go again. A vey exciting time, to be honest. I've been part of it since 6 months prior to it opening, almost from "the clean sheet of paper" & watching it grow, with all the hiccups along the way, has been immensely satisfying. Now we have TSP, too, which I think will be of enormous help in profile raising. All good.

Oh, & thanks for the opening. I mean, question. Perfect!

Thanks for the insight, all sounds very rosy/promising. 

[byronkincaid]

So heaven knows what will happen when the DC is fully released.

you should get a big leap in your numbers when HEM and PT become compatible with sky. playing without a HUD just feels wrong to me now. a bit like wondering around without your trousers on or something.

[tikay]

So heaven knows what will happen when the DC is fully released.

you should get a big leap in your numbers when HEM and PT become compatible with sky. playing without a HUD just feels wrong to me now. a bit like wondering around without your trousers on or something.

Possibly.

It's quite an interesting thought, actually, but I would imagine 95% of the existing player base have never heard of either, & would not wish to use such aids. It's a totally different market (at present), & they play for recreational reasons, supported by a very strong Community.

Who'd have thought, players playing poker to enjoy themselves?

I would add that I have never used either, & barely know what they are, but it does not impact upon my enjoyment of the game, or my admittedly modest profitablity. Different strokes, different folks, & all that.

Note the success of APAT when they focused on the smaller buy-in players, ditto DTD with the 900 runner £50 jobbie (could have easily filled 1,500 seats), & Sky Poker. It's where 99% of the poker market is, but these guys don't worry about HEM, PT, Rake, DC's, Staking, & all that stuff. They just want to play a bit of poker, have a bit of fun, without getting all addicted.

PS - I'm forbidden, when "on message" at SP, to use, when referring to Bet, Vegas (Online Slots), Bingo, or Poker, the term "addictive". The correct word is, of course, compelling. Compelling is nice, it's good, addictive is bad. Oh yes.

[tikay]

Meanwhile, incoming Meeting Appointment just arrived, to discuss "Upcoming Sky Santa Promotion".

My admiration for all things SP wanes a little when we have to do that sort of stuff. Sky Elf will be next week's Meeting, no doubt.

Christmas, ugh.

[tikay]

I forgot to add another word which is "off message". They don't allow me to use the word "spam. It's "enlightenment". Obv.

[titaniumbean]

I'm kinda confused as to what you mean Tikay?


What do you mean by DC?  (all I can think of is potting it in super stud!)   a download client? you mean the full thing of what's in beta now? because that's flash based and doesn't 'support' HEM as is?

[RED-DOG]

That many headed dog you mentioned..

His name is Cerberus, and he guards the gates of Hell. (What from, I can't imagine).

[tikay]

I'm kinda confused as to what you mean Tikay?


What do you mean by DC?  (all I can think of is potting it in super stud!)   a download client? you mean the full thing of what's in beta now? because that's flash based and doesn't 'support' HEM as is?

It will not be promoted as supporting HEM, etc, but anyone with any IT nous could make it so, or so I'm led to believe.

[tikay]

That many headed dog you mentioned..

His name is Cerberus, and he guards the gates of Hell. (What from, I can't imagine).

I think he (she?) was three-headed, if I recall correctly. Ate a lot, too.

[titaniumbean]

I'm kinda confused as to what you mean Tikay?


What do you mean by DC?  (all I can think of is potting it in super stud!)   a download client? you mean the full thing of what's in beta now? because that's flash based and doesn't 'support' HEM as is?

It will not be promoted as supporting HEM, etc, but anyone with any IT nous could make it so, or so I'm led to believe.

it's ruddy fiddly work to do !!!! and as far as i'm aware/have tested you cant overlay a HUD as you would on Stars/Tilt due to the nature of the flash software. Sorry just wanted confirmation what you meant by DC I was getting confused. Nice work on the tourny schedule change up seems like everythings changed at once at the mo!

edit by ruddy fiddly I mean 'IT nous' really isn't up to the job here. need alot more than that, need mass geekage ftw.

[RED-DOG]

That many headed dog you mentioned..

His name is Cerberus, and he guards the gates of Hell. (What from, I can't imagine).

I think he (she?) was three-headed, if I recall correctly. Ate a lot, too.

I always assumed that it was a he. I'll have to ask uncle google now...

[GreekStein]

So heaven knows what will happen when the DC is fully released.

you should get a big leap in your numbers when HEM and PT become compatible with sky. playing without a HUD just feels wrong to me now. a bit like wondering around without your trousers on or something.

Possibly.

It's quite an interesting thought, actually, but I would imagine 95% of the existing player base have never heard of either, & would not wish to use such aids. It's a totally different market (at present), & they play for recreational reasons, supported by a very strong Community.

Who'd have thought, players playing poker to enjoy themselves?

I would add that I have never used either, & barely know what they are, but it does not impact upon my enjoyment of the game, or my admittedly modest profitablity. Different strokes, different folks, & all that.

Note the success of APAT when they focused on the smaller buy-in players, ditto DTD with the 900 runner £50 jobbie (could have easily filled 1,500 seats), & Sky Poker. It's where 99% of the poker market is, but these guys don't worry about HEM, PT, Rake, DC's, Staking, & all that stuff. They just want to play a bit of poker, have a bit of fun, without getting all addicted.

PS - I'm forbidden, when "on message" at SP, to use, when referring to Bet, Vegas (Online Slots), Bingo, or Poker, the term "addictive". The correct word is, of course, compelling. Compelling is nice, it's good, addictive is bad. Oh yes.

Nice to know that they're on top of responsible gambling.

[RED-DOG]

Lol. Cerberus keeps people in, not out.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus




Cerberus is found in the Third Circle of Hell, where he oversees and rends to pieces those who have succumbed to gluttony, one of Roman Catholicism's seven deadly sins. He still bears the marks of the chain with which Hercules captured him.

[tikay]

I'm kinda confused as to what you mean Tikay?


What do you mean by DC?  (all I can think of is potting it in super stud!)   a download client? you mean the full thing of what's in beta now? because that's flash based and doesn't 'support' HEM as is?

It will not be promoted as supporting HEM, etc, but anyone with any IT nous could make it so, or so I'm led to believe.

it's ruddy fiddly work to do !!!! and as far as i'm aware/have tested you cant overlay a HUD as you would on Stars/Tilt due to the nature of the flash software. Sorry just wanted confirmation what you meant by DC I was getting confused. Nice work on the tourny schedule change up seems like everythings changed at once at the mo!

edit by ruddy fiddly I mean 'IT nous' really isn't up to the job here. need alot more than that, need mass geekage ftw.

Quite possibly. That's the point though - they attack a whole different Market. Small is big.

The new Tourney schedule? Well only the Main Events have been "released" so far, because that change starts on Monday. The Tourney schedule - in my personal view - badly needed an overhaul at the upper end. When the full schedule is released, there are some corking new Tourneys which, puff aside, I'm really excited about, beautifully structured, deep stack, mid price range, & they are the ones that will make all the difference to players in your price bracket.