- A look back at partypoker’s journey in 2020.
One Year On, Partypoker is Finding Fewer Bots and Seizing Less Money at the Poker Tables (January 2020)
Top line: “GVC’s online poker platform partypoker has completed one year of providing monthly updates on the crackdown of bot accounts on its network.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has completed one year of providing monthly updates on the crackdown of bot accounts on its network.
- In its latest month-by-month update, the site revealed that a further 21 fraudulent accounts were shut down in December and over $6000 was confiscated.
- The last month was its lowest to date in terms of money seized.
Partypoker Adds Run It Twice in Latest Software Update (January 2020)
Top line: “Just before the holiday break, partypoker released another significant upgrade to its online poker client, introducing various new features and improvements to the software.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker released another major upgrade to its online poker client, introducing Run It Twice.
- It is currently only available in FastForward games on Windows and Mac desktop versions.
- The software upgrade also includes visual changes and a new “blind” lobby for the FastForward games.
Partypoker Guarantees $87 Million Across Live Main Events in 2020 (January 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has announced a full live tour schedule for 2020, revealing that a total of $87 million will be guaranteed across Main Event live stops throughout the year.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has announced that $87 million will be guaranteed across its Main Event live stops in 2020.
- MILLIONS includes stops South America, the UK and Russia.
- Partypoker have worked with the WPT since 2018 brining events to life across the globe as part of the WPT and DeepStacks brand.
Coral Poker Completes Migration to Partypoker Network (January 2020)
Top line: “Coral Poker has completed its move over to the partypoker network. The transition was originally scheduled for December but later delayed until the New Year.”
Key takeaways:
- The migration ultimately occurred around a week ago, PRO understands.
- The Coral Poker website suggests that players will now participate in party’s lucrative Cashback loyalty program.
- Ladbrokes Poker is also expected to make this migration in Q1 2020.
Partypoker Implements Raft of New Policies as Efforts to Improve Ecology Continue (February 2020)
Top line: “GVC’s online poker site partypoker has introduced a slate of new policies over the last couple of weeks as its efforts to improve the ecology of its player pool and level the playing field continue into 2020.”
Key takeaways:
- The KOTH system aims to reduce the predatory nature of heads-up games and encourage regular players to play each other.
- The site has banned “queuing” third party software, which help players avoid other good opponents at “blind lobby” games.
- All online Day 1s and satellites to partypoker Live events show real names both at the table and in the tournament lobby.
Partypoker Launches MILLIONS Passport, Reveals London and Las Vegas Stops (February 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has once again refreshed its online satellite system to its live events with the introduction of the new MILLIONS Passport. Worth over $10,000, the Passport is won via phased online satellites and can be used to enter any MILLIONS live stop throughout the year.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has once again refreshed its online satellite system to its live events.
- The Passport is valid for 12 months and covers players with buy-ins, accommodation and travel.
- It can be used for MILLIONS Online, the audacious event from partypoker with a $20 million guarantee.
- Also seemingly revealed with this announcement are two new stops on the tour: Las Vegas and London.
Jordan Drummond Joins Partypoker’s Team Online (February 2020)
Top line: “High stakes poker player Jordon Drummond has joined partypoker as a member of their Team Online roster.”
Key takeaways:
- Team Online is partypoker’s slate of ambassadors dedicated to streaming play on partypoker tables on Twitch.
- Drummond has seven years of coaching experience, $10 million in lifetime earnings, and has reached PokerStars Supernova Elite status four times.
- “I’m honored and privileged to announce that I’m joining partypoker Team Online.”
Partypoker Cash Game Leaderboards Will Now Giveaway $1 Million a Month (February 2020)
Top line: “Less than a week after partypoker improved their cash game leaderboard promotion, it has announced a further wave of changes, increasing the total value to $250,000 weekly.”
Key takeaways:
- Operator boasting that it will be giving away over $1 million monthly via 16 separate weekly leaderboards.
- There are now three at the micro-stakes, one for each buy-in.
- Two Boom tournaments will run each day, one with a $5,000 top prize and the other $3,000.
- Each week, a review on the promotion is being conducted and tweaks are being made.
Partypoker to Host First-Ever $15 Million Guaranteed WPT Online Series in May (March 2020)
Top line: “Following the success of partypoker taking its MILLIONS tour online, the operator and the World Poker Tour (WPT) have agreed to host the first-ever WPT Main Event Tour online.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker and the World Poker Tour (WPT) have agreed to host the first-ever WPT Main Event Tour.
- The WPT Online events will be hosted on partypoker platform from May 10 to 26.
- As per the partypoker LIVE website, $15 million will be guaranteed across the WPT online events spanning over two weeks.
Partypoker Brings “Diamonds” Social Currency to the Desktop Client (March 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker’s latest software upgrade includes a number of new features and improvements to its desktop client, the most significant of which includes the integration of the operator’s new social gaming currency dubbed Diamonds.”
Key takeaways:
- New software upgrade includes a number of new features.
- Diamonds are partypoker’s in-game virtual currency that can be earned and spent for fun side activities.
- Update also includes showdown equity percentage and new rules at the heads-up tables.
GVC Reports More Poker Growth in 2019—But it is Slowing Down (March 2020)
Top line: “Gaming giant GVC reported that net gaming revenue in online poker grew 8% in 2019, the fourth year in a row of growth at the resurgent online poker room.”
Key takeaways:
- GVC reported that net gaming revenue in online poker grew 8% in 2019.
- Annual revenue is more than double what it was at its lowest point in 2015-2016.
- “Partypoker NGR was 8% [in constant currency] ahead of last year, slowing in the second half due to a tough prior year.”
Partypoker Increases Powerfest Guarantees, Brings Irish Poker Open Online (March 2020)
Top line: “Two days after the start of partypoker’s flagship online poker series Powerfest, the operator has announced that guarantees across upcoming events will be increased.”
Key takeaways:
- Two days after the start of Powerfest, the operator has announced that guarantees will increase.
- The Irish Poker Open will now take place online on the partypoker platform.
- This will be followed by the WPT Online in May.
Partypoker Takes Another Live Event Online with Poker Masters Partnership (March 2020)
Top line: “Online poker operator partypoker has announced that it has partnered with Poker Central to bring their high stakes Poker Masters to the slate of upcoming online events.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has partnered with Poker Central to bring Poker Masters online.
- Now called the Poker Masters Online Series, the series will run in April on the partypoker platform.
- It will have a guarantee of $15 million across 30 high stakes events.
The Cash Game Landscape at Partypoker: An Interview with Tom Waters and Rob Yong (April 2020)
Top line: “Last year, partypoker implemented a raft of changes in a bid to level the playing field and create a fairer site for all players.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker continues investment into making its online poker platform the safest in the world.
- Last year partypoker started to implement changes on the platform that would level the playing fields.
- In an interview with Waters and Yong, the pair reveal more behind their cash game plans for the site into 2020.
Ex-PokerStars Ambassador and Hollywood Celebrity Kevin Hart Signs On With Partypoker (April 2020)
Top line: “In one of partypoker’s biggest signings in the modern era, A-list Hollywood celebrity and former PokerStars Ambassador Kevin Hart has announced that he is joining partypoker as a Global Ambassador and partner.”
Key takeaways:
- “I’m here to party, I’m here to have a good time,” Hart says in the Twitter post.
- In 2017, Hart partnered with PokerStars and featured in adverting campaigns alongside Usain Bolt.
- Hart has over 100 million followers on social media.
Exclusive: Partypoker Readies SPINS Ultra, New Faster Lottery-Style Sit & Go (April 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker is expected to soon introduce a new, faster version of SPINS, the operator’s lottery-style Sit and Go format, PRO can exclusively reveal.”
Key takeaways:
- SPINS Ultra will presumably play just like the regular SPINS game.
- There are two expected changes: the starting stack will be smaller and blinds will go up much faster.
- The format is likely heavily inspired by Winamax’s Expresso Nitro and PokerStars’ Spin & Go Flash, launched last summer.
Ladbrokes Poker Completes Migration to Partypoker Platform (May 2020)
Top line: “Ladbrokes Poker has moved from the iPoker network to partypoker. As of Tuesday, May 12, Ladbrokes poker players are directed to download a new client which connects players to the global partypoker player pool.”
Key takeaways:
- Ladbrokes Poker has moved from the iPoker network to partypoker.
- Players were informed late on Monday of the transition, which was executed on Tuesday.
- It joins its smaller sibling Coral and existing first-class brands partypoker and bwin.
Partypoker Ups the Aggression with Kevin Hart Ad Campaign, “Defection” Promotion (May 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker is awarding over $2 million in cash prizes this month in one of its most audacious promotions yet to attract players to its platform over the increasingly aggressive competition.”
Key takeaways:
- “The Defection Party” includes four separate promotions.
- The largest chunk of the $2 million is through its leaderboards, which it has extended into June.
- The campaigns are an attempt to both chip away at the market lead of PokerStars and fend off the challenge from GGPoker.
Partypoker Managing Director Tom Waters: Real Name Tables “A Game-Changer” (May 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker’s expansion of their intriguing and novel “real names” policy at recent major online tournament series has proven to be extremely popular, the company has stated.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker’s expansion of its “real names” policy has proven to be popular.
- Tom Waters, Managing Director at partypoker: “It has been a bit of a game-changer.”
- Partypoker first trialed real names at cash game tables starting with the high stakes and heads-up games.
Partypoker Launches Private Tables for Home Games with Unique Real Names Feature (May 2020)
Top line: “Online poker operator partypoker has introduced support for private home cash game tables onto its online poker platform.”
Key takeaways:
- The operator’s new software feature allows anyone to set up their own private and invite-only clubs.
- It comes at a time when there has been a resurgence in poker and online “home games.”
- Players play all Club Game tables under their real names.
- It debuts on desktop and mobile.
Partypoker Debuts Real Names in MILLION as Weekend Shakeup Continues (June 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has announced an overhaul to their major weekly tournament, the partypoker MILLION. Changes include a slimmed down Day 1 schedule, a move of the final day from Sunday to a Monday, and the reintroduction of Micro and Mini MILLION tournaments.”
Key takeaways:
- Changes include a slimmed down schedule, the final day moves from a Sunday to a Monday and real names will be mandatory.
- The return of the Micro and Mini MILLION will guarantee $10,000 and $100,000 respectively.
- The MILLION tournament returned to the regular schedule at the end of 2019 after a thirteen-year hiatus.
WPT, Partypoker Announce First-Ever WPT Online Poker Open in New Jersey (June 2020)
Top line: “The World Poker Tour and partypoker have once again teamed up to host a WPT event online—but this time, on the partypoker US network.”
Key takeaways:
- The first-ever WPT Online Poker Open on the partypoker US network takes place on June 28 with $300,000 guaranteed.
- The event comes as part of the partypoker US Network online series that runs from June 21 for over a week.
- It makes it the first time that a WPT event is being offered online to players in the US.
WPT Confirms $100 Million Partypoker World Championships, Will Go Head-to-Head with WSOP Online (June 2020)
Top line: “WPT’s upcoming World Online Championships on partypoker will guarantee $100 million across the series, the company revealed last Friday.”
Key takeaways:
- Schedule maintains brand prestige with a limited set of tournaments with a restricted number of re-entries.
- Two tournaments have $10 million prize pools—the Main Event, and the High Roller.
- 29 Championship tournaments total just over $50 million in guarantees.
- It overlaps exactly with the World Series of Poker Online that plays out on competing GGPoker.
- The operator used it with the first ever WPT Online Series back in May that paid out north of $50 million.
Partypoker Launches Thematic Ragnarök Promotion (June 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has launched a Norse-God themed promotion called Ragnarök that uses a “Party Quests” prize wheel mechanic to distribute freeroll tickets.”
Key takeaways:
- The branding of Party Quests has not been seen before, neither has the heavily stylized Ragnarök mythology branding.
- $300,000 in prizes have been guaranteed by partypoker, with $50,000 to be paid out each week via the different freerolls.
- Up to five additional spins can be unlocked on the prize wheel per day.
Partypoker Could Soft Launch Online Poker in Pennsylvania “This Summer or Early Fall” (July 2020)
Top line: “Roar Digital, a joint venture between GVC and MGM, may have its igaming license approved in Pennsylvania “in the very near future,” it has been revealed.”
Key takeaways:
- Roar Digital is the result of a partnership between European gaming giant GVC Holdings and US casino group MGM Resorts.
- The JV has resulted in the launch of various real money gambling and sports betting products across half a dozen US states.
- Roar also runs an online poker network which pools players between three separate skins in New Jersey.
Partypoker Announces “Cards Up” Coverage as it Broadens Live Streaming for WPT World Online Championships (July 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has announced it will be working with ShareHand, their existing production partner of live poker tours, including the partypoker MILLIONS, to bring the live poker experience to online live streams during the WPT World Online Championships (WOC).”
Key takeaways:
- Partnership to provide “an experience as close as possible to watching a live series.”
- As summer online tournament series get underway across the industry operators are investing into live commentary and Twitch.
- Site will broadcast full “cards up” coverage on a slight delay.
GVC Boasts Partypoker Grew 60% in the First Half of 2020 (August 2020)
Top line: “International live and online real money gaming operator GVC reported that partypoker grew 60% in constant currency in H1 2020.”
Key takeaways:
- International live and online real money gaming operator GVC reported that partypoker grew 60% in constant currency in H1.
- The group reported total net gaming revenue of £1.62 billion in the first six months of the year, down 11%.
- It reported that in 2019, poker made up 4% of the group’s net gaming revenue derived online.
WPT Returns to New Jersey with First-Ever Online Borgata Series on the Partypoker US Network (August 2020)
Top line: “The World Poker Tour (WPT) has yet again extended its partnership with the partypoker US Network to bring back the WPT brand in New Jersey and host the first-ever WPT Online Borgata series.”
Key takeaways:
- The World Poker Tour (WPT) has yet again extended its partnership with the partypoker US Network.
- Taking place from September 13, the WPT Online Borgata series features over $275,000 in series guarantee.
- The highlight of the series is the $1060 buy-in WPT Online Borgata Main Event capping off the series on September 20.
Partypoker Updates Mobile App with Portrait Layout Now Available on All Games (August 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has added portrait support on its mobile app for multi-table tournaments (MTTs) and Sit & Gos. The update continues partypoker’s efforts to overhaul its mobile experience, a process that began late last year when it first switched its Spins games over to a portrait layout.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has added portrait support on its mobile app for multi-table tournaments (MTTs) and Sit & Gos.
- “Tournament play presented a number of interesting challenges, and the team have done a great job in overcoming them.”
- 888 and PokerStars have also both upgraded their mobile product recently.
Partypoker’s Headliner Caribbean Poker Party Moves Online For 2020 (September 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has announced that its player-favorite live event, the Caribbean Poker Party (CPP), will take place online this year due to the global coronavirus pandemic.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has announced that its player-favorite live event, the Caribbean Poker Party (CPP), will take place online this year.
- There is currently no direct travel from the UK to The Bahamas and curfews and emergency orders are in place on the island.
- It is just one in a seemingly never-ending string of operators forced to cancel poker events.
- Partypoker was something of the go-to operator for hosting live events that needed a new virtual home.
- “We are currently working very hard with our live event partners to see if any of the planned events are still possible.”
68 Days, 285,000 Entries, $100 Million in Prize Money: The Partypoker WPT WOC is Finally in the Books (October 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker’s audacious WPT World Online Championships (WOC) has, at long last, concluded.”
Key takeaways:
- It is assuredly one of the longest-running series hosted by partypoker, or indeed any online poker operator.
- By far the biggest challenge was the Main Event—a $10 million-guaranteed tournament that needed to find 1000 players.
- Day 1A attracted 521 players; and Day 1B attracted 490, squeaking over the required number by 11 players.
- Partypoker plans a much-needed, and well-deserved, break from big ticket MTT series this October.
Partypoker Introduces Railbird Cash Game Tables (October 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has introduced new Railbird Tables, available at high stakes cash games, following player request.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has introduced new Railbird Cash Game Tables, available at high stakes, following player request.
- These allow everyone to see the names of players at the table, whether they are sat playing or simply observing the action.
- It seeks to address the problem with the current setup, with names hidden to everyone except those dealt into a hand.
Partypoker Adds “Fun and Fair” Daily Legends Tournaments, Reduces Rake in Sit & Gos (October 2020)
Top line: “Soon after the $100 million WPT WOC series concluded, partypoker revamped its daily tournament schedule, introduced new recreational-friendly “Daily Legends,” and added high stakes tournaments with shorter late registration period and single re-entry only.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker has revamped its daily tournaments schedule, introducing new recreational-friendly “Daily Legends.”
- These all come with a shorter late registration period and single re-entry only.
- In addition, the room has drastically reduced rake at its Sit & Go tables across all buy-ins and game formats.
GVC’s Bet.PT Acquisition Offers a Path for Partypoker’s European Poker Network into Portugal (October 2020)
Top line: “GVC Holdings has announced the acquisition of Portuguese online sports betting operator Bet.PT, offering another route for partypoker to extend its European segregated network into the market.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker’s parent company announced the new acquisition late last week in a surprising Q3 trading update.
- To date, GVC has failed to obtain a license for any of its subsidiaries in Portugal for any form of online gambling.
- Bet.PT currently only authorized for sports betting and non-poker casino games.
- However, applying to extend this license to add poker is a much simpler route.
- GVC has repeated voiced its commitment to online poker, including the opportunities in Southern Europe.
Partypoker Returns to Russian Soil, Takes the Irish Poker Masters Online (October 2020)
Top line: “GVC’s global online poker room partypoker is approaching their live event schedule with a bespoke approach, adapting where they can to the differing coronavirus restrictions around the globe.”
Key takeaways:
- GVC’s global online poker room partypoker is approaching their live event schedule with a bespoke approach.
- The online poker room is set to return to Russia for the second time during the coronavirus pandemic.
- With Ireland now facing some of the toughest restrictions seen in Europe, The Irish Poker Masters will now head online.
Partypoker Blends Poker and eSports with New “Raid” Knockout Tournament (November 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker has announced it will be running a special Twitch poker tournament, The Big Deal, as the operator continues to invest efforts into growing audiences via its live streaming channel partypoker.tv.”
Key takeaways:
- A $50,000 prize pool is guaranteed by the operator.
- “Streamers compete not only for the prize pool but also for their audiences as a bounty”
- Viewers of the player knocked out are automatically switched over to watch the stream of the person who knocked them out.
- Partypoker will be represented by the likes of Team Online players Jeff Gross, Courtney Gee and brothers Matt and Jaime Staples.
As GVC Signals Regulated Markets Strategy, Partypoker Launches Dedicated Russian Poker Client (November 2020)
Top line: “Global gaming giant GVC Holdings plc has announced its intention to focus entirely on regulated markets, with an ambitious plan to exit all markets that are not nationally regulated within three years.”
Key takeaways:
- By the end of this year, 99% of revenue will be generated from customers in regulated and “regulating” markets.
- 100% of revenue will come from nationally regulated markets by 2023.
- Poland and Norway are thought to be two of the larger markets that partypoker and other GVC brands will exit next month.
- However, there appears to be no immediate plan to withdraw from Russia.
- Partypoker Sochi is licensed in Malta and ostensibly offers ways for players to qualify for sanctioned live poker tournaments.
- The client also gives Russian players access to the operator’s full online poker network.
- Practically all live poker events have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, yet Russia is the industry’s exception.
- GVC’s renaming to Entain will follow shareholder approval; the first market withdrawals are expected in early December.
WPT, MILLIONS Online, Russia and the Bahamas: Partypoker Releases Live and Online Schedule for 2021 (November 2020)
Top line: “Partypoker, in conjunction with the World Poker Tour (WPT), has announced plans for 2021, with a mix of live and online stops scheduled across the year.”
Key takeaways:
- Partypoker, in conjunction with the World Poker Tour (WPT), has announced plans for 2021.
- Three events will run in Sochi, Russia, over the space of six months.
- It will run WPT Online and WPT World Online Championships again next year.
- The operator hopes that by late 2021 it will be able to return to the Bahamas.
- MILLIONS Online will this time have a buy-in of $5300; whether it will sport another $20 million guarantee remains to be seen.
Partypoker Prepares for December Grey Market Exodus (November 2020)
Top line: “Online poker room partypoker is readying to exit more than a dozen markets following parent company GVC’s earlier pronouncement that it would be 100% nationally regulated within three years, PRO has learned.”
Key takeaways:
- From tomorrow, December 1, players in affected countries will no longer be able to deposit.
- PRO understands that players in Poland, Norway and Montenegro received correspondence last week.
- Canada has been reclassified as “regulating.”
- GVC has identified some 60 jurisdictions worldwide where it feels it can operate under national license.
Partypoker’s MILLIONS Online 2021: Returning to its Modest Roots (December 2020)
Top line: “Online poker operator partypoker has confirmed that its next MILLIONS Online tournament, scheduled to run in February and March 2021, returns to the more modest structure last seen when it debuted over four years ago: A $5300 buy-in and a $5 million guarantee.”
Key takeaways:
- These two Day 1 flights will need to attract 1000 total entrants to cover the guarantee.
- In the last couple of years, the landscape for online poker tournaments has transformed.
- By 2019, massive guaranteed high-roller tournaments were not purely the domain of partypoker.
- MILLIONS Online was originally scheduled to return in 2020; the date shifted multiple times.
- While it is a world something of partypoker’s own making, it is understandable that it is changing tack.
