Tips For Setting Up An Online Poker Site

By Georgina

There are many important things to factor in before starting an online poker site. The first decision you'll have to make is which poker network you want your site to be a part of. All major poker networks allow new poker site operators to join their existing networks. These existing networks will provide you with the poker software and playing platforms you want to offer your potential customers. So, your first stop should be the poker networks; websites, where you'll be able to choose not only a network but also whether or not they can provide you with everything you need, such as instant play, completely downloadable, and mobile poker apps. Keep in mind that starting an online poker business is not inexpensive, as you will have to pay upfront fees that can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and don't forget the continued commissions to the poker network. Like any new business, you must be passionate about the subject (in this case, poker) to inspire players to join and stay with you through your journey.

We've spoken to some successful poker players who have done just that and have put together this guide for poker lovers wanting to set up their own poker site.

Attract Players to a Newly Launched Poker Site

The actual cost of obtaining players to sign up to your soon-to-be-launched poker site can sometimes outweigh the initial start-up costs of choosing your poker network and software platform. Marketing prices are skyrocketing these days, and there are many options for getting your poker site noticed. However, some options can be both pricey and ineffective. Many poker sites provide an affiliate program, which allows web admins to promote your poker sites on their sites in exchange for a one-time fee or a percentage of the revenue made by the players they refer. You can only attract web admins or webmasters with highly successful poker-related websites by providing them more than other poker sites they already promote. As a result, you risk spending a small sum for each player they bring in for you. Another option to generate interest in your poker site is to advertise it on television and radio. However, you must target your clients if you choose this route, and unless you offer a substantial signup welcome bonus, your advert will not entice poker players to visit your site.

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Configuring Poker Tournaments That Players Will Want to Enter

It will be relatively simple for you to set up your cash ring poker games in such a way that each level of poker player will be able to find an appealing and affordable poker table at your site. As a result, setting cash ring games will take little effort, as you can offer a standard set of buy-in values and a variety of pot-limit and no-limit games that most, if not all, poker players will like. If you want to attract players that enjoy entering and participating in poker tournaments, your soon-to-open poker site will need to provide a diverse choice of tournaments. You'll need a good mix of every form of poker event you can think of, including but not limited to freeroll poker tournaments, multi-table poker tournaments, and sit-and-go poker tournaments. Many new poker sites will make the error of offering guaranteed poker tournaments with large prize pools, and as a result, they risk losing money on such poker tournaments with a set of guaranteed cash rewards. Keep in mind that a newly founded site may not have enough participants at first to recuperate the cash rewards offered by way of registration fees.

Keep Players Loyal to Your Poker Site

These days, it doesn't take much encouragement for a poker player to switch sites, so there are many things you'll have to provide your players to keep them loyal and to keep them coming back to your site. You can retain loyal players by offering ongoing discounts as well as a poker rewards program to ensure that they play at your poker site frequently. However, a few additional factors can and will assist you in keeping the poker players who sign up for your site, one of which is quick winning payouts. Players will stick to playing at your site if you can set up a system to get paid out immediately after requesting a cash-out, such as when using an online wallet as their withdrawal option. Never undervalue the importance of providing players with round-the-clock customer service. If a poker player has a problem while playing at your site, they will want it fixed right away, which they will accomplish if they can contact your support service at any time of day or night.
Just bear in mind that while you may set up a poker site initially as an investment, getting players and keeping them playing and returning for more can and will be the most costly component of running your poker site!