According to traffic monitor Poker Scout, online poker activity is down 6% from this time last year. All of the Top Ten poker sites are seeing weaker numbers, and overall revenue has dropped by 12% since 2012.

While these numbers could mean that online poker is facing downswing, industry professionals are more optimistic. At Poker Scout, they are calling it a case of ‘spring fever’, as European temperatures are much higher than usual for this time of year.

“As usual, the fair weather sent players scrambling to get outside and away from their keyboards, causing traffic to plunge across the board,” says a spokesperson for PokerScout.

Despite the decline, PokerStars continued to be the top performer in the online poker market. iPoker followed closely behind along with 888 and Microgaming. Should PokerScout’s predictions prove positive, then these sites can expect a surge of activity in coming weeks.

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According to PokerFuse, since the new jackpot program was launched, Microgaming has paid out twice in two days. The new format ensures that more players can cash in on the jackpot prize, which will definitely attract more players to Microgaming’s poker network.

“With the introduction of our new Bad Beat Jackpot, we solve the problem of liquidity segmentation seen in other Bad Beat Jackpots, and make the whole promotion accessible to all MPN players,” says Lydia Melton, Microgaming’s Head of Network Games.

The first progressive prize was awarded to a player named TiltShove. They won $450 000 after losing a bad beat while the rest of the table split the remaining $250 000. Two days later, a player who lost four-of-a-kind 2s to four-of-a-kind 6s won a $360 000 bad beat jackpot prize. The qualifying hand for most bad beat jackpots is usually quad 8s, but Microgaming has made it easier for victims of bad beats to cash in on generous prizes.

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GTECH G2 and PlayTech have jumped at the chance, although we anticipate plenty of other developers will come forward. Since Zynga is renowned for operating a free-money poker app that draws in millions of players each month, each company sees the incredible value of working with the company.

While many of Zynga Poker’s players are under the age of 18, the new real money application will certainly convert adult players to playing online poker. The launch of the new website will not only boost Zynga’s business but boost activity in the online poker world, overall.

Zynga is currently considering the possibilities, as gaming developers continue to bid on the license. Whoever wins can look forward to working on the hottest new online poker site to hit the internet in years.

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BluffCam is a first-of-its-kind application that gives players unique insight into their own behaviour at the poker table. It not only measures their heart rate but tracks the tone of their skin to determine how players actually react during certain hands. Players can track their progress on a handy notepad that is included in the application.

Soon, WowWee will release BluffCam – Table Edition, which allows players to investigate the poker faces of their opponents. If the application is a success, it is likely that mobile phones will be banned from poker tables. In most card rooms, they can be used so long as the player is not involved in a hand; however, the introduction of poker strategy related apps may see their use banned completely.

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This is the first half-price Sunday ever, and Poker Stars is pleased to offer players a wide selection of affordable poker comps this week. The comps included in the promotion are:

• Sunday Kickoff – $54.50
• Sunday Warm-Up – $107.50
• Sunday Storm – 5.50
• Sunday Million – $107.50
• Women’s Sunday – $27.50

With the Warm Up and the Million costing just over $100, the field of players is likely to be huge. While the tournaments normally attracted 2000 to 3000 players, Poker Stars is expecting upwards of 6000 players in each. So, the guarantee for these tournaments is likely to climb to unprecedented heights!

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So, it is no wonder that Zynga Poker is a profitable online game. What you may not be aware of, however, is the fact that the application brought in over $1 billion in revenue last year – $1.14 billion to be exact.

While Zynga Poker is a free-play casino game, the app generates a great deal of money through ad revenue. Players can also purchase chips when they run low on their play money funds. Together, these two sources of revenue have made Zynga the most profitable free-play casino game ever.

So, it is little surprise that Zynga would be considering entering the online gambling market. The company has expressed interested in working with online casino brands to introduce pay-to-play games in the online gambling world. Using Zynga Poker’s profitability as a guide, we believe that this venture would be a successful one.

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The company already has an existing fan base in the online gaming world. Millions of players log on to Facebook to compete with their friend in a game of the ever-popular Zynga Poker. Through ad revenue and selling online coins and prize, the game has made a pretty profit, but Zynga wants more.

Zynga recently listed itself on the stock exchange, with poor results, and a real-money gambling website would help the company recover from not meeting its IPO expectations. As such, an online casino would bring in a great deal of revenue for the already profitable company.

Some sources have confirmed that Zynga is now looking for a partner, with which to explore the online gambling market. While the company has not made a public announcement yet, a spokesperson stated that online gambling is a market that Zynga is very interested in.

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