merge network, cake network, and poker scout

[kushmoney]

Now that merge network has playersonly and sportsbook. How many spots you think it will jump in the next poker scout update?

Right now merge is in 20th spot. Do any of you think it will crack the top 10?

Right now cake network sitting in 10th. How far do you think cake network will drop?

I hope merge network does break into the top 10 most traffic networks. Since on some of my sites I list poker rooms by traffic. It would be good to see merge network poker rooms near the top of the page.

[pokerprop]

My prediction:
Merge reaches #17 spot
Cake falls to between #11 (or as low as #14)

*If PokerScout changes their ranking system to not be on average players but to be on daily peak (example in case of Svenska Spel that would make sense) then Cake falls lower.

Merge has potential, but its going to take me more than several big sites joining their network change to convince me they'll be a top ten room soon. There was a major timing factor involved when all these sites joined up and promoted Cake for them. Seems there is a lot of trend breaking to do and if Cake plays their hand right this loss will moderate and partially offset by strengthening of their parent brand.

I'm not completely convinced of anything I posted here. Just my guesses.

[PowerPartners.com]

Interesting topic.

I have been an affiliate manager for a Merge skin, Poker.com (b4 it came carbon) and PokerNordica.com (the 2nd skin made on Merge).

I have currently been the affiliate manager at PowerPoker.com (cake) for a year now so I do have an insight to both sides of the network fence.

I won't make any number predictions where they will rank on pokerscout but I do predict both networks will remain strong.

Merge is on the rise but it wont be at the expense of Cake imo.

Cake will have many new partners coming on board to fill the void left by SBK/PO plus they will be releasing version 2.0 of their software very soon.

[kushmoney]

Thanks for your input guys. I notice cake is staying strong at 10th and merge has moved up to 17th pass everleaf network.

[Beanie]

I am absolutely 100% convinced on Merge. Their software has always been great but I agree that it won't be at the expense of Cake.

[stillshadow]

As Beanie said, the Merge software has always been one of the best yet underrated in the industry. The little quirks like rabbit-hunting, player accolades, and average winning percentages on all-in hands are great and I'm surprised they haven't been mimicked by the bigger rooms.

I'm cautiously optimistic about Merge, especially with them abondoning the old freeroll marketing program of years past. Sportsbook is a great program and perhaps could finally be the step Merge needs to fulfill their potential. Other US affiliate programs certainly haven't made it tough to want to promote an alternative.

[MJ]

I've always been cautiously optimistic about Merge but I seem to be the only one who gets the fact that small rooms need little guys to build the big games, money flows up. Banking is the #1 problem at Merge - maybe I'm wrong but fix that and make it friendly to get the guys depositing and cashing out less than $500 and the game traffic will come.

[kushmoney]

I've always been cautiously optimistic about Merge but I seem to be the only one who gets the fact that small rooms need little guys to build the big games, money flows up. Banking is the #1 problem at Merge - maybe I'm wrong but fix that and make it friendly to get the guys depositing and cashing out less than $500 and the game traffic will come.

+1 I totally agree

[pokerprop]

I make posts a lot I think later "wow i really should of said that" but I'm a person to stand by what I said and not edit it out later even if I realize I might of offended someone.

In this case i think I can stand behind what I'm about to say and also say sorry if it offends them if they ever read this but the bottom line is it is true.

The only way I have faith in Merge is if their management has changed. The company has been poorly managed for a long time and from my perspective is the reason they failed even while owning poker.com and getting large search traffic.

This is only one small issue but when the name Carbon Poker was released everyone gave feedback like OMG wtf is that? Serious my guess it probably truly was one of the better $10 domains where the .com and .net where both available. A comment from the affiliate manager at PAP was something like I hope the big guys don't read this thread because they been running around the office so excited over the brilliant domain name they came up with.

Serious the main site went from being one of the highest brand potentials to one of the worst. What's the deal with that logo serious.

These guys had a huge preference with affiliates and also with props as well. Even before they were moved from poker.com us the marketers, and us the players feeding the site were giving them tons of feedback just on what was needed to make this site take off. they had more qualified support than anyone.

The ignored most of this and got very excited about their own ideas not taking feedback well. they had lame -EV promos that didn't increase the bottom line while shrinking.

In August 2009 I was at a small part for Daniel Negreanu assistants birthday party. He showed up later in the night and we were talking about affiliating. He was interested was holding the conversation asking questions like that's cool, he even mentioned names of some smaller sites. Anyways somewhere in conversation I mentioned Carbon Poker and he said "what the heck is Carbon Poker". He never heard of it and though it was the oddest name he had heard for a poker site. I guess its the fact he never heard of it that was interesting to me because he did know his stuff a little. I realize he is not some online player, is not an affiliate - but he is a big poker personality here's the former poker.com site - and he's a talker. he talks all the time to players. You think in some tournament, poker game, forum post - something he would of heard of Carbon Poker, seen a logo, heard it mentioned - I mean something, but Seriously he never did and was taken back by the name.

If you never heard of the site you're not going to take the name Carbon Poker and look at their branding and take it at all serious.

Okay so Carbon might die and the network will still do fine. But to me this depends on who is calling the shots. If it the same management as before I am less optimistic. If there is new management okay then I can see much more potential.

[Beanie]

Let's not over think things too much guys. I can tell you personally that I have put more money on Merge than I have in the past and I have put on 4 or 5 people with 4 to 5 figure bankrolls in the last week. Many of them were like "wtf", now they are all thanking me and consider it a new home. I think they got lucky with the Sportsbook and PO thing but a little revenue sure makes managing things a lot easier.

I am really hoping with Cakes release of their new software that they both will be legit rivals as US alternatives.