Media statements released this week by online poker sites Players Only and Sportsbook.com have confirmed rumours circulating last week in affiliate circles that the two companies are about to move from the Cake Network to the Merge Poker Network.
The moves could take place as early as mid-April, apparently, with one statement advising that Merge had agreed to migrate the online poker gaming activities of Jazette Enterprises to the Merge Gaming platform.
Anthony Taylor, CEO at Merge Gaming, crowed: “This is an industry changing deal and we are delighted to have come to an agreement with Jazette Enterprises. This deal will bring massive liquidity to the network and see the online poker industry landscape change overnight.
“We are delighted to sign such an established partner to the network, it’s through our great software and superior backend we are able to attract a group of this size.”
Roger Whitaker of Jazette Enterprises commented: “Our goal is to provide our players with the best poker experience possible, which is why we decided to make this move. We’re confident that our players will enjoy the groundbreaking features, generous loyalty rewards program, and improved overall playability that Merge’s poker software provides.”
The independent online poker stats site Pokerscouts rates Merge as the 20th biggest network in online poker with a seven-day running average of 245 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, almost 500 cash game players log in.
The players from Sportsbook and Players Only are expected to boost player liquidity at Merge significantly – some sources estimate by as much as four or five times.
Merge plans to ensure a complete and trouble free migration of Jazette’s Players Only, Sportsbook.com and Superbook.com to its network.