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The battle over number two has been won by PartyPoker for the time being as it builds a solid 500 player lead over its closest competitor iPoker. The two online poker sites have been battling to be the second largest ever since Full Tilt Poker was shut down on June 29.
Throughout much of last month, iPoker had occupied the number two spot. In recent weeks, Party has taken over and it now has since build the largest margin between it and the iPoker Network since the FTP closure.
In other news, PokerScout.com notes that the uptick traditionally seen this time of year hasn’t happened. In fact, the online poker sector has witnessed a drastic decline of 7 percent worldwide compared to the typical increases of 3 percent to 10 percent. Some of this has to do with the shrinkage of the US market following some high profile indictments and the limited options when it comes to Internet poker networks.
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PokerScout.com offered up other possible rationale:
A more likely explanation can be found in two related long-term factors. First, markets outside the US are saturated. Pretty much everyone who wants to play online poker is already signed up, and new players coming in are only replacing (or failing to keep up with) players who are leaving.
Second, poker as a fad has mostly run its course. The game simply doesn't have the cool factor, the grip on young male minds especially, that it used to. The fascination with this wonderful game has lasted a decade or more, and poker will undoubtedly retain a large number of followers, but its popularity with the general public has likely peaked and is beginning to decline.
Top 10 movers and shakers courtesy of PokerScout.com:
• Merge Gaming Network slid 6% and fell behind Bodog, which took over 12th place.
• Everest Poker dropped three spots, falling to 17th.
• IPN moved up a notch to 14th.
• PeoplesNetwork.it gained three spots, coming in at 15th.
• EverestPoker.fr slid from 17th to 18th.
• PartyPoker.fr rose from 20th to 19th, trading places with Cake Poker Network.
- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com
