The poker world is abuzz with talk that PokerRoom.com is about to reopen. All signs point to the fact that what started as a rumor is now all but official. If PokerRoom does in fact return to poker cash games, it would surely be one of the leaders in the online poker market.
PokerRoom was one of the original online poker rooms. It opened in 1999 and was a pioneer in offering real money games. PokerRoom.com achieved tremendous popularity due to the poker boom of 2003. It was one of the most popular rooms until the passage of UIGEA.
In 2006 PokerRoom ceased offering games to U.S. players. Because of the decision to pullout from the U.S. market, PokerRoom suffered and eventually closed shop. This in turn allowed competitors such as Full Tilt and PokerStars to increase their market share.
The withdrawal from the U.S. market might have been detrimental in the short term, but it now places PokerRoom in the prime spot of being able to reenter the U.S. market as a US poker room when legislation is passed.
Recent events have led many to believe that Ongame (PokerRoom.com’s parent company) is preparing for U.S. poker legislation. This would explain the recent activity by bwin SEO manager Josef Rantamäki. Rantamäki claimed that PokerRoom.com was going to soon offer real money games soon via his Twitter.
It seems likely that Ongame is anticipating legal poker in the U.S. very soon. Many people believe that PokerStars will likely be shut out of any future online poker opportunity. This would leave the playing field wide open for other companies.
PokerRoom has the advantage of being a well-known name in the poker world, as well as having the perfect name to attract first time depositors. In an industry that has had its fair share of scandals, PokerRoom has a solid reputation. This will be incredibly important once legislation passes.
When legalisation finally passes in the U.S., players will want to find a company that is free of any scandals. PokerRoom was always considered one of the best and most trustworthy sites online. In fact, PokerRoom was the first site to ever be awarded the Ecogra seal of approval.
Poker players will be very happy about a new PokerRoom.com. Veteran players will trust the site, and new players will find it as one of the first search results when looking for an online site. This makes it clear that PokerRoom will certainly be a top site once again.
