PKR has decided that a decade of solitude is long enough. At the end of February, they will switch their site to the Microgaming Poker Network.
After a decade of solitude, PKR has decided to get on board the poker network bus.
The 3D poker site is moving to the Microgaming Poker Network (MPN). The transition will take place before the end of the month. They are the second poker site to move to the MPN in the past fortnight, following in the footsteps of Grosvenor Casino.
Speaking on the PKR website PKR_ChrisWelch wrote:
“PKR has survived (and sometimes thrived) for 10 years as a stand-alone poker room, but neither our staff, investors nor players are content with ‘survival’, and we have ambitious plans.”
PKR has lasted that long for two reasons: originality and community. That originality is, of course, their 3D software, and despite the move to the MPN, nothing changes on that score. The only question remains PKR’s ability to keep that tight-knit community snug as a bug in a rug.
The moves will offer PKR players vast opportunities. There will be six times more fish in the sea. Three times as many tournaments. Over €3.5 million in tournament prizes. PKR players will also gain accessibility to the MPN’s Blaze Poker.
There are some changes, though.
The standard monetary system will change from dollars to euros; the loyalty scheme gets a lick of paint. The new name will be PKR Poker VIP Club. Players will be able to choose a different poker alias and change them periodically, and also play on anonymous tables.
“Few sites can survive on poker alone.” Welch wrote.
To this end, PKR will be introducing two new casinos: PKR Casino and PKR Vegas. There will be over €7 million in jackpots.
I caught up with former PKR Team Pro, and childhood sweetheart of the site, Dan O’Callaghan, and this is what he had to say about the move.
“I think it’s a good move. I remember discussing this over Jägerbombs a while ago and thinking PKR could make skins and become the new iPoker. It seems they’ve found a way to do something similar.
“I think it’s an indicator of the choke hold PokerStars has over the industry, but it’s a pretty good move for everyone involved. Money attracts money. Even though lots of people have lost a bit of faith in Stars, with factors such as their switch to Bounty tournaments (which help the recreational player make small cashes which will, in turn, be reinvested and re-raked most of the time), and the new VIP changes, they have to play there because it’s the only place to get a session going 24/7.
“PKR is a fantastic site. They developed a lot of features such as chip graphs and emotes adopted elsewhere, but like a lot of the euro sites, they were hit hard by countries such a Belgium and Greece segregating online poker and banning foreign sites. Their new ownership seems to be very business savvy, so I know this move will have been calculated and all avenues considered. I’ll always hold PKR close to my heart, and if this is what they have to do to improve traffic, and, in turn, player experience, then I think it’s a good move. I just hope the sense of community remains in tact. I’d also quite like to keep my female avatar… I play better in drag!”
That’s the view of Dan O’Callaghan.
What’s yours?
