PokerView Shuts Down

PokerView Poker, briefly a principal online poker site for those who played poker by webcam, has become the latest Merge Gaming skin to shut down unexpectedly.

According to the US online poker news site PokerSites.us players logging into their PokerView accounts this morning were greeted with the following message:-

Valued PokerView player,

PokerView has been purchased by a third party. Your funds are safe and you will be playing poker shortly. Please choose a Merge preferred partner and follow the steps outlined in the link below:

mergegaming.com/preferred-partners.html

See you at the tables!

Regards,

Merge Gaming

PokerView players with funds in their accounts have the option of transferring their bankroll to Carbon Poker, Sportsbook.com or PlayersOnly (the preferred partners) but any VIP Points, statuses or uncleared bonuses will be forfeited.

Another Blow to the Merge Gaming Network

The closure of PokerView becomes the fifth Merge skin to shut its doors this year after the closure of RPM Poker, Hero Poker, Overbet and Iron Duke, and follows the desertion of the network by Lock Poker (to the Revolution Network), True Poker and Black Chip Poker (both to the Winning Poker Network).

Merge Gaming has recently lost its position as the number one network serving US-based poker players to Bodog/Bovada despite trying to emulate the latter´s “recreational player model”. Merge´s new VIP Rewards program has alienated many of its former players due to the removal of rakeback in January and ongoing payment processing issues for online poker players in the States.

Where it all went Wrong for PokerView

PokerView Poker´s demise can possibly be attributed to their ambition. Having launched webcam tables at the same time as 888 Poker (February 2011), PokerView Poker moved from the Everleaf Network to the larger Merge Gaming Network in September of the same year in order to increase their player database and, at a time when the Merge Gaming Network was not accepting new registrations from US-based players, benefitted from a flood of new sign-ups eager to be “grandfathered” in.

However, Merge´s software was not yet capable of supporting webcam poker tables and the promises of a new API to incorporate the webcam facility into the PokerView download never materialised. Merge Gaming removed their ban on new registrations from US poker players shortly afterwards and interest in the once innovative poker room declined over time.

Where Now for PokerView Players?

As mentioned on the PokerView Poker client, players only have the option of opening an account with one of Merge Gaming´s preferred partners and transferring their funds across to one of Carbon Poker, Sportsbook.com or PlayersOnly. PokerView customers with existing accounts at any of the preferred partners can merge the two account balances by emailing support@mergegaming.eu.