We are proud to bring an in-depth exclusive interview with Jeremy Enke, Chief Marketing Officer at our most recent partner room PPI Poker. Enke was a key figure in the earliest days of poker affiliate marketing in the early 2000s. You can also read about the stunt he pulled in the 2005 WSOP Main Event.
It clearly seems like a poker boom is underway in Asia right now, poker networks who focus on that market are ranked higher and higher in player traffic. How do you see the current state of online poker in Asia, how much potential do you see for more growth?
1) PPI Poker is part of the GGNetwork. The network is growing fast, it's currently ranked 6-7th in terms of cash game traffic in the .COM market, but among Hungarian players you weren't very well known prior to our April collaboration. This is evidently due to the fact that you were focusing on the Asian market. What do you want our audience to know about your poker room, and your network?
As a network, GG has been a primarily Asian facing network for the past five years. A little over a year ago PPI, which has a long history of consulting for poker rooms and representing players, entered discussions with the owners of GG's software about launching in Europe and the Americas minus USA. We have been very pleased to be the anchor room on the GGNetwork.
Our approach at PPI is being implemented in many countries like Hungary. We are committed to taking a localized approach by listening to our Hungarian friends, acting on their suggestions and creating local promotions.
PPI POKER is pleased to be on the GGNetwork and we truly believe it is amongst one of the best online poker platforms in the world.
2) It clearly seems like a poker boom is underway in Asia right now, poker networks who focus on that market are ranked higher and higher in player traffic. How do you see the current state of online poker in Asia, how much potential do you see for more growth?
Asia is indeed a booming online poker market. Although it is also a market that comes with challenges such as traditional payment processing. Many of the Asian poker sites are dependent upon transfer agents and other non-traditional ways to get money on and off the sites.
At PPI POKER, our players love having the larger Asian demographic to play against, as the demographic offers great liquidity and can often provide for extremely active competition.
3) PokerAkademia members took interest in PPI Poker quickly. They are very curious how Asian poker players play. What do you think of the player pool strength on PPI?
While PPI POKER is proud to have assembled a Pro Ambassador team – including our Hungarian ambassador Balazs Botond –, whose poker resumes speak for themselves, the majority of our player pool consists of casual players looking for fun and entertaining software to play on.
One of the network’s top priorities is to maintain a healthy poker ecosystem. Therefore, players will find themselves playing against others from around the globe with varying skill levels. Players who are students of the game, such as PokerAkademia members, often find themselves logging more winning sessions than losing ones.
4) What our players find important - aside from the skill level of the player pool - are the quality of the software, easy deposit and cashout, high rakeback, and, evidently, knowing that their funds are safe on their accounts. How well does PPI Poker do in those areas?
From the inception of PPI POKER, our brand has always believed in our tag line: “Where Players Rule”. As poker players ourselves, every decision we make regarding our poker site or operation always takes into account what is best for the player.
The exceptional GG software really speaks for itself. With regards to player funds, these are always held in a segregated account. We work closely with the PPI POKER cashier on a regular basis to ensure that both deposits and cashouts are done in an expedited manner. In addition, we are always exploring new cashier options to even better serve our players.
5) The PPI software has many unique built-in features, like all-insurance and tournament staking. What can you tell us about these?
One reason PPI POKER attracts so many casual players is because of these fun features that you can’t find anywhere else. Having the ability to Live Straddle or Run It Three Times brings the excitement of live poker to the online world.
Players also enjoy tournament staking, as it gives them the opportunity to buy action on some of our pro players or their friends, as well as sell their own action. No other site has such a robust staking feature built into the software.
6) What is in your game selection? How much traffic can a player expect at your cash game tables, or at your MTT and SNG games? Up to what stakes can you get action?
From micro-stakes to high limit cash games, during peak hours, which fall within the Hungarian time zone, players will seldom have a hard time finding cash games at their favorite limits in Holdem or Omaha. PPI POKER also hosts the popular All-In Or Fold game at various limits that also attracts a great deal of players.
Tournaments from $5 up to $150 run 24 hours a day. PPI is proud to offer the lowest rake in tournaments at only 5%! In addition, PPI POKER boasts a monthly tournament leaderboard with $100,000 added.
7) What central, or - although most people probably know about that by now - exclusive promotions do you have for PokerAkademia players?
All of our players receive 35% rakeback paid weekly into their player accounts. PPI POKER is also proud to sponsor an exclusive $3500 Rake Race each month for players registering through PokerAkademia.
8) What short-term and long-term goals do you have? What position would you like to see yourselves in the market?
Short term we want to continue providing our players with the absolute best online poker experience in the world. Long term it is our goal to continue working closely with GG to grow the overall network, as well as add new features, tournaments and guarantees. Maintaining a healthy poker ecology that is fun and fair for all players is also very important for us.
With the exceptional software and explosive growth of the network, there is no reason why PPI POKER wouldn’t be one of the top online poker sites in the world in a relatively short amount of time.
9) You are one of the best known and most revered industry workers in poker, you have been working in the industry since 2001. We here at the PokerAkademia staff are well aware how much you contributed to forming the affiliate marketing model in poker, you are a real innovator in that field. Please tell a little bit about yourself and your career. What was your path to PPI?
Wow, thanks! Ever since stumbling upon the industry in 2001, I have continued to have quite a passion for online poker. As you mentioned, I was very active in the poker affiliate community early on. It goes without saying that the poker affiliate industry has changed drastically since then, however.
Prior to joining PPI POKER, I spent the last few years as the Director of Acquisition for an online casino, bingo and poker brand in the U.S. regulated market (PalaCasino.com). It was an amazing experience working on the operations side, and one that really opened my eyes a great deal to what goes on behind the scenes of a successful online gambling operation.
They often say you can be in the right place at the right time or that sometimes things just happen for a reason. This is the case with my path to PPI. I have known both Gene Castro and Randy Kasper from PPI for years, and have always been impressed with their stellar reputations and reach in the poker world. When given the opportunity to join such a great team just prior to launching their online poker brand, it was a no brainer for me. I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be right now.
10) A memorable stunt you pulled was when you played in the 2005 WSOP Main Event in a pink bunny costume and you auctioned off the ad space on the outfit on eBay. GoldenPalace.com was the highest bidder, seizing on the opportunity for $15,100. How did this come about exactly, and where did the idea for the pink bunny come from?
I had thought the world had forgotten about this, apparently not! Originally I did this solely because I knew it would get covered by the poker media and I wanted to bring awareness to poker affiliate marketing, creativity and outside the box thinking. When Golden Palace seized the opportunity it did just that and catapulted my poker affiliate business to unimaginable levels.
Needless to say, I was knocked out on day 1 with trip Jacks to a runner-runner flush. It was on that day I realized why I was a better fit for the business side of online poker than on the actual felt!
11) To finish off, as a sum-up, why would you recommend PPI Poker to our players?
Aside from the amazing software, features and 35% rakeback players enjoy at PPI POKER, we also go out of our way to service our players in Hungary. We recently signed Hungarian poker pro Balazs Botond as the official Hungarian Ambassador at PPI.
In addition to our regular customer service department, we also have a native Hungarian speaking customer service manager hailing from Székesfehérvár, who is always available to assist PokerAkademia players with any needs they may have.
In closing, the best reason to play at PPI POKER is because we are THE poker site serving Hungary Where Players Rule!
PPI Poker is part of the GGNetwork. The network is growing fast, it's currently ranked 6-7th in terms of cash game traffic in the .COM market, but among Rakerace.com players you weren't very well known prior to our April collaboration. This is evidently due to the fact that you were focusing on the Asian market. What do you want our audience to know about your poker room, and your network?
As a network, GG has been a primarily Asian facing network for the past five years. A little over a year ago PPI, which has a long history of consulting for poker rooms and representing players, entered discussions with the owners of GG's software about launching in Europe and the Americas minus USA. We have been very pleased to be the anchor room on the GGNetwork.
Our approach at PPI is being implemented in many other countries. We are committed to taking a localized approach by listening to our friends from all over the world, acting on their suggestions and creating local promotions.
PPI POKER is pleased to be on the GGNetwork and we truly believe it is amongst one of the best online poker platforms in the world.
It clearly seems like a poker boom is underway in Asia right now, poker networks who focus on that market are ranked higher and higher in player traffic. How do you see the current state of online poker in Asia, how much potential do you see for more growth?
Asia is indeed a booming online poker market. Although it is also a market that comes with challenges such as traditional payment processing. Many of the Asian poker sites are dependent upon transfer agents and other non-traditional ways to get money on and off the sites.
At PPI POKER, our players love having the larger Asian demographic to play against, as the demographic offers great liquidity and can often provide for extremely active competition.
Rakerace.com members took interest in PPI Poker quickly. They are very curious how Asian poker players play. What do you think of the player pool strength on PPI?
While PPI POKER is proud to have assembled a Pro Ambassador team whose poker resumes speak for themselves, the majority of our player pool consists of casual players looking for fun and entertaining software to play on.
One of the network’s top priorities is to maintain a healthy poker ecosystem. Therefore, players will find themselves playing against others from around the globe with varying skill levels. Players who are students of the game, such as Rakerace.com members, often find themselves logging more winning sessions than losing ones.
What our players find important - aside from the skill level of the player pool - are the quality of the software, easy deposit and cashout, high rakeback, and, evidently, knowing that their funds are safe on their accounts. How well does PPI Poker do in those areas?
From the inception of PPI POKER, our brand has always believed in our tag line: “Where Players Rule”. As poker players ourselves, every decision we make regarding our poker site or operation always takes into account what is best for the player.
The exceptional GG software really speaks for itself. With regards to player funds, these are always held in a segregated account. We work closely with the PPI POKER cashier on a regular basis to ensure that both deposits and cashouts are done in an expedited manner. In addition, we are always exploring new cashier options to even better serve our players.
The PPI software has many unique built-in features, like all-in insurance and tournament staking. What can you tell us about these?
One reason PPI POKER attracts so many casual players is because of these fun features that you can’t find anywhere else. Having the ability to Live Straddle or Run It Three Times brings the excitement of live poker to the online world.
Players also enjoy tournament staking, as it gives them the opportunity to buy action on some of our pro players or their friends, as well as sell their own action. No other site has such a robust staking feature built into the software.
What is in your game selection? How much traffic can a player expect at your cash game tables, or at your MTT and SNG games? Up to what stakes can you get action?
From micro-stakes to high limit cash games, during peak hours, which fall within the Central European time zone, players will seldom have a hard time finding cash games at their favorite limits in Holdem or Omaha. PPI POKER also hosts the popular All-In Or Fold game at various limits that also attracts a great deal of players.
Tournaments from $5 up to $150 run 24 hours a day. PPI is proud to offer the lowest rake in tournaments at only 5%! In addition, PPI POKER boasts a monthly tournament leaderboard with $100,000 added.
What central, or - although most people probably know about that by now - exclusive promotions do you have for Rakerace.com players?
All of our players receive 35% rakeback paid weekly into their player accounts. PPI POKER is also proud to sponsor an exclusive $3500 Rake Race each month for players registering through Rakerace.com.
What short-term and long-term goals do you have? What position would you like to see yourselves in the market?
Short term we want to continue providing our players with the absolute best online poker experience in the world. Long term it is our goal to continue working closely with GG to grow the overall network, as well as add new features, tournaments and guarantees. Maintaining a healthy poker ecology that is fun and fair for all players is also very important for us.
With the exceptional software and explosive growth of the network, there is no reason why PPI POKER wouldn’t be one of the top online poker sites in the world in a relatively short amount of time.
You are one of the best known and most revered industry workers in poker, you have been working in the industry since 2001. We here at the Rakerace.com staff are well aware how much you contributed to forming the affiliate marketing model in poker, you are a real innovator in that field. Please tell a little bit about yourself and your career. What was your path to PPI?
Wow, thanks! Ever since stumbling upon the industry in 2001, I have continued to have quite a passion for online poker. As you mentioned, I was very active in the poker affiliate community early on. It goes without saying that the poker affiliate industry has changed drastically since then, however.
Prior to joining PPI POKER, I spent the last few years as the Director of Acquisition for an online casino, bingo and poker brand in the U.S. regulated market (PalaCasino.com). It was an amazing experience working on the operations side, and one that really opened my eyes a great deal to what goes on behind the scenes of a successful online gambling operation.
They often say you can be in the right place at the right time or that sometimes things just happen for a reason. This is the case with my path to PPI. I have known both Gene Castro and Randy Kasper from PPI for years, and have always been impressed with their stellar reputations and reach in the poker world. When given the opportunity to join such a great team just prior to launching their online poker brand, it was a no brainer for me. I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be right now.
A memorable stunt you pulled was when you played in the 2005 WSOP Main Event in a pink bunny costume and you auctioned off the ad space on the outfit on eBay. GoldenPalace.com was the highest bidder, seizing on the opportunity for $15,100. How did this come about exactly, and where did the idea for the pink bunny come from?
I had thought the world had forgotten about this, apparently not! Originally I did this solely because I knew it would get covered by the poker media and I wanted to bring awareness to poker affiliate marketing, creativity and outside the box thinking. When Golden Palace seized the opportunity it did just that and catapulted my poker affiliate business to unimaginable levels.
Needless to say, I was knocked out on day 1 with trip Jacks to a runner-runner flush. It was on that day I realized why I was a better fit for the business side of online poker than on the actual felt!
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