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PokerSiteScout.com has now moved Microgaming poker into the number 8 spot of online poker rooms/networks after the long established South African software brand had hovered around the lower top 15 the last few months. That move comes as PokeSiteScout has begun to list Microgaming via a breakdown of each online poker room it runs.
When taken individually, none of the Microgaming online poker rooms would manage to crack the top 12, however. Unibet/Ladbrokes exclusive room had the most average weekly real cash players this past week - 1200. The Microgaming network (which Gambling911.com presumes includes "all other skins") barely cracked 1000. Ladbrokes exclusive had just over 100 players while the Poker Time exclusive barely had 50.
The Microgaming move pushes Cake Poker down to the number 10 position. Microgaming recently lost the popular Doylesroom.com to Cake after the South African poker network bailed out of the U.S. market.
The Cereus Network, which includes two Gambling911.com behemoths - UltimateBet.com and Absolute Poker - has maintained its number 7 position in the world this past week, but by only a few real cash players more than Microgaming. Both companies will look to fight for this position on the daily basis. The Cereus Network, however, is gaining traction through its spokesperson, Annie Duke, and her appearance on Celebrity Apprentice.
The Everest Poker Network enjoyed a comfortable cushion in the number 6 position for the time being.
Some other interesting observations noted by Gambling911.com: Bodog Poker is in serious jeopardy of dropping from the top 15 of real cash players. They currently occupy the number 15 spot, while still fighting for number 14 with PKR Poker. Betfair Poker, at times, was managing to have more players online during hours considered "peak" for both establishments (Betfair does not take U.S. players while Bodog does). The good news for both poker enterprises is that there is little competition beyond the number 16 spot at this time.
PokerStars continued to maintain more than double the number of real cash players than its closest rival,, Full Tilt Poker. Both poker ventures easily cling on to the number one and number two spots, respectively.
iPoker (#3) enjoyed a healthy lead over PartyPoker (#4). The later room was well ahead of rival OnGame while that group remained in danger of giving up its number 5 spot to Everest.
Swedish poker venture, Boss Media, held onto the number 9 spot.
Dead last - the World Poker Exchange, which is part of the long established World Sports Exchange, a sports betting firm out of Antigua. According to PokerSiteScout, that group averaged a whopping 32 real cash players on average at any given time over the past week.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
