Poker News

The Equity Poker Network (EPN) announced this weekend that PokerHost.com has joined its roster of online poker rooms, making the jump from the Merge Gaming Network. Poker Host has been around since 2004, the beginning of the poker boom, but has never really been able to establish itself as a go-to site. In the decade since its birth, it has been caught up in network shuffling, now finally landing at EPN.

EPN is not a very well known network, ranking just 35th in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. Over the last seven days, it has averaged 170 cash game players. The network was founded in November 2013 as a “non-profit” network, aiming to revolutionize the poker network system works. It calls itself a “cooperative,” believing that the purpose of the network is not to draw money from its poker rooms, but to support them. Rather than continually shoveling a percentage of their revenues to the network, EPN’s poker rooms pay a $10,000 fee per month, which is used to keep the network operating.

Voting rights and network profit distribution is based on poker room size, so they are encouraged to grow, but not by stealing each other’s players like many poker rooms on the same network often do. The first poker room to acquire a player gets their rake for life, so there is no incentive for a fellow network member to poach. Tournaments and loyalty programs are the domain of the individual rooms; they may do what they would like in that regard. The one big rule: rewards can only add up to the equivalent of 50 percent rakeback.

EPN also imposes a “Shark / Winners Tax” on the poker rooms to encourage the recruitment of recreational players, rather than hardcore grinders.

“Partnering with Poker Host is one more figurative feather in EPN’s cap. It’s further proof that we’re on the right track with the right model, platform, and people to operate a sustainable, profitable Network, while providing fun, excitement, and a safe environment for the recreational player. We’re excited to welcome the well-established Poker Host to our Network, and into the EPN fold,” said an EPN spokesperson in a press release.

Poker Host will be the eleventh poker room on the network, joining the likes of ActionPoker.com, 5dimes.eu, and GearPoker.com.

While the Equity Poker Network isn’t all that large, it does accept U.S. players, making it a possible option for those not living in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware, states that actually have regulated options for internet poker. It has already passed the Revolution Gaming Network (formerly Cake Network) and may eventually pass the sinking Merge Gaming Network, from which Poker Host moved. There is still a gap of 130 cash game players between Merge and Equity, according to PokerScout, but Merge has been sliding.

One Comment

  1. WSOProtege says:

    This whole move is a joke 1 account per equity network only so if you have a PokerHost Account plus a FullFlushPoker Account you must pick which account you keep I chose FullFlushPoker PokerHost had and has no problem banning my state so I had no problem dropping them from my online computer lineup

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