Things often have a way of coming full circle in life, and that’s proving to the be case with GGPoker and its latest marketing efforts.
With online poker in the midst of an upswing, the Asian operator is taking a page from a former industry leader’s playbook.
GGPoker wasn’t around during the initial poker boom. In signing Fedor Holz, however, it’s harking back to a retention strategy that proved successful for Full Tilt Poker.
Fedor Holz Brings More than Kudos
News of the latest signee came on Monday. Holz will join recent recruits Bertrand Grospellier and Boris Becker as a GGPoker Ambassador. However, it’s his links with training site Pokercode that have a whiff of nostalgia.
As the co- founder of Pokercode, Holz will work with GGPoker to develop crossover promotions. The current plan is to share the training site’s “wisdom” with GGPoker’s “entire player base.”
The tie-up is reminiscent of the 2008 deal between Full Tilt Poker and CardRunners. At the time, Full Tilt was the second-largest poker site in the world. In the poker training sector, CardRunners held a similarly lofty position.
The deal saw CardRunners’ founders, including Taylor Caby and Brian Townsend, become Full Tilt Poker pros. In return, Full Tilt Poker players were given access to CardRunners content.
GGPoker Finding Ways to Retain Newbies
We know from recent reports that activity has spiked over the last two months. With coronavirus lockdowns keeping people indoors, online poker has become a popular source of entertainment.
From PokerStars and 888poker to Grosvenor, activity has been higher in the last two months than it’s been for the past 12. This upswing has led to an increase in new sign-ups for all major sites, including GGPoker.
It’s now looking to capitalize on this with a deal that goes beyond increased publicity. Holz will certainly enhance the site’s profile in Germany and Europe at large. The partnership will also give newbies a way to improve their skills.
The recent glut of big-money tournaments is great for online poker in the short-term. However, when coronavirus passes and the MTTs stop, retaining customers will be a challenge. Therefore, GGPoker’s latest partnership is a long-term play.
In many ways, it’s a nod to the proverb about giving someone a fish instead of teaching them how to fish. If you can teach novices to play poker, they may learn to become sharks that will stick around for longer.
This strategy worked for Full Tilt Poker back in 2008 and GGPoker’s executives will be hoping it proves just as effective during the 2020 poker boom.
