Comparing Microgaming’s new Holdem Poker and Holdem Poker 2.
Many of the world’s biggest iGaming brands will host multi-channel gambling platforms; an online casino, online poker room, online sportsbook, maybe a lottery site or virtual bingo hall. Just like the real world, casinos and poker rooms go hand in hand. Every big land casino has a poker room. It’s like a natural extension, linking one product to another. So why is it that casino games and poker tables are so often segregated by online gaming companies?
Not long ago, Microgaming did away with its MPN poker network. Many speculated that the company was giving up on poker altogether. But that wasn’t the case. Rather, Microgaming no longer felt the need to keep the two divided by separate platforms. Instead, they took the most popular poker vertical – Lottery Sit’n’Go (LSNG) tournaments – and moved them into the casino.
Exit stage left – MPN.
Enter stage right – Holdem Poker.
Microgaming Casinos Hosting Hold’em Poker SNGs
In May of 2020, Microgaming officially cut the cord to MPN. The company assured its online gaming fans that it wasn’t the end of online poker at Microgaming; that they were merely changing direction. In December of that year, the new direction was revealed. Microgaming launched what it called a “sophisticated brand of classic Texas Hold’em”, featuring a “realistic poker room environment”.
What they launched was Hold’Em Poker, a new game integrated onto Microgaming’s Quickfire Casino platform. The company confirmed there would be more poker content to come. CEO John Coleman called Holdem Poker the first in a “full suite of exclusive poker games” destined for Microgaming casinos. And with that, the strategic plan for a casino/poker fan cross-over had begun; an ironic delivery of diversification through consolidation.
A few months later, in April 2021, Microgaming came through with its second promise to add more poker content. What they released, however, was Hold’Em Poker 2; a new version of the same 3-seater LSNG. Why make a second edition so soon? Let’s take a look.
Comparison of Microgaming’s Holdem Poker and Holdem Poker 2
For the most part, these are the exact same games. They both offer lottery-style SNG tournaments with just three seats available per table. They both pay prizes on a randomized lottery system, where a wheel spin determines the total payout, including the possibility of playing for a large progressive jackpot. For those familiar with the final years of MPN, these games are a virtual recreation of the old MPN Fish Party SNGs.
Where they differ, however, is the money aspect. The first Holdem Poker – we’ll call it HP-1, for short – required a minimum buy-in of $5. The sequel, HP-2, reduced the minimum stake to just $2. Of course, smaller wagers equates to smaller payouts. Where HP-1 seeded its progressive jackpot at $25,000, HP-2 dropped down to $10,000. The reason for this was obvious – to accommodate a wider variety of player budgets.
One other difference between Microgaming’s Holdem Poker and Holdem Poker 2 is the way prizes can be distributed. In HP-1, all prizes go to the winner of the tournament; a structure known simply as “winner takes all”. Microgaming added a second option for players when developing HP-2. When selecting the buy-in, players can also choose between the original winner-takes-all payout, or a 50/30/20 structure. At this rate, only the winner is making a profit, but the 2nd and 3rd place finishers aren’t left empty handed.
