This is an email I wrote to the General Manager/Pitboss of RebelPoker in reply to a couple ideas he asked my opinion about. Namely they are thinking of closing public registrations and making rebelpoker.com invitation only, and they have already started with implementing bitcoin exchanges.


Mr. Gibson,

I think both the ideas for bitcoin exchange and invitation only players are exciting, bold ideas.

Firstly player invitations. You exist to make a profit, and more players equals more rake and tournament fees. This is why the player invitation idea isn't shared by almost every other poker provider I've ever seen. Having said that, a very big complaint I hear about many sites are the "donks" we are forced to play with. People who make intentionally bad plays and disrupt the flow of the game. Player selection to those who are serious about the game would greatly decrease this. Also invitation only has the power to give a feeling of exclusivity and create demand. It would be a choice towards quality gaming over bottom line. With that said, I think it would be very important to market that it's invitation only and put an emphasis on the prestige and exclusivity of being invited should you choose to do so. Implementing this would get a big thumbs up from me.

Secondly the bitcoin. This also is an idea that isn't shared by any other poker provider I've seen. I think this is because bitcoin currency is still widely a mystery to many. Also the bitcoin market is extremely volatile, but I believe now that it is established as an accepted currency and gained popularity in addition to being traded by financial firms, the worst is behind us in this department. Now to the benefits. Bitcoin is not considered a fiat currency, laws governing the free exchange and transaction of digital currency is in it's infancy at best. This could be a fantastic way to ensure player deposits and withdrawals, potentially even permanently given the anonymity inherent with bitcoin. This idea too gets a big thumbs up from me. Maybe add to your site a simple overview to bitcoin focusing on what it does for the player and less about technical workings, with a link to a trusted bitcoin wallet provider.


What do you guys think?