The pioneer Planet Poker was founded by
Randy Blumer, who obtained the software license from ASF Software (later known as ConceptWorldwide). The software was developed by a team led by engineer Carl Anuszczyk. During the initial launch and testing phases in late 1997, Planet Poker started to build a customer base by placing advertisements in
Card Player magazine. Technical problems were further compounded by the growing demand for more features and enhancements. The site lacked many of the necessary playing features, and the backend capability did not adequately manage the cardroom. Planet Poker assembled an in-house team to address the backend issues, but the playing features were more of a challenge. Maintaining a relationship with the software supplier soon became a time consuming effort that diverted resources from other aspects of the business.
Competition arrives In 1999, a new cardroom called
Paradise Poker emerged. Cn the week that Paradise Poker launched, Planet Poker was plagued with technical problems that led to several days of downtime. By the time Planet Poker recovered, Paradise had established a foothold, and the online poker industry got its first taste of competition. Paradise Poker quickly gained popularity, and its customer base soon surpassed Planet’s, despite Planet’s growth continuing at a record pace. In a few short months, the number of concurrent players at peak times grew from 400 at Planet to 1500 at Planet and Paradise combined, with Paradise emerging as the clear industry leader Planet Poker faced technical challenges compared to Paradise Poker.Planet focused on providing the highest level of integrity and security for their customers. From 2002 onward, Planet Poker remained a steady fixture as the industry evolved. Many new poker rooms came and went. There was continuing explosive growth in the number of online poker players, but while Planet still retained a loyal customer base, it wasn't able to increase its critical mass to a point where it could compete with the larger sites. Although Planet Poker has maintained a loyal customer base, larger platforms have attracted more players. Planet Poker continued on as a small cardroom, with its friendly atmosphere as the primary attraction.
Legislation In September 2006, the
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the U.S. changed the legal landscape for the industry. By the time the act was passed, Planet Poker had registered over three quarters of a million customers. In response to the UIGEA, however, Planet Poker suspended real money operations in March 2007. Planet Poker previously operated as a free play (subscription based) poker site through 2007–2017.
Ceasing Operations After transitioning to a subscription-based free-to-play model in 2007, Planet Poker continued to operate for another ten years. However, as the online poker industry evolved and competition intensified, the platform ceased operations in 2017. == References ==