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Twitch users cause Bovada traffic surge.
The advent of social media channels such as Twitch TV has given rise to a number of interesting streaming opportunities over the past few months.
From poker lessons by likes of Jason Somerville and Felix Schneiders, to alternative commentary of the WSOP Main Event final table, live streaming sites appear to be the new medium for those that want to show off their poker knowledge.
In fact, such is the power of Twitch poker streams that two recent broadcasts reportedly gave US poker site Bovada a welcome traffic boost.
Although no figures were released following streams by two plucky gamblers, one Reddit user claimed that he’d never seen the site so busy.
“I really never have a problem finding 4 cash tables to sit at unless it’s like 4am EST, but it was crazy how many were being filled. I’ve never seen it that busy before,” wrote ‘tityboi90’.
The Viktor Blom of Twitch
The recent swell of activity on Bovada apparently came courtesy of two kamikaze players. The first, who goes by the online name ‘stickyrice1’, logged onto Twitch to show the world his incredible spin from $2,000 to $40,000.
After starting his Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom-esque run late in October, ‘stickyrice1’ has slowly gathered a huge following thanks regular updates via 2+2. Now, with more than 100 forum pages dedicated to the topic, the online grinder’s streaming exploits have contributed to a major upswing in Bovada’s traffic flow.
Gamers Turn to Poker
Joining ‘stickyrice1’ on the Twitch TV stage over the past week is noted Warcraft player, Byron Bernstein. The American gamer usually broadcasts his virtual antics to more than 250,000 gaming fans, but this week he decided to mix things up and join the action on Bovada. Taking his legion of fans with him, Bernstein only played a short session but left lasting impression on the site’s traffic figures.
As more poker players begin to explore the power of Twitch, community insiders are asking whether the live streaming platform could become the next big PR outlet for poker operators. With millions of users each month it could certainly be a way for players and platforms to access a host of new players across the world.
About Twitch
Twitch TV is a live streaming platform that was formed back in 2011. Owned by Amazon and seen as a spin-off of Justin.tv, the site now averages 43 million viewers each month and has content ranging from poker broadcasts to e-sports.
Amazon bought Twitch for $970 million in August, 2014, and today the site has both cult and mainstream appeal thanks to music acts such acts Steve Aoki. Back in July the dance superstar put out a live stream of a performance in Ibiza. The show subsequently generated one of the largest online audiences in Twitch history.
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