Poker IPOs

I've noticed over the past few weeks loads of poker companies going for IPO. Bit of a weird question, but I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on what this means generally for the poker industry - and can anyone explain to me exactly what IPO means...does it mean I can buy shares?

GinSoak, Not sure how it might affect the poker industry, except commercialize it even more than it is now. I'm not sure if it isn't going to be Internet Poker Overload (Pun Intended)

I know many of the sites available have different skins and such and I'm not sure if it isn't just getting a little out of hand. I mean how many site skins does one company need especially if the software and poker client are one in the same? Yes, there are alot of poker players out there but dang.

IPO stands for Initial Public Offering. Yes you should be able to buy shares. Get yourself a pretty good broker and if you think the company is a good one and has alot of potential, Go for it. Another suggestion before you do anything is really investigate the site that your are looking at to buy shares for. By going to different forums sites like here at Cardschat to see what real news has been posted about them. I know Card Player magazine has article listings on their main website that you can read about the legal stuff going on about internet poker and gaming in general.

I know I ran into an awsome deal about 6 or 7 years ago when a small company gave out "FREE" shares. All you had to do was pass the word around to your friends and tell them to tell the company you recommended them. Thought it might be a little on the scammish side but I did trust the person that got me hooked up on this and didn't cost me a dime. I wish I had pressed the issue with the family and friends around me because I could have probably made a nice chunk of change when the stock soared up to over $30.+ a share. I only ended up with like 12 shares which isn't all bad. I know you have to be wondering what company it is?
TRAVELZOO. Gawddddddd I wish I had worked harder at telling everyone.

I know some IPOs are a little on the finicky side. Take Martha Stewart's IPO a few years back, shares started out a bit on the high side to begin with and didn't move up like they should have. (this was way before her legal problems the past year or so) But on the the flip side of that look at some of the internet stocks that made people millionaires. Amazon to name one.

Good luck with in what you do on this.

Some other thoughts on Poker IPO's and IPO's in general. It is very hard for the general public to every buy stock at the IPO, this is because only so many shares are offered for sale to the public, and you have to be very well connected to get the shares the second they go on sale. More than likely, you will end up like the bulk of the world, buying the shares after the IPO, which would be when they are officially a public company. If this is anything like the dot com days, then you will be stuck buying high flying stock that will end up coming way back down to earth.

One other thing to know is that these stocks aren't going out on the NYSE or Nasdaq, since the U.S. frowns upon online gambling. The London Stock Exchange is where you will find Party Poker.

Cheers guys - useful insight. I remember working in 'new media' back during the boom, but I think these Poker sites have more of an offering so I don't hink they are being over valued in the same way as some of the dot coms with no realy business plans...


Anyway, talking share in Poker, I was searching around to find out more and found this: http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv...le.asp?id=8471

scam? worth it? thoughts?

Gin

Scam? Not sure. Would Ultimatebet's name be connected to it if it were? Maybe but I don't see them (if they really are that is) joining forces with something like this only to ruin Ultimatebet's reputation. I just don't see that happen but until (IMHO) I wouldn't hook up with anything until I investigated it more that's for sure.

Worth it? May be in the short run just like the internet shares.

Thoughts? Hmmmm Was what I said enough? Again good luck to anyone that does something with this.

From where can I buy shares for the poker company>?
How much they cost?

I don't really know - it seems too confusing - think I might try pokershare though, as you say Ultimatebet would only be involved in somehting above board, so it can't hurt. Plus I can at least pretend I'm buying shares - my dad would be so proud!

to me it seems that if poker rooms go from a priviate comany to being an IPO or pubicaly traded it is good for the industery. I meen there would have to be more independent and 3rd party poker reviews of the site, play, payouts, ect... everything that makes a site playable. I only see this as good for the players.