'Run It Once' shuts down global site

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DS3

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Phil Galfond announced that Run It Once will cease 'global' operations as of January 3rd.

In a blog post Galfond wrote the idea will be to refocus on obtaining US licensing into the future. I have no idea how this might work as obtaining licenses on a state by state basis is time consuming as well as financially demanding (to the point that a titan such as GG has yet to seriously attempt to enter the fray).

Personally, at the time I posed establishing a viable poker site was a very tall ask and questioned whether poker intelligence (supreme, no doubt) translated into the type of business acumen needed. As always Galfond is honest and admits mistakes which is admirable. Well see.

Anyways, here is the blog post...

https://www.runitonce.eu/news/running-it-again/
 
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ekgbeat

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This just doesn't make sense to me. Couple of things: 1) He thinks that he will have better operating econ in the US since there is less competition. 2) It's too hard to make money operating a poker site unless you are in the top three....so that's it.
 
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royalflush122096

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It would be interesting to see him try to aim his site on US grounds.
 
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DS3

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This just doesn't make sense to me. Couple of things: 1) He thinks that he will have better operating econ in the US since there is less competition. 2) It's too hard to make money operating a poker site unless you are in the top three....so that's it.

Yeah, I agree. I think the statement might be face saving to a degree, but, it also could have been said out of naivete.

Obviously as noted, Galfond says mistakes were made but, there did not seem to be course corrections along the way. The site opened after many delays, then I do not believe it ever featured any MTTs (a matter which was discussed since launch). As has been said elsewhere, the site never even offered a simple free roll to drive business to the site.

So not sure whether concentrating on the US market is a real plan or not in terms of how Run It Once presently exists. That said, I could see Galfond as a front man for an investment group if they had deep pockets and the experience required to have serious run at setting up such a site. Even then however, it still makes more sense to prove you can do so outside of the US first....
 
theRaven68

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wrong strategy and now they are trying to correct the course but again they have the wrong approach
 
Poker Orifice

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Personally, at the time I posed establishing a viable poker site was a very tall ask and questioned whether poker intelligence (supreme, no doubt) translated into the type of business acumen needed.


He should've teamed up with Chris Ferguson
 
Daniel72

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It was a site without tournaments, right? (A big mistake)

And it was constructed for the competent player, why should we play there?

also: US legal sites always were a fail so far.
 
magister1

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I'll always root for Phil Galfond. Hope he can get his poker site licensed in the USA but maybe it needs a rebranding.

Not many new players or rec's would want to play on a site aimed at coaching, right?
 
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fundiver199

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I like Phil Galfond but truth be told it was always going to be an uphill battle to break into an already saturated and also slowly declining market. And if their main "innovation" was just another version of Spin n Gos, which it seems like to me, there was always little reason, why anyone would play on Run it Once rather than any of the more established sites.

Yeah we can talk all day about rake-back programs and stuff like that, but the truth is, only regulars care about that, and if there are no recreational players for them to win money from, the regulars still have no reason to play. And then games will slowly die out, which is exactly, what happened. But I still wish Phil Galfond and his team best of luck in the US market.
 
Alizona

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I hope Phil Galfond will be "the man" to FINALLY return online poker to the USA - since he is obviously an American citizen, as well as a highly respected poker professional with an exemplary track record of honest behavior, perhaps our damn government will finally allow someone like him to run a site where at least all of our 50 states can play as one unit, together on one site. No, it wouldn't be the same as the "good old days" when we played in the global player pool on poker stars, but it would far better than allowing our US Dollars to go to the various offshore sites currently accepting our business. I hope and pray the US Government will see the benefit of allowing an AMERICAN poker site to draw our business since it would keep the american dollars within the country instead of flowing outward in uncontrolled fashion (which is precisely why we were banned from Poker Stars a decade ago, in my not-so-humble opinion).

MAKE IT SO!! And good luck Phil Galfond, my very best wishes to him and his team at Run It Once!!

P.S. Get busy with the tournament side of the software, Phil - don't repeat your mistakes. :D
 
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As an addendum to the Run It Once development, I just listened to DAT poker podcast to find out that Mike McDonalds Poker Shares, has also announced it is to cease operations.

I do wonder if some poker guys venture into business in a somewhat naiive manner.

Both McDonald and Galfond are high level, very intelligent players and I think there is an assumption by many this translates into 'life' in general. I am sure for some it does, but for others it doesn't. I am the last person to advocate that people stick to their lanes...it's not something I have done. But, my guess would be its easier for successful business people to enter the poker streets than the other way round.
 
johnnylawford

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I would have assumed you would need a strong lobbying/marketing budget to influence states to allow online gaming, and if you're having to pick a market to 'focus' on it doesn't scream big budget. Also, if sites like PS that have been around for 20+ years have only made marginal gains it's hard to see a site like RIO succeeding.

It seemed like RIO was successful as a training site, but maybe that space is too crowded now? Seems like it would be more +EV to focus on your core business model, rather than pushing a boulder up a mountain :confused:.
 
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I would have assumed you would need a strong lobbying/marketing budget to influence states to allow online gaming, and if you're having to pick a market to 'focus' on it doesn't scream big budget. Also, if sites like PS that have been around for 20+ years have only made marginal gains it's hard to see a site like RIO succeeding.

It seemed like RIO was successful as a training site, but maybe that space is too crowded now? Seems like it would be more +EV to focus on your core business model, rather than pushing a boulder up a mountain :confused:.

I believe the training site will remain intact, but that was an entity separate to the poker site itself. Having a pool of talent to upload training videos or hold lessons for members an entirely different demand than running an active site 24/7.

I agree with 'targeting' the States as a questionable move (and frankly find it a little hard to believe). That said, regarding the push to establish on line poker in an expanded number of states...do we ever hear of a consolidated push? I would have thought one solid way to progress matter would be for all the major players (pokerstars, GG, party poker etc.) to work together and present a unified front. But I am not aware they ever have - if wrong someone can correct me.
 
Maxmustdie

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there was only a cache if i'm not mistaken
the room had no chance
for amateur players this room was not interesting
i didn't even want to register there.
 
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