WPN Releases "On Demand" SNGs in Major Software Upgrade
Key Takeaways
  • WPN rolls out another software upgrade with many new features.
  • The upgrade follows one that was implemented just two months ago.
  • The emphasis is on making play faster and easier for multi-tabling players.
  • New “On Demand” tournaments have also been introduced.

Winning Poker Network (WPN) released a major software upgrade Wednesday that modernizes the client, bringing it inline with its competitors.

“On demand”—or late registration—tournaments will now be on offer on the network. Tournaments get underway as soon as a pre-set number of players are seated, but allow late registration for a period of time. As new players register, the tournament adds tables to become a small multi-table tournament.

The feature was popularized on Full Tilt and will also soon debut on iPoker.

Features that “modernize” the WPN client include an automatic timebank and the ability to see folded cards by hovering the mouse over your own player’s name. Preferred seating has been introduced at 2,6,8 and 9 man tables.

Tournaments have been sped up by changing the ante animation to collect antes simultaneously from each player. Previously the antes were collected sequentially which delayed the deal.

At cash games and tournaments, the lobby now highlights those at which a player is seated or for which a player is registered, so there is now a visual check available to confirm the information for mulit-tablers.

WPN allows “straddles” in cash games—an optional bet made before a player sees his or her card—and this update includes a visual notification in player names to show that they have applied a straddle.

These changes come two months after a major upgrade which substantially improved multi-tabling and added many new cash game features.

US-facing WPN has seen around 25% growth in cash game traffic over the last three months, and is challenging Merge for the number three spot in the US offshore market.