PartyGaming launches new platform

Online gaming giant PartyGaming Plc., owner of PartyPoker.com, has announced it will be launching a new, fully integrated operating platform in the first half of 2006 which will enable all of PartyPoker.com's players to play with a shared purse from a common account.

Essentially, this means that all of the firm's 9 million gamers will no longer be sharing PartyPoker.com's platform with players from PartyGaming's white label poker clients, or poker skins (Empire Poker, Multipoker, Coral Eurobet, and Intertops).

Instead, PartyPoker.com's players will have exclusive access to the PartyGaming brand, along with its tables, gaming purse, and promotional offers and events. New additions to the poker system include side bets and deal-making in poker tournaments.

Poker skins will continue to operate on the existing poker system and will further benefit from added features such as beginners' tables, including micro-limit tables and low buy-in tables, and $50/$100 and $100/$200 tables.