iPoker, the Internet’s third largest online poker network, announced last Friday that they will no longer support NoiQ Poker and Carlos Poker, two of their ±30 online poker rooms, as of January 24, 2009. There has not been any indication as to why the brands are separating, and it is likely that there never will be.
NoiQ Poker, which is a subsidiary of Flop Group Limited, based in Malta, sent a statement to its players suggesting a disagreement between themselves and their network:
“NoiQ has been on iPoker network since early 2007. This partnership is about to end January 24th. NoiQ and iPoker don’t look at things the same way, and it has been hard to understand each other. However, we are extremely excited about the change and can’t wait to get started.”
In a Europokerpro.com interview, Karl Bugagiar, NoiQ’s operations manager, appears to be looking at the separation in a positive light. He says of the unexplained de-merger, “We do not wish to go into the actual reason. There [are] many things that will never be said that could explain a lot. We believe this is great for NoiQ and just leave it with that." He goes on to say, “"iPoker has held us back a lot because of their policy. We are now able to do more and will use this opportunity."
Net speculation from sources such as Two Plus Two poker forum that the separation may have something to do with the November/December 2008 trouble that iPoker had with NoiQ regarding rakeback policy. During that time NoiQ Poker was actually suspended from the network for one week. Others believe it may have something to do with the fact that other iPoker skins have been complaining about NoiQ’s player rewards policies, which had gotten NoiQ a warning, and has now possibly ended up in the termination of the relationship.
NoiQ has boasted about the new network they have signed on with, which was one of four apparently flattering offers. The orphaned poker room promises players that the new network will provide faster software and looser games. NoiQ claimed they would be announcing their new home on December 29, but this day has come and gone, and no additional statements have been made from NoiQ Poker.
As for Carlos Poker, which is part of Unibet Poker (owner of eight other online gaming websites) and powered by Microgaming, it probably won’t be hard for the site to find support elsewhere.
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