World Poker Tour and Zynga Poker Become Partners

The World Poker Tour and the world's largest play money poker site, Zynga Poker, have entered into a multi-year partnership that will allow social poker players to compete in WPT-styled tournaments.

Zynga has long dominated the free-play space when it comes to online poker. Estimates provided by tracking website PokerScout place the seven-day average of Zynga Poker ring game players at 38,500.

As a comparison, the next most popular free-play online poker room is PokerStars, where the player average is more than three times less at 11,000. Both poker sites allow players to purchase play money chips to increase their bankrolls, yet those chips can't be redeemed for real money.

Instead, players are encouraged to share their progress and results with social media pals and acquaintances. It's social poker, where bragging rights are focused upon gamification rather than using real money to keep score.

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“We’re incredibly proud to bring the World Poker Tour to Zynga Poker,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Zynga has built the largest social poker game, and we are confident their millions of players will enjoy their experience even more with the introduction of WPT-themed tournaments in Zynga Poker.”

The companies expect to roll out play money WPT tournament action on Zynga Poker later this year. Free-play poker on Zynga is accessible via Facebook, as well as through Android or an iOS app.

“WPT has innovated in the sport of poker for more than 16 years, and our new free-to-play WPT-themed Zynga Poker tournaments will put the most competitive and genuine poker experience in the palm of players’ hands,” stated Zynga's President of Publishing, Bernard Kim.

Perhaps the introduction of tournaments a la WPT will prompt some social poker players to make the move to real money poker sites. We can only hope. Odds are better that free-play players will just buy more play money chips, a concept that is still difficult to fathom for those of us who play poker for real money.