Zynga Poker is a social game developed byZynga as an application for the social-networking websiteFacebook as well asAndroid,iPhone,Windows Phone,[1]Windows,[2]MySpace,Tagged, andGoogle+. It was launched in July 2007.
In 2011, with 38 million players,Zynga Poker was the largest poker site in the world.[3] In 2018, after increased competition in the market,Zynga Poker had a 6.1% market share in social casino games.
The game allows Facebook players to simulate playingTexas Hold 'empoker in asocial gaming environment. Users enter a casino lobby and can play at any table or join friends for a game. Players can choose from casual tables, tournament play, or VIP tables. A leader board shows players how they compare in chip ranking to other players and allows players to send or receive gifts.
It was created and launched in July 2007 by a team consisting of some of the founders of the company includingJustin Waldron, Michael Luxton, andEric Schiermeyer.[4]
In March 2011,Zynga Poker hosted PokerCon, a live poker tournament at thePalms Casino inLas Vegas,Nevada.[3] According to a March 2011ESPN article, with 38 million players,Zynga Poker at that time was the largest poker site in the world.[3]
In July 2012, Zynga announced that it would be providing real-money gaming outside ofUnited States in 2013.[5]
According to a 2014 article by Dean Takahashi, about 350 million have playedZynga Poker, and the game has millions of daily players.[6]
In July 2014, the game received a major update. According to Jeff Grubb ofVentureBeat, the change was unpopular with users, who believed that Zynga was "throwing too many unwanted features in the way" of playing poker.[7]
In 2014,Zynga Poker "commanded 61 percent of the total social poker revenue market," and each month earned between $9 and $13 million. That year, its audiences dropped 44%. After the revamp in 2014, players "forced the publisher" to bring back a "classic" version of the original poker game. Also,Zynga Poker's CEO and games head left around that time.VentureBeat said in 2015 that Zynga Poker's players were increasingly moving to social casino games, with the overall social poker game industry struggling largely "due to the struggles of Zynga's Poker app, which dominates the marketplace."[8]
In 2014,Zynga Poker was Zynga's flagship game and its top-grossing game.[9]
In the first quarter of 2017, the company reported a loss, although revenue was rising compared to the year prior.[10] In 2018,Zynga Poker accounted for 23% of Zynga's game revenue.[11] After added competition in the market, in 2018 analysts said that Zynga lost its market share in social casino games, with only a 6.1% market share. Zynga Poker introduced a new "Spin and Win" mode in its World Poker Tour Tournament Center in 2019, essentially combining poker with a prize wheel.[12] In November 2018,Zynga Poker reported its mobile revenue falling 3% that year, with bookings remaining flat, with Zynga stating the game was "still recovering from the platform changes imposed byFacebook in [the second financial quarter]." At the time, Zynga was partnering withWorld Poker Tour.[13]
In quarter one of 2019,Zynga Poker was 15% of Zynga's total revenue, after being 21% of that revenue in the first quarter of 2018.[14] In 2019, the company hiredBrad Garrett on a sweepstakes event.[15] In March 2019Zynga Poker added a tournament code called Spin & Win, allowing for faster play and higher stakes.[16] According toConsumer Affairs, in 2019,Zynga Poker users suffered a data breach.[17]
Although Zynga made a slight profit in 2019,Zynga Poker's profit dropped by 7%, "as it is still recovering from platform changes that Facebook made last year. Gibeau said the company is working on updates that will helpZynga Poker get back into growth mode."[18]
As of August 2010, the game is available inMandarin Chinese inChina as well as on Facebook inHong Kong andTaiwan under the nameZynga Texas Poker.[19] The game is also available in English, Indonesian, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, and French. The mobile version of the game is available in 18 languages.
In 2018,Nascar announced thatGo Fas Racing was partnering withZynga Poker, with the game serving as primary sponsor for the No. 32 Ford andMatt DiBenedetto.[20]
