888poker.com also known as Pacific Poker was launched in 2002. In 2006, it banned US players reducing ... more]]> 888poker Review

888poker.com also known as Pacific Poker was launched in 2002. In 2006, it banned US players reducing its huge revenue earnings to half. However, the site weathered the storm by building up the non-US based players. Today it ranks among the top fifteen poker rooms in terms of player traffic. Of course, being a part of the Online Gambling network Casino-on-Net.com has proved to be beneficial as 888poker receives the cross traffic from the casino side of the business as well. If you are a poker fan, you can rest assured that this is a site that will be around for a while considering the progress it has made during the recent years.

888poker offers Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha Hi pot limit games as well as Pot limit and no limit Texas Hold’em in various formats such as Sit and Go, ring games and Multi table tournaments. It is one of the softest player bases you could find online and it has the capacity to let you play at 16 different tables at a time. At 888poker, all types of players can find games suitable to their skill sets and bankrolls, which I think is one of the reasons for this poker room’s popularity.

The software at 888poker.com is fairly easy to comprehend and use. It is provided in both the downloadable version and the no download poker version, suitable for Mac users. The site predominantly uses the green color which I found to be quite pleasing to the eye. New players might well practice poker at the play money tables so as to get familiar with the software before playing with real cash. The lobby is a little complicated for table selection since it lacks some of the essential statistic displays like Players/ Flop percentage.

After the recent upgrades to the software, you can now play at up to 16 tables – good news for the multi-table players. You can customize your table views and use the various options to keep track of your game play. The “Write Notes” option allows you to keep a track of the other players and the Tournament Info Tab helps you with the tournament information without actually going to the tournament lobby. Although the software performs reasonably well, in my opinion, it does not come up to the level of upgrades made by some of the other online poker rooms.

Even though the player traffic may not have built up to the levels before the US player ban, it is certainly getting there. Today, with a number of players from the casino section of the site moving to the poker rooms, 888poker has an average of more than 3000 poker players at the tables at any point in time. The number can increase dramatically during peak times, especially weekends. Most of the traffic is for the cash games and you will likely find bad players at all games and at all levels of play.

A large number of players are attracted to 888poker’s first deposit bonus, another reason for this poker room’s popularity, apart from it having the reputation of being one of the softest player bases. The first deposit bonus is 100% up to $400 with 25% of the bonus being credited to your account instantly. The balance amount of the bonus is released based on the bonus points you earn while playing at the site. $1 of the bonus money will be released for every 10 points you earn. You can earn bonus points by paying tournament fees, rakes or by betting at the casino. Also, you are able to keep track of how far you need to go to earn your bonus with the ‘Bonus Progress Meter’ appearing on the left hand side of the table.

Plenty of cool promotions at 888poker keep the player traffic flowing as well. A loyalty program known as the Frequent Player Points (FPP) add up like the poker bonus points you accumulate. Just as the bonus points accrue at the rate of 2 points for each $1 you spend on rakes or tournament fees, so also the Frequent Player Points. FPP can be turned into cash. Players also get referral incentives where you can refer a friend to the site. Weekly random bonuses are handed out to players which you could be lucky enough to win by just playing at 888poker regularly. There are also plenty of poker jackpots to be won by real money players.

You will find the usual tournaments at 888poker which include Sit and Go, Multi tables, Heads up, Satellites and Fast tournaments. The tournaments pay out a total of approximately $750K each month. There is the $20K Guaranteed held daily, the $80K Guaranteed with a buy-in into a qualifier tourney or a monthly Micro Satellite tournament. Besides these, the poker room offers free roll tournaments namely the $50 and $100 free rolls where you only need to register to play. Players depositing more than $50 can play in the $1000 Depositors Free roll which is a weekly event.

When you talk of customer service, 888poker is top class in the field. When you need help the service team is available 24/7, either through chat, email or telephone support. You will find a question template at the website which you can email to the customer support to have your problem solved. The security system at the site is also top grade. There are no issues as to the deposit and withdrawal facilities on the site. Taking into account the diversity of the players from all over the world, 888poker offers various international payment methods. These include debit and credit cards, NETeller, Moneybookers, checks, bank transfers at various locations, and many more options, all of which would be difficult to mention here.

With its somewhat slow software as well as a lack of options compared to the other sites, 888Poker.com may not appear to be as classy as some of the other online poker rooms. However, they are way ahead of the competition in terms of the instant cash bonuses and the great promotions being offered. I’m happy that I decided to try out 888poker and I‘m sure you’ll feel the same way too.

Click Here and try it yourself

I am a huge Poker fan and never tire of ... more]]> Everest Poker Reviewed
(From the view of a new user)

I am a huge Poker fan and never tire of looking out for new Poker sites where I can play an exciting game. So, it was a great find when I came across Everest Poker which is an upcoming poker room in the world of online Poker. It has gained great popularity as it is now the primary endorser of the WSOP from 2008-2011. The site has its own proprietary software and is available in sixteen different languages. Many gaming sites might offer the website in different languages, but when it comes to software and customer support, it is invariably in English. Non-English speaking registered users then have to struggle with the software navigation. Here, Everest Poker differs from other sites in that the customer support, software as well as the website itself is offered in various languages like French, German, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, etc.

When I began playing, I found the interface at Everest Poker to be very attractive and easy to use. The games move smoothly and are bug free. The table layout is simplistic but well-organized. The table also looks realistic with decently fashioned player avatars. The buttons allow you to make decisions well in advance before your turn since they are easily readable.  You can easily customize your table by choosing from various backgrounds, you are also able to activate sound effects and other features like chat options, help tips, summit points, a four color deck, hand history and several more.

Everest Poker has recently upgraded the lobby; although it appears visually full, it is well organized. It provides a whole array of statistics like hands per hour, viewed percentage, wait list, number of players seated, table name and stakes limit. You can even view the players and their stack of chips at a highlighted table at the lobby. The tournament filter tabs available within the lobby can be used to search for the games you are interested in. The training room and the link to the poker tutorial are conveniently available from the lobby itself.

The player traffic at Everest Poker is steadily increasing. The site is truly international and with its advertizing campaigns in European and Scandinavian countries, it has managed to attract a decent number of real money players which go over 5000 during the peak hours. Most of the tournament traffic consists of freeroll players. And why not? After all, Everest Poker campaigns “Play for free, win real money!” Another attraction for poker fans is the everest poker sign up bonus. You are welcomed with a $200 bonus which is credited at the rate of $1 per $100 wagered in the games. Yeah, there’s a long wait because you have to earn Summit Points to receive the bonus, and that too within thirty days!
The bonus code is: welcome

Click Here to get started

It’s a new approach that Everest Poker has adopted and that is to offer only the Hold’em Poker games. The majority of the players usually prefer Texas Hold’em with very few opting for the recently started Omaha Poker. Signing up at Everest Poker is fairly simple. All I had to do was to fill up a couple of pages with my basic information and that was all. They did not ask me to wait for an email confirming the registration in order to play. Various deposit and withdrawal options like NETeller, Mastercard, Visa, Moneybookers, check and bank transfers are available. Hence, there were no credit card problems either.

Everest Poker has a number of interesting promotions going on at any given time. Freeroll tournaments like Play for Free, Win Real money, deposit bonuses, $50 refer a friend bonus, WPT super satellites, etc. Other popular Everest Poker promotions include the “Heads up Challenge” where every month the top three players compete for a $20,000 prize. The Avalanche $1,000,000 Guarantee is another tournament where players can qualify by paying as little as $3. A loyalty program known as Summit Points is run by Everest Poker. Here, real money players collect one summit point for every $1 collected in the rake and 8 points for a dollar in tournament entry fees. Accumulated Summit points can be redeemed at the Everest Poker Store or tournament entries as well as entries at ‘Point for Point’ tournaments.

Being an international Poker room, Everest Poker has a variety of players from various countries. This makes it interesting; I could experience many different styles of game play from various regions. The mid and higher stake limit games are fairly loose; players only called on the bets with very few raises. This was a good experience for me as I made a neat little profit in my game session at the cost of the average players sitting at the tables that day. If you just play your cards right and raise whenever it’s suitable, I think you could do well at this Poker room. However, since Everest exclusively offers Hold’em and Omaha Poker, if you are interested in a wider variety Online Gambling then you’d best move on to other sites.

The game play moves at a slow pace here. Players have a time frame of 20 seconds to decide their hand, which most players use to the full extent. Seasoned poker players may find the pace to be too slow for their taste. Tournaments usually have a few hundred players unlike other sites which have thousands competing for the stakes at any given time.  However, Everest Poker has some good options for new players with the tables starting at 2 cent blinds and free single table tournaments which actually payout 10 cents to the winner. $1 multi-table tournaments with no rakes are also a great practice option for the newbie. 

Although the only way to reach Everest Poker support is via email, the customer service is fast and friendly. Detailed responses to inquires are received within a short time and the site is able to give personalized treatment to its players even if it is through email. Remember, they offer customer support in 16 languages for the benefit of all international players. Security at Everest Poker is excellent as well. Withdrawals are monitored by a financial security team and the site also uses cutting-edge technology to take care of all security requirements.

As long as your interests lie only in Hold’em poker games, I think Everest Poker is one amongst the best poker rooms guaranteed to give the experience of round-the-clock international action.

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The number of online poker venues is constantly growing and so also the players opting to play online. ... more]]>  

The number of online poker venues is constantly growing and so also the players opting to play online. Online poker is fast becoming popular these days due to the convenience and the excitement it offers. What needs to be kept in mind though is that playing poker at a brick and mortar casino is not the same as playing online. Although the basic game rules may be the same, how the game is played online greatly differs from how it is played at a traditional casino. An advantage of online poker games is that even the novice players can learn to play the online free games without having to depend on others to teach them and without the fear of being intimidated in an online environment.

Online poker rooms differ in their own small ways, but the basic concepts are usually common to all of them. Once you get the hang of playing online, you can easily spot the small differences between various sites and it should be quite easy to adjust your game accordingly. As I mentioned earlier, the basic rules to play online poker are the same as the traditional game. However, the major difference lies in the fact that there are no visual clues as to your opponent’s strategy in an online game. So, to be privy to information about your opponent’s hand you must bet. This creates more action online than what you would find at a traditional casino. However, this is not to say that online games are better than the traditional play, but that each is different in its own way. Here, I attempt to explain some of the concepts involved in playing poker online.

Registration/Sign Up

Signing up at an online poker site is simple enough, and, when you sign up you don’t need to deposit funds right away unless you want to get down to really playing the money games. You are allowed to play free games without furnishing your bank or credit card information. This is a good way to get yourself familiarized with how exactly the game moves, which buttons to click, what happens when the button is clicked, the speed of the action; in short, you know what to expect when you log in to play at an online poker room.

A good place to start when you want to play online poker, is at a online poker site like Party Poker.
It is one of the biggest site, and Party Gaming is solid a reliable brand.
New players can take advantage of their generous welcome bonus and get up to 325 Euro for free.
The Bonus Code for Party Poker is: carolina which you need to use in the bonus code field when opening an account, like shown on the picture. 

Click Here to get started

Your poker account can be funded in a number of ways. You can fund it through credit card, your checking account, bank wire, money order, online payment like Neteller or by receiving a fund transfer from an online player.  Some casinos restrict players from certain countries or states. If this is the case with you, the site will inform you of the restrictions at the time of the deposit process. However, you may still have other options and deposit methods which you could use.

While playing online gambling, you can have something called a “screen name”. You login with this name which is the virtual identity that you will be known by in the gaming world. Your choice of the screen name depends on how distinctive or anonymous you want to be, so give it some considerable thought. The online casino’s rules may not allow you to make frequent changes to this name or your picture.

Creating your Online Bankroll

When you play poker at a traditional casino, you have ready access to your funds. However, with an online poker room, you may have to adhere to the limits as to how much funds you can deposit each day. So, in actuality, you have a bankroll that is limited to the deposit you make for the day. Now, you can increase this bankroll only by winning at your games or depositing more funds in the following days. This is a big difference you will encounter while playing poker online. Ultimately, it is your bankroll that affects your play and it is one important factor that decides how you will play. An aggressive play might just land you into trouble – you might lose and go broke with no way to deposit more funds on that same day, effectively putting you out of action.

In case you are a high-end player, you might want to speak to the support staff about easing the deposit limits. Another option is to get a fund transfer from other online players; usually most of the poker sites do not control how much the players can transfer among themselves. However, if you possess a limited bankroll, you must play lower or at medium limits so that your bankroll can survive the swings and grow gradually.
Cashing Out from Online Poker Rooms

Cashing out from an online poker venue is no problem if you are aware of the cash out rules. These usually differ depending upon each site. For instance, you may not be permitted to cash out 48 to 72 hours since your last deposit or you may be required to cash out to your original deposit method before you can receive a check for your earnings. A good practice is to maintain a substantial online bankroll so that you don’t need to make deposits often. 

The Online Poker Room Lobby

You can walk around the card room in a traditional casino to take a look at the games in progress. The online lobby on the other hand offers a horde of information at the click of a button. You can get to know the average pot size; number of hands played every hour, the waiting list, and players playing at the tables and so on.  This information helps you to make the game selection and the table selection which is the critical aspect of an online poker game.  At popular online poker rooms, there is a variety of options available as also a large amount of information that you can use to decide on your game play.

Playing Multiple Poker Games Online

This is one major difference you would find at an online poker card room. Many players opt to handle multiple games at a time. This is a skill that can be acquired with practice. However, the larger the number of games you play at a time, it is obvious that your ability to handle them all will diminish. You might However, practice multi-tabling by slowly adding more tables as your skill sets improve.

If you are an expert player, online poker is the way to go. Many traditional players have made the switch to the online action and manage to make a living out of it. The pace of the games is fast online, there is more excitement and of course, you can make some serious money if you are good. The learning process is a part of playing winning poker, but I’m sure you will get to the wins pretty easily.

Bonus Information

New players at Party Poker can take advantege of a very nice welcome bonus. With up to 325 Euro for free Party ... more]]>  

Bonus Information

New players at Party Poker can take advantege of a very nice welcome bonus.
With up to 325 Euro for free Party Poker makes sure that new players get a boost to their bankroll when they join.
The Bonus Code for Party Poker is: CAROLINA and by using this code, you first deposit will be matched 100% up to 325 Euro.
Use the party poker bonus code when you sign up for a new account, like shown in the picture.

Click Here to get started

My Thoughts on Party Poker and why I like it so Much
(a new players view on party poker)

I was introduced to poker during a get together last Christmas eve. After that I played about four or five times but missed the next three because one or the other player couldn’t make it. My friend and team mate Richard thought we should check out online options – I’m glad we did. We visited a few online poker sites, checked out the reviews and finally registered at partypoker.com where we have been playing since December last year. We’ve come to like partypoker.com so much that I decided to write a review and help others who might be undecided on their choice of online poker avenue.

Party Poker is perhaps one of the largest online poker rooms in the industry, with as many as 10,000 real money players in the room at any given time. Over a period of time, they have remained enormously popular among novice as well as veterans more so because of their innovations and developmental ideas. Other reasons for this massive popularity can be attributed to various factors. The software for instance, is fast and functional, and offers a downloadable version for Windows and a separate one for Linux and Mac users. Party Poker offers some of the best online poker tournaments, namely the annual Party Poker Million and the weekly $300K Guarantee tournament which is a big draw for poker fans, even though they do not accept US players.

I think Party Poker is the undisputed leader in the online tournament scene. They were the innovators of the multi-table Sit-and-Go and were among the first to offer ‘Step’ tournaments. In Step tournaments, players play their way through several levels until they reach the topmost level where cash prizes are awarded. However, the step tournaments have now given way to other more affordable games that are becoming quite popular.

In continuing their tradition of introducing innovative tournaments, Party Poker offers the shootout tournaments where the players play against others at the table till 3 players are left. These three players move on to the next round; there may be 3 to 4 rounds depending on the number of players participating in the tournament.  Other types of tournaments include the usual Multi table, the Sit &Go Single Table, Heads Up and Bounty tournaments. The multi-table events are quite popular and highlighted by the Sunday afternoon $300K guarantee tournament. Tournaments at Party Poker are the ultimate thrill. I’d say there’s nothing like the thrill you feel when you outsmart and outplay everyone at the table to walk away with a jackpot!

Party Poker has a unique practice: The Beginners Tables are only meant for newly registered real money players. This is a boon to the new players who are protected from the unscrupulous players who look out for inexperienced newcomers to take advantage of them. However, the only game available at the Beginners’ Tables is Texas Hold’em. These games are available from the main lobby just by clicking on the Real Money Heading and selecting Beginners. Players have 45 days to play on the tables after their real money account is set up.

Party Poker now has a simplified loyalty program where you earn PartyPoints which are credited to your account for all real money play. There are no penalties, restrictions or loyalty levels to maintain and you can redeem your points for tournament entries, gifts or cash bonuses. Poker players earn two PartyPoints for each $1 of tournament fees. Raked hands and limits on cash games also get you various number of PartyPoints. If you manage more than 5000 points, you enter the Palladium Lounge Club which offers bigger rewards, exclusive events and VIP treatment. Loyal Party Poker players are offered several types of perks like the special reload bonus, cash bonus or credits to play Online Gambling at their Casino or Bingo room.

Again, when you look at the promotions Party Poker offers, you find they are the best in the business. They are continuously offering player-friendly promotions, the most popular being the PartyPoker.com Million held annually. This is a huge event with numerous satellite tournaments as well as guaranteed tournaments to qualify for the big one. The Players club free rolls at party Poker are another attraction where players can accumulate points which can be redeemed to enter free rolls and tournaments. Recently, Party Poker has reduced the minimum deposit for $ 200 and above single-table tournaments to $10 thus giving players more value for money.

Being one of the largest online poker rooms, at Party Poker, it is quite easy to find a seat. There is hardly any waiting period, because there are so many tables where you can play. You can even play four tables simultaneously to win more money. What I like best about this site is that you can book a private table. Usually Richard and I get together with few of our other poker buddies and book a private table so that we can enjoy a friendly game. Since there are a variety of games like Omaha, Hold’em, Stud Poker, 7 card stud poker, etc, we all have a good time.

Would you believe it if I said, Party Poker hosts almost 70% of the Texas hold’em tournaments that are being held online? There is so much traffic to the site as a result of this fact. Yet, the management of the site is quite faultless in running a smooth operation. The site has a zero tolerance policy towards cheaters and ensures that they have regular security checks so that cheats don’t stand a chance. The site also provides 24 hour service support for its customers. A range of easy deposit and withdrawal options are handled by most of the reputed online payment processing companies. Transactions are secure and the site ensures the security and privacy of the personal data with the help of top grade security systems, so you need not be anxious on that front.

With the amount of popularity and the loyal fans that patronize the site, it is no wonder that PartyPoker.com has been voted “Poker Operator of the year 2009″ by eGaming Awards.