In a Nutshell
- Top highlights: Site is easy to use and there are a variety of games to pick from
- VIP or loyalty programme: Yes
- Other offerings: Casino, live casino, sport
Overview
With graphics that feel like they transport you straight into a real casino poker game and generous bonuses, 888poker can’t be beat. The site is easy to use, and offers a wide variety of games ringing in high playing numbers especially at peak hours. We knew that 888poker is known as being one of the best online poker sites, and our 888poker review shows that we weren’t disappointed.
Software & Graphics
The new software and graphics available at 888poker really makes you feel like you are in the middle of live action casino poker. The 3D graphics allow you to see the turn of every card, and to really get into the flow of the game. Even with such a variety of table options, we found it easy to search for and find a table.
Beginners will appreciate the suggestions of 6 low-limit cash games and tournaments to choose from. At the same time, more advanced players will enjoy the quick seat option and the ability to open a classic poker room lobby.
You can even choose to play at multiple tables, thanks to a much improved tiling and cascading feature which allows more control over how to arrange the game windows.
Free-Rolls
There are also a number of regular and attractive free rolls. You can play the first depositors free roll once which has a prize pool of $3500, and fairly soft competition. There is also a first depositor’s challenge free roll, with a $50,000 prize pool that is a bit more challenging. Other free rolls are available as well, depending on your level providing something for everyone. The prize pools on these range from as low as $75 to as high as $7,000.
Games
888poker offers a selection of the most classic poker games including Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Low, 7-Card Stud and 7-Card Stud Hi-Low. These games are offered in a variety of dollar amounts and both pot-limit and no-limit versions. It is a fair amount of game variety and approximately 2,000 people are playing the ring games and 8,000 playing in the tournaments during peak hours.
Support
This site offers several options for support and service. At the most basic, they provide a very extensive online section about rules of and strategies for all games offered. You can always send the staff an email message, and the response time is generally very fast.
Live chat support is also available for free, or you can call them directly. Of course, depending on your country there may be telephone charges. We found their staff to be very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Tournaments
While many tournaments are available on the 888poker site, we were most impressed by their unique satellite tournaments for large poker events such as the World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour, Aussie Millions and the Irish Open. Click on the specific event you are interested in to view a listing of the various satellite tournaments. Join in tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $1 up to several hundred dollars.
Some of the more frequented regular events include the daily challenge series, with buy-ins from $12 (plus $1.20 re-buys) and a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool. One of the best value tournaments you may wish to consider is the Friday deep stack tournament, which has a $15,000 guaranteed prize pool and a $30 buy-in (with $3 re-buy).
General Info
We know that Mac and Linux users sometimes run into technical difficulties when playing online poker: but not here, thanks to the no-download client. This is a neat feature which will allow users to access 888poker without having to worry about browser compatibility issues. Additionally, many of the sit-n-go tournaments are password protected and enable a user to save and download hand histories. This is a great help to serious players really trying to improve their poker game. This data can be taken and put into a software program to be studied.
There is a good opportunity here for solid players. There seems to be a lot of loose play at 888poker, especially among the $15/30 Omaha hi-low table games. The viewed flop percentage for these games sometimes hovers around 65-70%. Be watchful for similar opportunities.
Deposit / Withdrawal Options
There are a huge amount of deposit and withdrawal options offered. You may confidently use Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, wire transfers, Entropay, or Skrill to both deposit and withdraw your money from the site. Additional deposit methods include Diner’s club, Solo, Web Money, Boleto, Instadebit, and, depending on your country, even your PayPal account. Additional withdrawal options include debit cards, PayPal (again, depending on your country of residence), and Bank Drafts.
Payout Policy
888poker has a very comprehensive payout policy which every member should be familiar with. According to this policy, in certain case, you may be asked to verify your identity before receiving your payout. Also, members receive payment according to the method used to make the deposits, as far as this is possible. In other words, if you made a deposit via PayPal, your withdrawal will be given through PayPal, provided this is allowed in your country of residence. Also, the payout may take up to 3 business days for processing.
Bottom Line
In our 888poker review, we were especially impressed by the excellent sign-up and referral bonuses, cool graphics and search tools, and all of the tournaments and satellite events offered that give you a chance to win seats at top-tier poker events around the world.
With such great service and software, we agreed that it is too bad that more games are not offered, such as draw poker, or mixed type poker games. Additionally, it would be nice to see an effort made in increasing the traffic to the games other than Hold’em.
All in all, this poker room is one of the biggest and best out there.