PartyPoker Site Review
PartyPoker is one of the biggest and best poker sites in the world. They have a high volume of players in cash games, tournaments, and Sit N Goes. Because PartyPoker is affiliated with Party Gaming brand online casinos and other gambling sites, the calibre of play is generally lower than you would find at some of the “stand alone” poker sites like PokerStars. The lower limits in particular are the home of some very soft competition. PartyPoker is not available to players from the USA however.
Software
PartyPoker had a big software upgrade late in 2008, so it has excellent graphics, a very smooth interface, customized player images and some strong multi-tabling features. The PartyPoker software also has all the standard games such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo.
PartyPoker allows multi-tablers to play up to 12 tables simultaneously. A very effective table re-sizing option allows you to adjust the tables to fit them in just about anyway you want them. They also have a very cool “hot hand” feature, which you can set to notify you whenever you get a particular hand in a particular situation.
Traffic
You can generally find between 30,000 and 50,000 players online at PartyPoker. American players are prohibited from joining PartyPoker, so the peaks tend to synch up with the European schedule. There are usually games running at all levels, and tournaments and sit n goes running at buyins from $1, up to about $215.
Opponents
The caliber of player at PartyPoker is a bit easier than some of the larger sites. They are linked up with several online gambling and casino websites, so the traffic that they get from those sites tends to be more “gamblers” and less “poker players”. People just looking to have a bit of fun, rather than trying to play optimal poker. These are the sorts of players who you will see going all in with a pair of 5’s in a cash game. Very profitable opponents to play against.
First deposit bonus
Through OnlineFreePlayPoker.com, Party Poker is offering to match 100% of your first deposit, up to a maximum of $500. Even if you deposit as little as $25 they will match it 100%. This is one of the most competitive bonuses in the industry, and it’s extremely simple to claim. When you register, just use the Bonus Code “ONLINE500”, then when you make your first deposit you will be credited an amount equal to 100% of the amount you deposited, up to $500. Just like other poker sites the bonus has to be “cleared” by earning a certain amount of PartyPoints (discussed in the next section), which is pretty standard among online poker sites. If you are just interested in playing online poker for free, then you will find PartyPoker has a wide range of “play money” tables as well.
40% rakeback
The rakeback for PartyPoker operates through a straightforward PartyPoints system. The more you play, the more points you earn, and the higher level effective rakeback you become entitled to. At the top level you can get rakeback of 40%, which is one of the highest rakeback percentages available.
PartyPoker is an excellent and popular site, with solid player volume and noticeably softer competition that some of the bigger sites like PokerStars. The rakeback and points system works well, although you need high volume to make it to the very top level. Overall, PartyPoker is a very playable site on which a competent player should be able to make good money.
If you want to try it out for yourself, just click on the link below, and make sure you use the Bonus Code “ONLINE500” to get access to rakeback and your $500 First Deposit Bonus.
