888 Poker

Posted by Lassieham 27/10/09

7.8 / 10

Network: 888.com

Country of Origin: Gibraltar

Established: 2002

Accept US Players: No

EU Based: Yes

888poker 6.0 – Reinventing Itself Again
The latest version of 888poker is not just your average software upgrade.  This new version from 888.com was revamped from scratch based on feedback from members and is definitely something to talk about.  All of these upgrades lead to better performance and overall usability, making 888poker even more enjoyable than it already is.  There are a number of new features in the latest version that stand out.  From the development of a lobby solely for beginners to a complete makeover of the tournament lobby, surprises are around every corner.

Beginners Lobby: The new version of 888poker has a unique lobby just for beginners.  As we all know, if you are new to the poker game, the first time opening a poker client can be a bit overwhelming with an array of choices and settings.  Having a lobby that guides beginners to the right tables and preferences for them takes the guessing out of the game.  The lobby displays only six tables, making it easier for the beginner player to make a selection. Of course, there is always the option to view more tables by clicking on the "More Tables" button at the bottom of the screen.

Tournament Lobby: Another great addition to 888poker in this new version is that 888.com has given its tournament lobby a complete makeover.  The new version offers a full player's dashboard that’s updated in running mode, giving players an up-to-date idea of who’s in the game and who’s not.  The “Find Me” feature is great – it finds your username in the player list and highlights your table and position.  The tournament lobby also lists upcoming satellites to the tournament and lets the player click them open to register without having to search for them individually, making it easy to plan your next poker challenge.

Simple Navigation and Customisation 888poker’s new version is very intuitive and makes navigating as simple as 1,2,3.  For example, players can now register and unregister directly from the lobby. A new "Favourites" lobby and a simplified "My Account" also lend to the fully customizable experience, making the game all about the player. 

Players can label opponents as various animal icons in order to easily recognize what type of player they are facing. So the next time you sit across a familiar opponent, you'll know right away if you thought he was a shark or a chicken at the last game.  The table view can be customized from funky and fun to simple and to the-point, whatever tickles your fancy.  Other new additions include a renewed player’s note screen, rich personal image gallery and a mouse-over feature that reveals a tooltip with opponent information.
 

New Community and Online Store: 888poker is one of the only clients out there with a community site that has just about everything you need to live and breathe the incredible game of poker. Meet and chat with players off the tables, talk strategy and get tips from 888poker's top winners in the forums. View and share pics and videos with the community and read professional poker blogs from the 888 celebrity ambassadors. The community site is actually run by 888poker so members can talk directly to the 888staff  Poker isn’t just about the game, as we all know, it’s a lifestyle and the 888poker community recognises this.
In addition to the new community, 888poker also has a brand new online store where you can find an endless selection of poker merchandise. So finally you can put those Reward Points to good use!
 

Big name pros: Shane Warne and Leo Margets.

Bonuses: Pacific Poker offers a 100% Welcome Bonus up to $400. What’s unique about this bonus, and something you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the industry, is that they give you 25% of it instantly – a huge plus for Pacific Poker!
First depositor tournaments: Once you’ve made your first deposit, you get instant access to the following tournaments…

-    Seven $500 First Depositors’ Freerolls
-    $100k First Depositors’ Challenge
-    $1,000 Depositors’ Freeroll (if you deposit min. $50)

Click here for full promotion list!

Software: As one of the more popular and better traveled sites on the net, it is expected that this site will have top notch graphics and software. On that score they do not disappoint. Not only are the graphics attractive, but the design is laid out in a very user friendly manner. Many places on the net think more about dazzling the user with images and less about the ease the end user will have in actually working with the site.

System problems such as slowdowns and crashes are a rarity at Pacific Poker. The experience overall is clean and almost seamless. Players will enjoy the ability to personalize their experience, well paced play, comp points, a game history function, the ability to take notes, and for those who are mouse challenged will appreciate the fact that just about any action can be controlled by the keyboard. In short, the software that drives Pacific Poker is among the best and most user friendly in cyberspace.

No-download version is also available.

Layout: 

Special features: Other nice functions that stand out are the password-protected SNGs and the hand histories, which now support both writing on your hard drive and importing to the major hand analysis software tools.
Pacific Poker has also introduced a no-download client, allowing Mac and Linux users to enjoy the Pacific Poker experience. The new software is very sleek and competent and offers most of the functionality of the download version, although some 3D functionality and a few cosmetic features have been left out to keep the client light and quick.

Player traffic: During peak hours, Pacific Poker typically has between 3,500 and 4,000 real money ring game players and 4,100 and 5,000 real money tournament players. While the player population is fairly large, It is quite common to see the same players playing in the same types of games at the same time, so it is possible to get to know a lot of your opponents.

Ease of game: Since its launch in 2002, Pacific has been known as the home for juicy cash games where the action is fast and furious. The UIGEA slowed down their traffic, but the overflow of players from 888's Casino-On-Net venture keep the pool of recreational players eager to spend money gambling fully stocked. High traffic and good marketing insure that there is always a healthy population of bad players logged into Pacific Poker at any point in time. Like fish everywhere they tend to school in the low limit games. Over time they have begun to filter into the mid-level limits and this is good news for anybody who knows what to do with a pair of pocket Aces.

Game variety: Pacific Poker offers games including Texas Hold’em, Omaha High and Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and Hi/Lo. Stakes start at 1¢-2¢ with 30 second decision times, perfect for beginners. We love the fact that the competition is generally quite soft, making it relatively easy to start making money straight away. Table variety includes Fixed Limit, PL and NL with the majority of the action at the Texas Hold’em tables.

Tournaments: The following tournaments are offered on a regular basis:

-    $100,000 Deep Stack Challenge: Every Sunday
-    $20,000 Guaranteed: Every day except Sundays
-    Double or Nothing Sit and Gos: The game stops after half the table has been eliminated, with all surviving players doubling their buy-in!
-    Bad Beat progressive jackpots: Lose with Four-of-a-kind 8s or better to win the jackpot
-    Royal Flush progressive jackpots: Get a Royal Flush to win the jackpot

A definite plus is the variety available, especially the progressive jackpots, which offer a new twist on the classic game of poker and the chance to win much more than just the pot – we love it!

Cash games: You will always find plenty of opponents of different skill levels at all types of tables available in the room. You can find crowded No-Limit Texas Holdem tables starting from as little as 5¢/10¢ and up to $50/$100 during peak hours. Although Omaha Holdem and Seven Card Stud are not as popular as Texas Holdem games, you will always find a couple of games to play at these tables too. Play money players will always find a lot of crowded tables regardless of the preferred game.

Rake info: It should be noted that Pacific Poker charges a higher rake than most online poker rooms. Notably, instead of a standard 5% up to $3 rake, the maximum rake is $4 in limit games of $3-$6 to $30-$60 and for all no-limit and pot-limit games. Furthermore, most poker rooms cap the rake at $2 for 4- or 5-handed games, but Pacific caps the rake at $2.50.

Rakeback: The 888.com network does not offer any rakeback, only different loyalty programs.

Deposit/Withdrawal: Transactions are made via a safe cashier, ensuring a high level of security and protecting players’ confidential details.

Support: Pacific Poker offers 24/7 support via telephone, email, an online chat service and via the help pages on their website. An account manager address is also provided to provide customer service to players. Responses are generally quick, to the point and helpful.
 

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