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Site
Rating (8.7/10):
Launched
in 2001, with licensing and regulation coming
from Gibraltar and head offices in the United
Kingdom, Party Poker is an online juggernaut. In
fact, they are the leading online poker site
operating today, with immense traffic and
outstanding game selection. There is something
on this site for everyone, and their traffic
became so huge that in October of 2005 Party
Poker cut ties with their four skin sites and
chose to act independently (and they still have
the highest traffic of all online poker rooms).
I can attest to how many people play on Party,
as I often have a hell of a time getting into
the sit and go's. Sometimes it takes me more
than 10 tries to finally get a seat, and on a
couple of occasions I have been in such a
scramble to get a seat that I accidentally ended
up in a 7 card Stud game. I almost won one of
these, but that's a story for a different day.
Software
/ Graphics (8/10):
Party
Poker underwent a series of upgrades in 2004 and
2005 (mostly to accommodate their huge traffic),
and they now have some of the best software on
the net. Their main strength now is maintaining
software that smoothly houses tens of thousands
of players all playing at the same time. The
lobby is well organized and cleanly laid out,
making it a snap to find whatever game floats
your boat. Players can play up to four tables at
once in separate windows, and most statistic
functions are offered (although ring game stats
don't include hands per hour and viewed flop
percentages) Party Poker now offers side bets at
the tables (on things like the suits to hit the
flop) and players can even indulge in some
Blackjack while they grind it out at the table.
I personally find this overkill, but some people
seem to enjoy it.
The
table graphics at Party Poker are decent and
serviceable. There are avatars at the table
(which aren't great but are certainly better
than nothing) and there is a graphic that lets
you know exactly how many hands are remaining in
each blind level. I don't like that Party Poker
doesn't record your folded hands, and I find
that the cards come out way too quickly
(especially when two players are all-in) but I
love that Party will email you a hand history of
every tournament you play in. This is an
immensely valuable learning tool, and it is
great fun to go through the hand histories of
the tournaments where you kick ass.
Bonuses
/ Promotions (8/10):
Party
Poker's sign up bonus is industry standard, at
20% up to $100. To get the full $100 deposit
bonus you must play 500 raked hands in 30 days,
not at all difficult for the committed player.
There is also the standard refer-a-friend bonus
of $25 and $50, and to clear this you must play
125 raked hands. I was able to make this bonus
in one sitting, although I barely broke even.
Recently Party Poker also implemented a frequent
player points program (giving out tickets to
monthly freerolls to loyal players) and regular
reload bonuses, offering anywhere from 15% - 25%
of the amount deposited.
Party
Poker is very active in the promotions they
offer. They host the annual WPT Party Poker
Million event, giving away several seats through
internet qualifiers. All new sign ups to Party
Poker between October 1 and December 31 of 2005
will be given a seat to a $5000 freeroll played
in January of 2006, and there is a current
scratchcard promo where regular players can win
laptops, DVDs and cameras. Recently, Party Poker
even put $20 into my account - completely out of
the blue - enticing me back to the site after an
extended period spent playing elsewhere. It was
a smart move that got me back into the fold.
Player
Skill (9.5/10):
Juicy.
Party Poker has without a doubt some of the
softest competition on the net. Because of its
huge traffic, there are constantly new players
coming through. Most of these players suck,
plain and simple. Party Poker is full of fish
who love to donate their money, treating bottom
pair like two aces. The soft games carry right
up to the $5-$10 limits, and I have personally
made some nice cashes in the $2-$4 and $3-$6
games, simply by playing patient and playing
tight. Its common knowledge that Party has the
most fish on the net.
Number
Of Players (9.5/10):
You
will never have any trouble finding a game on
Party Poker. During peak hours, Party Poker
boasts more than 14,000 ring game players over
25,000 tournament players. It is has been said
that Party Poker likely hosts more than 70% of
all fixed limit Hold'Em tournaments in the
world, but they also offer a large number of
Omaha and 7-card Stud tournaments and ring games
every day. The action truly never stops on this
site.
Cashouts
/ Customer Support (8.5/10):
Party
Poker is top notch in this regard. There is live
support offered 24-hours a day, and for the most
part the staff is friendly and knowledgeable.
There is also solid e-mail and telephone
support, ready to help resolve any issues. I
have never had any problems with the customer
support.
Deposit
options: VISA, MasterCard, NETeller, FirePay,
money order, Western Union, eChecks, bank draft,
check.
Cash out options: NETeller, eChecks, wire
transfer, check.
Party
Poker Pros & Cons:
Pros:
-
Excellent deposit bonuses and promotions
- Software is quick and efficient, accommodating
over 50,000 players at a time
- Good statistical functions (e-mailed hand
histories)
- 24-hour live support
- Best traffic and game variety on the net
- Large number of tournaments
- Some of the softest competition on the
net
- Detailed blind information is provided at the
tables
Cons:
-
Some statistics aren't available (viewed flop
percentages, hands per hour etc.)
- Sit and go's only start with 800 chips,
reducing good players' advantage
- Cards come out way too fast, especially when
players are all in
- There is so much traffic it can be hard to get
a seat in sit and gos
- Table graphics are somewhat outdated
- No lobby chat room
Party
Poker Site Review Conclusion:
I
love this site, it is one of my favourites to
play on. There is always a game going on,
24-hours a day, and the action is JUICY, like
prime rib on mashed potatoes. There are so many
fish on Party, The low limit ring games are a
cinch to crush. Party is also a site that knows
how to treat their players, continually offering
up creative promotions. When they put money in
my account out of the blue, it showed me they
are a classy site. I can't say enough about
Party Poker, and I give it my highest
recommendation.
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