|
Site
Rating (8.5/10):
Launched
in 2001, Ultimate Bet stepped right in and
played with the big boys. Backed by the Excapsa
network, which also powers PokerShare and
UltimatePoker.com, UltimateBet has deep pockets
and it shows. They have pioneered countless
innovations in online software, they sponsor the
annual WPT event in Aruba (giving away over a
hundred seats in year round qualifiers) and they
have some impressive stars in their roster.
These stars include the first lady of poker,
Annie Duke, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot,
Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari and
last but not least, Phil "Poker Brat"
Hellmuth. Phil behaves just as bad online as he
does in live play, so the chance to put a beat
on him is very enticing proposition to all of
his haters. When Phil sits down at a table the
buzz becomes deafening.
Software
/ Graphics (8.5/10):
The
UltimateBet.com software is an industry leader.
It has a distinctive and sleek look, and it runs
very fast. The lobby is well-organized and
clean, and the background colours can be
modified by the fussy Sally. Player notes are
offered, in addition to all the requisite
statistic functions (session results,
viewed-flop percentages, average pot, hands per
hour etc.) One of Ultimate Bet's innovations is
the Miniview feature, which allows players to
shrink the size of the playing table window so
that they can play (and watch) up to 6 tables at
the same time. There is also a helpful
"buddy" feature, allowing players to
keep track of their buddies. All they have to do
is double click their friend's name and they
will go be taken right to their table. This
feature can also be used to find Phil, a nice
touch indeed.
The
table graphics make for a very pleasant playing
experience. There are no player avatars, but
they make up for this in other ways. The table
is spacious, with nice looking playing cards and
colourful chips. There are also 8 different
backgrounds to choose from, brought to life with
crisp graphics. My personal favourite is the
London Thames background. Its so realistic it
always make me crave bangers and mash and a pint
of Kilkenny, not to mention a nice dame with
crooked teeth.
Bonuses
/ Promotions (9.5/10):
Although
their bonuses change regularly, Ultimate Bet
normally offers a 40% first deposit bonus, up to
$200. To clear the bonus you need to accumulate
points for raked hands played. Each pot with a
rake under a buck gives 0.5 points, while each
pot over a dollar gives a full point. It takes
1000 points to clear a $100 bonus. This can be
time consuming but there is no time limit, so be
patient and eventually you'll get paid. Reload
bonuses for 20% up to $100 are offered about
four times a year as well. There is also a
refer-a-friend program, paying out to $100 for
each friend referred (high by industry
standards). Check the site for further
details.
UltimateBet
has some decent promotions. There is a good
loyalty program, awarding points to regular
players for raked hands and tournament play.
There are also extra points to be had for
players that start up games. These points can be
redeemed for tournament entries or Ultimate Bet
merchandise. Ultimate Bet offers more than 10
freerolls a day, with a respectable prize pool
of $500 for 2500 runners (this is barely worth a
dog's time, but if you play freerolls you don't
know that). And of course Ulimate has their WPT
event in Aruba, and they are always giving away
tickets for a few days of poker in a sandy beach
resort. It doesn't get much better than that.
Player
Skill (7.5/10):
The
competition is middle of the road on UltimateBet.com,
not too tough and not too soft. It is an ideal
site for the new player that is ready to take
the next leap in their game. The lower limit
tables ($0.5-$1 to $2-$4) have viewed-flop
percentages in the 40%-50% range, nice numbers
for a tight-aggressive player to pounce on. I
have played quite a bit on these tables, and I
am never overly impressed by what I see going
down. The NL ring tables tend to be tougher, a
little bit out of the league of beginners. They
tend to have some overly aggressive players that
make things difficult for the player hoping to
see some cheap flops.
Number
Of Players (8.5/10):
UltimateBet
is in the top 5 for online traffic. During peak
hours, there are about 4,500 ring game players
and roughly the same amount involved in
tournaments. These players tend to be spread out
nicely amongst the games, a nice bonus for the
player seeking out variety ( Pineapple is even
offered, a 3-card variation of Texas Hold'Em).
There is also plenty of action in the higher
limits, right up to $50-$50 NL games and
$100-$200 Limit. One complaint I have is that
things tend to get quiet during the later hours
on Ultimate Bet. I'm not exactly sure why, but
it can be difficult getting a game going when
the wee hours start creeping up. I usually end
up going to another site, and evidently so do
quite a few other people.
Cashouts
/ Customer Support (8.5/10):
This
was an area that many players found lacking a
couple of years ago, but UltimateBet has worked
hard to address this. They now offer live and
telephone support, 24/7. There is also good,
knowledgeable email support, addressing the
majority of questions within 10 minutes. I have
never had a problem in this respect.
Deposit options: VISA, MasterCard, NETeller,
FirePay, Citadel (US only), SFPay (US only),
wire transfer, bank draft, cashier's check.
Cash out options: NETeller, FirePay and check
(VISA up to the amount you have been charged).
Ultimate
Bet Pros & Cons:
Pros:
-
Good signup bonus and refer-a-friend
program
- Loyalty programs and varied promotions
(including WPT Aruba prize packages)
- Interchangeable table graphics (choose from 8
different backgrounds)
- Good game selection (Pineapple) and
traffic
- Lots of high stake action, including $1
million guaranteed tourneys
- Good statistic and note taking functions,
find-a-friend program
- Hand history displays
- Live support offered
- Multi-table play is easily supported
- Chance to play with stars like Phil Hellmuth
and Annie Duke
Cons:
-
Sit and go chip stacks are small and blinds
increase quickly
- Traffic gets sparse in the later hours
- No player avatars
- Competition can be tough in NL ring games
Ultimate
Bet Site Review Conclusion:
I
find Ultimate Bet to be an enjoyable site to
play on. The software is strong and
player-friendly, and there is nice variety in
the games. There is money to be made in the
lower limit ring games, and I like trying to
make a run at the WPT Aruba qualifiers (with
little success so far). I also have a soft spot
for this site because Phil Hellmuth ranks as one
of my all time favourite players, and the chance
to see him in action (even if it is online) is
too good to pass up. A good, fun site. Check it
out.
|
