Poker Room Review from Actionflop Poker

POKER ROOM REVIEW

SCREEN SHOTS

Poker Room lobby

Poker Room ring game (Windows client and Java version look nearly identical)

OVERVIEW

Although it is fifth or sixth most popular site based on total number of players, Poker Room has a lot going for it. Currently, it is the only site that allows Mac users to play without software emulation (Mac and Linux users run a java client through their browsers).

As of October 2006, Poker Room is no longer accepting real money deposits from players in the U.S.

BONUSES

Initial deposit:

20% up to $100 - or - flat $25 bonus*

Difficulty to clear

Difficult

Expiration:

60 days after initial deposit

Method of tabulation:

Point system

Details:

You must earn 7 "player points" for every $1 of bonus collected. (To receive the maximum bonus of $100, you must earn 700 player points.) Poker Room recently implemented a new point system that awards you 0.07 player points for every $0.10 in rake, up to a maximum of 2.1 player points per hand ($3 rake).

Opinion:

At $2/$4 and above, the new point system favors the player more than the old system. Before, a pot would need to reach $20 before it is raked, at which time you would receive 1 player point. If the pot did not reach $20, you would receive no player points. Now, most pots are raked at least $0.80, which means that you will earn about half a player point per hand. While you will probably pay more in rake in the long term, you will clear your bonuses more quickly. I've found that I can earn 40 player points per table per hour at $2/$4 and above.

*Optional deposit bonus:

If you prefer not to initially deposit a large sum of money, you can still get a good bonus if a current Poker Room player refers you. I would be happy to refer anyone who contacts me at . Through this referral program, you will receive $25 after earning 150 player points. If you plan on depositing less than $150, I recommend this method.

GAME SELECTION/COMMENTS

Good. This site is not as large as some others, but there always seems to be two or three $3/$6 tables (my game of choice) running at any given moment, so playing two tables at a time is a possibility (you can't do this through the Java client). There are not as many freeroll tournaments here as there are on other sites. Poker Room offers a nightly $20,000 guaranteed NLHE tourney ($40,000 on Friday nights) for $20+$2. Between 400 and 500 usually play in this tourney, and the top 9% usually finish in the money--a much higher percentage than is found at other sites.

PLAYER REWARDS

Players are awarded "player points" for each raked hand they play. If you earn 500 player points in a week, you are eligible to play in a $6,000 freeroll at the end of the week. Those who earn fewer player points in a week are eligible to play in freerolls with smaller cash prizes. Player points can also be redeemed for tickets into cash tourneys (550 player points = $5.50 ticket and so on). Getting a royal flush at Poker Room pays you immediate cash -- 100 times the big blind of your limit game, up to $5,000 (at $50/$100). Unlike Poker Room's old "Diamonds mean cash" promo, your royal flush can now be of any suit.

RAKE

The rake at Poker Room is higher than that at other leading sites. While the maximum rake is capped at $3 per industry standard, you will pay more rake at Poker Room at low limits than you will at other sites. The calculation method is non-standard with the rake based on number of big blinds in the pot rather than number of dollars. If you would like to read a detailed comparison of Poker Room's rake with those of other leading sites, see "Rakes of Online Poker Rooms."

MISCELLANEOUS

When one player goes all-in in a tournament, the software displays the chance each live hand has to win (in percentages). This is a fun feature that's reminiscent of the World Poker Tour graphics. You know right away whether you're a big favorite or underdog.

The blind structure for $3/$6 LHE is $1.50 and $3. At this level the small blind is $0.50 more (50% greater!) than it is at other leading sites such as Party Poker and Poker Stars. This extra amount can add up over time, especially if you are apt to fold your small blind to a raise. If you play 100 hands of full-ring $3/$6 a day, you will be in the small blind ten times--$5 more a day, $35 more a week.

This site has the best statistics tracking of all the major sites. This site is unique among the major online poker sites in that you can also play casino games such as blackjack, video poker, slots, craps, and roulette. Poker Room has recently released a version of their client that will allow you to play for real money on a mobile phone--an industry first!

Poker Room may have the slowest customer service in the industry. While all of my email inquiries have been answered, the response time has sometimes been over a week! It is much more efficient to call their toll-free number if you have a problem. When I have done this, the person at the other end of the line has been courteous and helpful.

DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

Click on the banner below to be taken to the Poker Room site where you can download the client.

Any questions or comments about this website can be addressed to .