Full review of Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker
www.betfairpoker.com 
FREE DOWNLOAD!
Established 2001
Country UK
 

 

Total score (out of 10) 5.5

 Sign-up bonus in $ $200
Deposit bonus in % 200%
Referral bonus per friend $40
Deposit free bonus $0
Paid to play ($/hour) $0

Hits
Telephone and email support
Loose and juicy games
Proposition player program


Misses
Not top look and feel software
High rake
Few automatic/sophisticated buttons
No NETeller support

Summary
Betfair Poker is a fast growing room which is part of the Cryptologic network, sharing the player base with other rooms. Betfair Poker has quickly become popular as lots of the sports book customer are joining. (The mother company Betfair is the world’s largest online sports betting exchange). The Cryptologic network has very soft/loose games. So, if you are looking for an easy-to-win game this is a good room. The player volume has grown tremendously in 2004, as they have introduced no-limit and pot-limit and the tournament area is now very popular. The software is quite functional, however the graphics are not the nicest. There is an open "proposition player" program, where you get paid $10-$20 per hour to play in new and short-handed games! US players are not allowed at Betfair Poker. Real money player statistics - July 2005: 1500-2000 ring game players at peak hours, 1500-2200 tournament players at peak hours.

Software and graphics
The CryptoLogic software and network, where Betfair Poker shares the player base with the other sites, among other William Hill Poker, InterCasinoPoker, Caribbean Sun Poker making it a "skin" of a common platform. The software is not visually appealing and also lacking some basic functionality. The sophisticated buttons are missing, making multi table play messy. The Holdem games have both six-player and ten-player tables as well as heads up tables. The time clock requires the players to act quite quickly, which is good for players who appreciate fast games. The site has voice options.

Ring game traffic
Betfair Poker has about 1500-2000 real players at ring games at peak hours.

Tournament traffic
The traffic at the tournaments has grown a lot in 2004 and now there are about 1500-2200 players at peak hours.

Game variety
Quite good, with Holdem, Omaha Hi and Hi-Lo and seven-card stud – with pot-limit in both Omaha versions and no-limit and pot-limit in Holdem (fixed limit in all games). Games can be played in dollar, pound and euro. There are high limit tables with 100/200 in any of the currencies. The $1/$2 games are the smallest stakes for fixed limit games and $0.50/$1 smallest stakes for pot-limit and no-limit games.

Rake
The rake is less attractive than the average of the industry. A rake of 5% is raked on every pot over £5/$5, up to a maximum of £3/$3. There is a "no flop - no drop" policy for hands not reaching the flop.

Soft competition
As several sites in the Cryptologic network that are sub-sites to large online casinos or sports books, they tend to attract more gamblers with less poker experience. There is still a window of opportunity for the tight aggressive player. The view flop percentage at full 10-play tables at the lower stakes can be in the 50-ies and 60-ies.

Sign up bonus
Each first deposit of $100 or more will earn bonus on the number of raked hands, the first 60 days of play. Bonus is paid out as follows; 200 raked hands $20, 500 raked hands $50, 1000 raked hands $100, 1500 raked hands $150 and 2000 raked hands $200. There is also a refer-a-friend promo paying $40 per new qualified friend.

Loyalty bonus
Points for lower commission at the sports betting exchange by mother company Betfair.

Promotions
As a standard promotion all players are part of a prop player incentive scheme, where the player get $10-$20 pro rata per hours (i.e. $1-$2 per six minutes) for any amount of time playing at specified table. Each specified table only pays the player for a maximum of two hours (up to $40). There is a progressive bad beat jackpot and a royal flush jackpot.

Support
There is telephone support, as well as email support.

Financial security
Should be very secure, as the mother company is a well-established sports book. Top score.

Deposit & withdrawal options
Deposit options: You can deposit with VISA, MasterCard, UK debit cards (Delta, Switch, Solo), check, direct bank transfer, Western Union, Money bookers. Cash out options: Check, bank transfer, Money bookers.