Betfair Poker

Reasons to Play
$600 sign-up bonus - no minimum deposit required
Weekly tournaments totaling over $50,000
Monthly tournaments totaling over $2 million
Win free entry to major offline tournaments for up to 3 years
One of the UK`s most experienced and reputable gaming houses
One of the lowest rake structures around
Earn ongoing cash for players you refer - not just a once-off reward
Lots of soft competition

Betfair Poker Room is part of the renowned Betfair gambling powerhouse. It`s a thoroughly professional poker room, featuring a generous sign-up bonus, plenty of massive tournaments and a lively community that plays on the tables constantly and participates in their interactive forums. You`ll always be able to find a good game, and have your choice of limits, table sizes, and poker game type - beginners can play at the 2c/4c tables and high-rollers can avail themselves of the $1,000/$2,000 tables. One of the most onerous things about many poker rooms is the rake. This is the percentage that the poker room "taxes" on every pot. Betfair`s rake is never higher than $3 in any pot - and this is only on the higher limit tables. In general the rake is up to 50% lower than what you would pay in many other European poker rooms. The reason for this is that all poker play is in dollars, not in pounds or Euros, so the rake costs you less when the exchange rate is taken into account.

Betfair does not accept US based players, but being a UK poker room it has already built up a large player base, and in fact it is one of Europe`s busiest poker rooms. Because Betfair offers a casino and a very popular sports book, as well as being a well-known betting institution in the UK, it attracts a healthy mix of newbies and more sophisticated players, giving you a good varied level of competition. It is also very popular in Scandinavian countries, so you can expect the now legendary aggressive play from this sector.

I always enjoy playing at the UK and European poker rooms and this is no exception. It`s hard to resist the lower limit tables given the regular influx of players from the sports betting side. At busier times there are an average of around 2,500 real money players at the tables. The proprietary software is a pleasure to play on, and is particularly suited to multi-table play.

Bonuses and Promos:

• $600 free money sign-up bonus - no deposit required - earn points for cash game play and redeem them
• Plenty of satellites to offline tournaments like the European Poker Tour Final in Monte Carlo
• Threedom Pass - any player who qualifies for an offline tournament and then makes the final table, wins free entry plus travel costs to the same tournament for the next 3 years
• Weekly tournaments totalling $50,000 per week
• Monthly guaranteed tournaments totalling over $2 million per month
• Ongoing rewards for any player you successfully refer - if they keep playing you could earn a maximum of $8,000

Loyalty Scheme:

• Earn Betfair Points - a new system that allows you to get reduced commission on sports betting, with more benefits in the pipeline.

Rake:
5% rake is taken on all cash games, with a maximum rake of $3 on the highest limit tables.

Traffic:
Traffic is medium volume, with an average of 2,500 cash game players at peak times, and just over 2,000 tournament players when the main attractions are on.

Software And Features:
Betfair`s proprietary software is state-of-the-art, with a range of features that have benefited from having been pretty recently developed. Besides the standard poker room functionality, there are some really useful additional features. Multiple tables can be viewed at once within the same screen (up to 6 at a time), view video content like tips from the pros, find where specific players are playing, and remember a folded hand. All of this in a stylish and robust software package.

Supported Games And Limits:
At the moment Texas Hold`em and Omaha High are offered. Betting limits range from 2c/4c up to a huge $1,000/$2,000

Deposit And Withdrawal Options:
Use a range of financing methods, including credit and debit cards, NETeller, MoneyBookers, PayPal and BT Click & Buy.

Competition:
Competition is generally soft, thanks to most players that come from the sports book being pretty loose and inexperienced. Play can get wild, but there is good money to be made if you keep your head and stick to solid playing wisdom, then cash in when you have the goods. On the higher limit tables, watch out for super-aggressive and more experienced Scandinavian players.

Player Services:
Enjoy the full weight of a wealth of gaming management and support experience with a great pedigree. Support is available 24/7 by phone, fax or email. The support team is committed to answering all emails within 4 hours.

Downsides:
If you prefer to play in pounds or Euros, you may find the dollar only play a drawback.
Only Texas Hold`em and Omaha High are currently offered
Limited ways to redeem your loyalty points