PartyPoker Review
PartyPoker is one of the best choices of poker rooms for non-US poker players. Not only are the games incredibly soft, but the software is fantastic and there is over $6 million guaranteed in tournaments every month.
PartyPoker was established in 2001 and was the largest online poker site in the world until they withdrew from the US market in 2006 and just to emphasise what a great online poker room PartyPoker is, they were awarded the ‘Poker Operator of the Year’ award in 2009 at the eGaming Awards. No matter what level of experience you have in poker or what size of bankroll you have, PartyPoker will satisfy your needs with games around the clock, very easy opponents and fantastic promotions which reward cash prizes, live tournament packages and much more.
Software
The software at PartyPoker is another thing which really impressed me. Not only are the graphics clear and crisp, but every hand runs smoothly and there is no lag, not even when playing 12 tables at a time which is the maximum amount the PartyPoker software supports. You can even play instantly from the PartyPoker website with their ‘Instant Play’ feature which supports Windows, Mac and Linux computers but not all of the features are available in instant play, you should download the PartyPoker software to enjoy all of the available features. Another feature I love at PartyPoker is the ability to upload your own picture to use as an avatar, and also the ‘hot hand’ feature which alerts you when you are dealt a big hand such as pocket Aces; this is extremely useful when multi-tabling.
Party Poker Info
Game Variety
Game variety is one area I would like to see PartyPoker improve. Currently they only offer the standard ‘big five’ games which are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. Almost all of the action is at the Texas Hold’em tables but there is also frequent action at the other games, most notably Omaha Hi which seems to grow in popularity everyday among PartyPoker players. I think Mixed Games would be a great addition at PartyPoker just to add even more variety.
Tournaments
PartyPoker offer over $6 million in guaranteed tournaments every month ranging in buy-in levels from just $1 to hundreds of dollars, or you can even buy-in to some tournaments using your accumulated PartyPoints. The majority of tournaments are Texas Hold’em tournaments but there are also daily tournaments for other game variations. The biggest weekly tournament at PartyPoker is the $300k Guaranteed Sunday which has a direct buy-in of $215 but there are lots of daily qualifiers. The biggest monthly tournament at PartyPoker is their Monthly Million which has a $1 million guaranteed prize pool and takes place on the first Sunday of every month. As well as the vast amount of guaranteed tournaments, PartyPoker is a dream for low stakes grinders wanting to build a bankroll - they offer over $100,000 in freerolls every month as well as country restricted freerolls. Another reason I love playing at PartyPoker is their satellite tournaments which reward packages to big live tournaments including the WSOP and with their recent acquisition of the World Poker Tour (WPT) it is the best place to qualify for all the events.
Soft Competition
Now for the main reason I play at PartyPoker so much – the soft competition. The PartyPoker tables are full of fish and anyone who knows the basics of poker will be able to earn a profit playing here. The games are easy to beat until you get to the $2/$4 limits where you will be facing more experienced poker players who know exactly what they are doing. If you compare the games at PartyPoker to any other site you have played at you will certainly notice the difference in player quality, and many players come to the PartyPoker tables from their casino and betting sites, playing far too many hands and paying you off along the way. If you have trouble winning at the PartyPoker tables you will struggle at most other sites.
Customer Support
PartyPoker have an exceptional customer support team which is available 24/7 via telephone and e-mail. The telephone line is toll-free and there are various departments listed on the PartyPoker support page meaning you can contact the department you require directly which will get your problem resolved much faster. E-mail response times can vary from a few minutes to a few hours but the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.
