888 POKER REVIEW

888Poker is not just a big name in America; it’s a worldwide poker powerhouse. They’re one of the biggest names in the industry, and I wanted to see if they could live up to the hype. To give you an insight into what the platform is truly like, I created an account, loaded it up with cash, and started playing. I left no stone unturned, trying every game format I could find and testing all the site’s settings.

As with all my reviews, I aim to give you a comprehensive review of 888Poker. Here, I cover not just how good the games are but how easy the site is to use, the bonuses available to you, if the customer support is legit and more.

I’ve been in the industry for nearly 10 years, and you only get to stick around for as long as I have if you know what is and isn’t a good real money online poker site. So after testing the site til my eyeballs nearly melted, I jotted down all my ideas and created this review. Here it is. Read it, trust what I tell you, but you ultimately make your own decision.

PROS AND CONS

When choosing a poker site, it’s crucial to weigh the pros and cons to see if the site is right for you. I’ve outlined what I feel are the most essential points to consider when looking at 888Poker.

POKER GAME SELECTION

888Poker offers a wide choice of classic poker games, with some unique variations, too. Here is a quick breakdown of what makes up the 888Poker game selection:

RING GAMES

Ring games at 888Poker include Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, with games ranging between No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit. There are always plenty of cash games running, and I never found it an issue getting into a game when I played on the site. There are always plenty of cash games running, and I never found it an issue getting into a game when I played on the site.

SIT N GO’S

These games have snowballed in popularity, and 888Poker has ensured it’s delivered with Sit N Go play. The games are suitable for players of all budgets, with buy-ins as low as $1. I found these games to be some of the softest around, as at these low buy-in levels, the tournaments were full of fish ready to punt their stack away! I found these games to be some of the softest around, as at these low buy-in levels the tournaments were full of fish ready to punt their stack away!

POKER TOURNAMENTS

888Poker players are spoilt for choice with a vast selection of buy-ins, rebuys, and heavy bounty games. These tournaments are full of action, boasting over 10,000 players online at peak times. Lots of players mean massive guarantees, and I was always satisfied with the guarantees in the tournaments I played.

In addition, 888Poker offers unique tournaments throughout the week, including “The Whale,” a deep stack game offering a $200k monthly prize pool. Another exciting tournament event is the $10,000 Big Sunday event and you can find nightly events that range from $5,000 to $25,000.

If you don’t want to pay the buy-in price, then you can enter the satellite tournaments and play your way to an entry into one of the bigger tournaments. There is no shortage of poker tournaments with games taking place day and night for players of all budgets.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO PLAY?

The games on offer are just one aspect of an online poker room; another aspect that you should consider when choosing a site is what the software is like to use. This covers what it looks like, how easy it is to find your favorite games, and how easy it is to play at the tables.

888Poker currently does not offer an option to play from your web browser, but it does have a downloadable poker client that you can install on your computer. Let’s take a look at what this poker client is like to use.

POKER CLIENT

When you open the 888Poker client, the first thing you notice is how good it looks. The sleek, modern design with the black and blue color palette really pops on the screen, and as a self-professed dark-theme nut, I absolutely love the color design. Definitely full marks from me for design!

However, if you’re coming across from another poker site, it may take you a little while to get used to how things are laid out. Rather than having all the options at the top of the screen, 888Poker lists them on the right-hand side of the lobby. While there’s nothing wrong with this option, it’s different from a lot of other poker sites, so some players may get confused when trying to find their favorite games.

Once you get used to the alternative layout, the site is actually really easy to use. Whether you want to immediately jump into a session, manage your bankroll, or alter your settings, you can easily find everything you’re looking for in the poker client.

When you jump into a poker game for the first time, you’ll find that the iconic black and blue color design has made its way onto the table. The thing that you’re looking for from a table design is whether or not all of the information you need is clearly readable, and for that, 888Poker gets top marks.

You can clearly see your hand, the board cards, the pot size, your stack size, and the amount you’d like to bet; and when you reach a showdown, you can easily see what your opponents have.

However, I found the blue bar around the username and stack to be a bit distracting while you’re trying to think, and I wasn’t used to having the options for fold, check, and bet above the buttons you use to determine your bet size. It’s a small niggle, but it could lead to a few misclicks if your muscle memory is programmed for another layout.

Speaking of layout, there are a number of customizable options available at 888Poker, including table themes, game settings, and your bet slider. Being able to customize your bet slider may seem like a minor feature, but it saves so much time in the long run, especially if you’re playing long sessions of multiple tables. Instead of having to manually input your bet or raise every time, you can click a button and it’s instantly ready for you to bet – it’s fantastic!

There are also other settings you can configure that make grinding long sessions much easier. One of the best options is the hotkeys feature; this feature allows you to make actions like with just the tap of a button – no more carpal tunnel syndrome from holding your mouse for 6 hours straight! While it would be nice to be able to choose whatever key you’d like, there are a number of options available to pick from.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about the 888Poker software; it looks great, it’s easy to use, and there are a lot of customizable options. While it may take a little while to get used to the different layout, it’s well worth checking out if you’re looking for a new place to play.

FEATURES OF THE SITE

After thoroughly testing the software, I believe there are a number of features that make 888Poker a great option for beginners and experts alike.

• Options For Poker Grinders – One of the things I love about this site is the number of grinder-friendly options it has. In a time when most sites are looking to persuade grinders from playing on the site, 888Poker has a number of features that make it easier to play, including hotkeys and customizable bet buttons. These features make the game easier for everyone and should be a part of every online poker site.
• Beginner’s Section – While it has a number of options to make the lives of poker grinders easier, 888Poker also caters to the new players joining the site with its “Beginners” section on the homepage. This section offers a number of recommendations for games that beginners should try out and is well worth checking out if you’re new to the game of poker.
• Great Looking Software – On top of being easy to use and having a number of customizable options, the software itself just looks fantastic. It’s important that a poker room has good-looking software, as it’s hard to grind on a site that you can’t stand looking at all day!

WHAT IT’S MISSING

While 888Poker certainly has a number of positive features, there are some things that it could improve. Below, I’ve listed a couple of the features that I’d like to see added to 888Poker in future updates.

• Uploadable Profile Pictures – While it won’t impact your overall experience on the site, I was disappointed that you cannot upload your own profile picture to use as an avatar while you play.
• Web Client – It would be nice to have the option to play from a web browser as well as the downloadable client, as it would allow people to log on and play a quick session without having the hassle of downloading and installing the 888Poker software.

DEPOSIT AND WITHDRAWAL OPTIONS

Players can enjoy a wealth of popular deposit options at 888Poker, from e-Wallets to traditional bank cards. You can safely and securely make transactions through Neteller, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, Wire Transfer, PayPal and WebMoney, to name a few. Deposit time frames are usually instant, but players making withdrawals can sometimes experience cash-out times of up to five working days, which is below the industry average. Of course, it all depends on your payment method; I found that, when using e-wallets, my withdrawal times were much faster.

All deposit and withdrawal transactions are backed by industry-best SSL encryption technology, so you can rest assured that your funds will move safely. Moreover, the operator does not add any processing fees to your transactions.

MOBILE GAMING

Players today are accustomed to playing games on their mobile devices. 888Poker boasts a fully optimized mobile site and a fully loaded mobile app for an impeccable mobile gaming experience. The mobile offering is extensive and provides most of the content, games, and tournaments that the desktop counterpart offers.

I found myself using this app a lot during my time on the site, as I’m the kind of player who likes to play on the go. On mobile, I could access everything I wanted. This includes cash games, tournaments, and sit-and-go events. The online software does offer more bells and whistles than the mobile option, but the desktop and downloadable software are still rock solid.

The mobile app allows players instant access to 888’s full suite of poker games, including the fast-fold SNAP Poker and multi-table tournaments. I found the app sleek, easy-to-use, and easy-to-navigate thanks to its smooth interface, and I could effortlessly play poker games on the move.

Unfortunately, the mobile poker app lacks some more advanced features, such as the ability to note other players and search for them. You can’t review hand histories, either, but this is a minor niggle about an otherwise top-notch mobile poker app.

CUSTOMER SERVICE OPTIONS

The customer support service from 888Poker is excellent, and the response times are quick. Support is offered via one of three methods: email, phone, and live chat. The 888 support staff members are available at all times of day, and I found them to be well-versed in the subject matter (which isn’t always the case!). If you have a general query, you can check out the 888 FAQ page, which will assist with any minor concerns or questions you may have.

Live Chat: Yes

Phone: No

Email: Yes

FAQs: Yes

WHAT MAKES THIS POKER SITE UNIQUE?

The best thing that 888Poker has going for it is the site’s 10 million+ registered members. Games are always running, and colossal prize pools are always up for grabs. The fact that the player pool keeps growing is a testament to 888Poker’s high-quality product. Additionally, 888 is one of the few poker networks to host their own collection of prestigious live series, with land-based events in London, Barcelona, Bucharest, Sochi and more.

CONCLUSION

888Poker has been around for over two decades for a reason. In my experience, 888Poker is a top option for poker players looking for quick-and-easy action, whether newbie or pro.

There are plenty of games to play, and I never found myself struggling to play what I wanted, and I play at all hours of the night!

The site has been refined over the years, and I believe the site keeps getting better. It’s one of the better-looking poker sites on the market, and its layout is clean and easy to use. In addition, 888 keep up with the latest industry innovations and ensures players receive a top-quality online poker service. Final Verdict: 888 thumbs up.

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