Online Casino Gambling

Sportsbook Poker Review

In terms of the industry’s nearly 20-year history, Sportsbook Poker is a relatively new player in the online poker scene, but if it feels like an old soul that’s because its parent site – Sportsbook.com – has been a leading online betting site for nearly 15 years.

Sportsbook Poker is one of the premier members of the Cake Poker network, and as such it has a lot to live up to.

Sportsbook Poker Bonuses and Promotions

In the area of bonuses and promotions Sportsbook Poker meets expectations, though players that put extra emphasis on the bonus portion of their membership may be disappointed by Sportsbook Poker’s focus on in-play rewards (vs. the more traditional deposit bonuses). That said, Sportsbook Poker offers its new members a competitive 100% match worth up to $650 plus a one-time $500 welcome freeroll entry.

Reload bonuses are seldom seen at this site which chooses instead to funnel its funds into tournament offerings and other special events. Virtually the only way to earn free cash once you’ve exhausted your first deposit bonus is with frequent player/loyalty points. On a monthly basis Sportsbook Poker offers FPP promotions where site regulars can earn playing cash for the sportsbook and casino in addition to free entries to special guaranteed tournaments.

The poker room’s loyalty points program – Gold Stacks – is in the traditional pyramid format, meaning that only top tier players can expect instant cash bonuses while infrequent and low-stakes players will be lucky to earn a tournament entry.

Speaking of tournament entries – that’s the area where Sportsbook Poker just happens to excel. Most months the site guarantees at least $5 million in total tournament money with a $250,000 guaranteed tournament every month and a $125,000 guaranteed tournament every week. Sportsbook Poker offers one of the best freeroll lineups with a special “Freeroll into Millions” satellite series that puts the other poker rooms’ $50 daily freerolls to shame and players willing to pony up for cash tournaments can also satellite their way into major live and online events.

Banking

Sportsbook, and by extension Sportsbook Poker, has the unique distinction of offering the highest credit card acceptance rate in the online gambling industry. The high acceptance rate extends to U.S. players. Of course one reason the site is so willing to accept players’ credit cards is that in some instances they request what may seem like an excessive amount of personal information. The downside to the site’s emphasis on credit card deposits is that their list of approved payment methods is otherwise pretty limited.

Players may also deposit via a cash transfer, UseMyWallet, Moneybookers and Neteller. If you’re dead set on getting some kind of reload bonus, then it’s worth noting that you can earn a token 5% match on every deposit you make with UseMyWallet.

Sportsbook Poker’s withdrawal options are equally scanty and come with their own hindersome restrictions. Whether you choose to withdraw with a wire transfer, check, UseMyWallet, Moneybookers or Neteller not a single service is instant. And while each of these services offers one free withdrawal per month, if you wish to cash out twice in a month you’ll be paying some form of processing fee, regardless of which service you use or how much you request.

Software

Though Sportsbook Poker may be mediocre at best in the previous two categories, where they excel is in their revolutionary software package. The proprietary software that runs this site was designed by poker players for poker players, and what the designers determined was that real players prefer speed and efficiency over extraneous options and tacky graphics. Sportsbook Poker’s software lets you get down to business almost instantly with a bare minimum of effort, and while some of the flair offered by other sites is sacrificed for function here, players that are serious about the game will never find reason to complain.

The site has a game and stakes selection that leaves no one out. Despite the room’s other faults it continues to attract good numbers which means steady action not only at the Texas Hold’em and Omaha tables but occasionally at the Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo tables too. The tournament traffic is even better and regular tournament buy-ins start at  a budget-friendly dollar with big satellite buy-ins starting at $5. The Bounty and Guaranteed events are especially popular, but the competition level is still exceedingly soft, leaving plenty of opportunity for solid amateurs to build their bankrolls.

Summary

While Sportsbook Poker is far from perfect, it hits the mark in the areas that serious poker players value most. The cash-strapped bonuses may leave something to be desired, but the game quality never does; it’s a trade-off that many American players have been happy to make.