Paddy Power Poker Review

Intro:

Since joining the iPoker network and changing its software accordingly, Paddy Power Poker has seen a rapid increase in player traffic over the last year or so. Its light-hearted sporting sister site give it an excellent reputation and the sponsorship of WSOP Bracelet winner Ciaran O’Leary adds prestige from the poker world. With some of the best sign-up bonuses and promotions on the web to boot, it’s clear that Paddy Power Poker’s stock will continue to rise.

Banking:

Deposits can be made via a variety of methods. Solo, Maestro, Switch and Laser Debit Cards are all accepted as well as Visa and Mastercard Credit Cards. Customers can also deposit via Neteller, Moneybookers, a bank transfer or cheque. The minimum deposit is £10.

Game Variety:

For a high street bookmaker’s poker site there is an impressive array of games readily available. Obviously all forms of Hold ‘Em (NLH, Limit and PLH) are among the most popular and cash tables range from 0.01/0.02 right up to 50/100 for Limit, 100/200 No Limit and 300/600 Pot Limit. Omaha games come in the form of Limit, PLO, Limit Hi/Lo and PLO Hi/Lo. Micro-stakes of 0.01/0.02 are again available with the PLO games going up to 25/50 and the Limit forms even higher: 50/100 for straight Limit and 200/400 for Limit Hi/Lo. Stud players can also enjoy the 5 and 7 card versions of the game, with both starting at 0.05/0.10 and going up to 50/100 for 7 and 100/200 for 5.

Sit and Go’s are available in Hold ‘Em ($0.10 - $1000), Omaha ($1 - $200), and heads-up (PLO heads-up games extend to $500).

MTTs start for free, technically, as players with Paddy Power (PP) points can buy directly into certain tournaments off the back of them. The MTT’s can go up to $250 for PLO and $500 for NLH.
Player numbers are always on the increase, with the latest figures showing 30,000 tournament players at peak hours with around 8,000 on the cash tables.

Competition:

Some above average players can be found at the higher levels on Paddy Power, in particular the Hold ‘Em cash games. However, as you would expect, lower stakes players on the site are generally extremely fishy and most of the clientele appear to have come directly from the sports website with little poker skill. This does provide ruthless good players with the opportunity to take advantage.

Sponsorship & Promotions:

A $600 (150%) real money sign-up bonus is one of the most generous on the web and over $3million in prize money a month is put up for freerolls and guaranteed tournaments. There are always new promotions happening and its worth checking the site regularly to make sure you are not missing out when you could be filling your boots.

Graphics/Software:

Earlier this year Paddy Power Poker joined the iPoker network and their layout has changed accordingly. All the tables are decked in emerald green to give it a sort of Irish version of Titan Poker feel. There are also the standard real time hand histories and buddy lists available. One strange feature is the dealer announcing the action to you – be sure to turn the sound off if you don’t want to be harassed at the start of every hand. One excellent addition, however, is the ‘mini-mode’ view, meaning players can open 4 separate tables on a 1024x728 screen without overlap.

Support:

Customer support is available 24 hours a day via e-mail or phone and the staff and generally extremely friendly and helpful.

Rake:

The maximum rake is $5 for large multi-player pots, however it can be as low as $1 maximum for the smaller limit hold'em games.