Pacific Poker is the flagship poker site for leading online gambling company 888. By some estimates, 888 is the most successful online gambling brand in the world, and yet for some reason, few fans of 888’s other sites are showing Pacific Poker support. Find out if the snub is warranted in the comprehensive review of Pacific Poker below.
Pacific Poker Bonuses And Promotions
Pacific Poker’s lack of popularity certainly can’t have anything to do with their bonuses and promotions. 888 is essentially synonymous with online bonuses, and Pacific Poker is no exception. Their promo page is two to three times more packed than comparable poker rooms of the same size. So many poker rooms shirk their members on the sign-up bonus, but Pacific Poker is doubly generous.
First of all, the 100% first deposit match worth up to $400 goes above and beyond the industry average, but Pacific Poker makes it even more generous by awarding 25% instantly. That means that even irregular players will get a sizable reward.
Furthermore, the site replaces the small first deposit freerolls favored by other poker rooms with their bankroll-building $50,000 first depositors challenge. The site also shows appreciation for returning depositors by offering weekly $1000 depositor freerolls.
Pacific Poker’s generosity isn’t limited to new players and depositors. Their satellite offerings are among the very best. Currently, the room is offering eight different ways to earn a WSOP package, and with 88 packages available you’ll have many opportunities to win. International players looking to stay closer to home can also earn entry into big European events like the Irish Open or offshore events like the Caribbean Poker Cruise.
Though Pacific Poker has good guarantees, they’re not great when compared to the rest of their tournament package. Still, daily guarantees of $10,000 to $50,000 are nothing to sneeze at, and when they’re combined with the site’s other many special tournaments players of every level are sure to find plenty of promising action.
It’s worth noting that Pacific Poker’s promotional program is so expansive that we don’t even have the space to enumerate all their offerings. Fortunately, Pacific Poker posts them all their regularly updated promotions page and is so proud of these promotions that they even offer up info on past events so new players know what to look for in the future.
Banking
Quite frankly Pacific Poker’s list of approved payment methods is awe-inspiring. If they don’t accept your preferred payment method then you probably shouldn’t be using it. They make banking especially easy by offering in-depth depositing and withdrawing sections that explain any logical question a first-time online player could have about the process.
Though the site offers significantly fewer withdrawal options (this seems to be the industry norm), there are still sufficient options for international players of any origin to get their money quickly and securely.
Software
Pacific Poker runs on its own proprietary 888 software. In the past, this fact was a bit of a hindrance since 888’s developers were more experienced with casino software, but a recent overhaul has yielded a more efficient, player-oriented platform. Though the site’s lobby and game tables are still lacking in many of the newer player features, what the interface does offer is done impeccably well. The table graphics are simple and dated, but they’re also bright and clear, and the introduction of 3D avatars adds some flash to the otherwise bare-bones format.
You won’t be wowed by Pacific Poker’s game or stakes selection but they do toss non-typical poker players a bone with their Seven Card Stud tables (even if said tables are almost always empty). No Limit and Pot Limit stakes start at the bottom with $.01/$.02 but climb very little to top out at $10/$20. The Fixed Limit spread stretches a little higher up to $75/$150. Though low and middle stakes MTT players will have their pick of juicy pots with buy-ins starting at a mere penny, high rollers looking for a big guarantee may be disappointed by the site’s maximum $215 buy-in. Sit ‘n’ go fans, on the other hand, should have no trouble finding their niche with buy-ins ranging from a quarter up to $750.
If you can find a stake you like at Pacific Poker, then by all means take a seat. Few poker rooms of this caliber offer such fishy competition. Across the board the flops seen percentage is ridiculously high, so whether you’re tight or lose you’ll get plenty of chances to double up on unsuspecting calling stations.
Summary
Despite its mediocre appearance, Pacific Poker is better than average in almost every other respect. Reviewers have repeatedly been hard-pressed to explain the site’s notoriously weak traffic, but players are finally catching on. Establish your position now and you’ll be well-prepared to fleece the influx of fresh players.