Party Poker Review (4 out of 5)
Party Poker Review (4 out of 5)
Party Poker is known for being one of the largest poker rooms online and having some of the weakest competition out there. This site retains strong ratings despite being downgraded for disallowing U.S. players. What international players can appreciate at Party Poker is the ability to find no-limit ring games consistently busy at all levels. I mostly play during the wee hours of the night and there are always active tables at most limits with a seat open. Also, they constantly offer promotions to new players in terms of beginner's tables and freerolls, while still catering to bigger players with big tournament satellites and guaranteed tournaments. The software has also been recently upgraded with a few new features. Overall, this is a solid choice and a well-rounded poker site for international players.
Fish:
Party Poker has a reputation for hosting some of the worst players online. While I don't completely disagree, I don't want you to expect a cakewalk when you sit down at these tables. Yes, the players are largely inexperienced who have been sucked in by a Party Poker TV commercial. However, you can't put every player at your table in this category so I suggest that you observe the table for a couple of rounds before you assume anything. That being said, these player's aren't very good on the whole. Many of your opponents will overvalue the bluff, and I find a much higher bluffing rate than at other sites. Also, many other opponents overvalue the continuation bet. They might have had a decent hand before the flop, but they don't understand that they need to connect it with the board in order to keep betting on the flop and beyond. On the whole, tight-aggressive and experienced players will almost always have the advantage at these tables.
Tournaments:
The large number of traffic means that Party Poker is able to host some great tournaments. Besides hosted tournaments, we're pleased to now offer all our new players huge private freerolls with prizes like free WSOP seats. Since their network hosts so many players, they can afford to hold huge events. It is truly remarkable how large online tournaments have gotten. It wasn't long ago that you wouldn't see a half million dollar prize pool for most live tourneys. Often, this site will draw a larger prize pool than that as a weekly event. If you can't afford the direct buy-in to their largest events you can win a multi-table or single-table qualifier. Along with regular freerolls for frequent players, they host lots of satellites into live tournaments. Omaha and Stud players will appreciate that Party Poker hosts a few tournaments that draw considerable traffic to these alternatives. Limit hold 'em players even have their pick of quite of few fixed events. In terms of tournament buy-in range, low-limit players will find a good number of $10 or less buy-ins. In fact, these are probably the most popular events. One perk from having so much tournament traffic is that Party can offer multi-table Sit 'n Go tournaments, which is also a neat concept.
Software:
The Party Poker software is basic, but offers what you need. The graphics are fine without being overly detailed, and the game speed is pretty quick. They've just launched a major update that has made some important improvements in terms of functionality. If you're playing with a decent resolution display you can resize, tile, or cascade windows to make multi-table play easier. The visuals for the lobby and cashier have also been somewhat streamlined. The tables now have actual names, the no-limit cash games are listed by blind levels, the hands/hour stat is visible from the lobby, and you can add certain games to a Favorites list. Some extra features include a Blackjack feature that will pop up in its own window. If you get bored at your poker table, you can use the same account money at Blackjack. Their new goal seems to be to link your single Party cash account with their casino front. Personally, I'll stick to the skill games, however some players might enjoy this extra feature. Also, players now have the ability to make side wagers on the color of the following hand's flop. All 3 cards have to be one color, and the odds of hitting this are extremely thin. I highly recommend staying away from this feature unless you're really bored and want to throw your money away. Overall, this is playable software without a lot of frills.
Player Traffic
Simply put - enormous. Party Poker battles between Poker Stars for the top ring game and tournament traffic and this is one of their biggest advantages. For Hold'em, you can find dozens of tables filled up at each limit, and they even have some busy Omaha and Stud tables for mixed-game players. Tournament traffic is also massive for both multi-table and single-table events. If you're looking for the most action in terms of traffic, here it is. Please note that the traffic at this site is suffering a major drawback due to their decision to pull out of the US market.
Best Features
Tons of traffic. This site holds an enormous share of the online poker market, so you'll never have to worry about empty tables or cancelled tournaments.
Strong player promotions. They do hold a good number of promotions for both new players and loyal returning players.
Big tournaments. Their $500,000 guaranteed event is huge, and they offer a lot of tournaments for serious players.
Game Selection: Hold 'em, Omaha, Omaha H/L, 7 card stud, 7 card stud H/L
Limits: Limit: 50c/$1 up to $100/$200 No-Limit: 10c/25c up to $10/$20
Party Poker has recently added even smaller limits for new depositors. You're able to play at these tables for the first 45 days of your account.
Artist/Author: Beat the Fish April 14, 2007 | |
