888 Poker Review

Who has the time or patience to be a guinea pig? That’s precisely what you’ll become when you put your faith in some new poker sites. Don’t bother subjecting yourself to someone’s pointless poker room experiment when there are time-tested alternatives staring you in the face. 888 Poker isn’t just one of the most trusted poker rooms in the world, they are poker pioneers that constantly prove their worth. Whether you are new to the poker scene or are looking for a new site that’s open to New Zealanders, you’ll love the huge guaranteed tournaments, extensive game selection, amazing promotions, solid software, and convenient banking options at 888 Poker.

History Worth Celebrating

888’s storied roots run all the way back to 1997, when its predecessor opened one of the first licensed casinos on the web. Five years later the company launched a full-fledged multiplayer poker room under the now famous 888 banner. Today 888 operates an award winning poker room, casino, bingo hall, and sports site. Based in Gibraltar, the site is fully regulated and licensed to offer games worldwide. Players will be pleased to know that 888 is a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange. That means it’s accountable to shareholders for maximum trust and transparency.

Casino Screenshots

Serious Traffic

After seventeen years in business, it’s no surprise that 888 has managed to develop and retain a sizable following of loyal players. The poker room’s popularity is immediately apparent when you log on. There’s always a significant amount of traffic with 2400 players enjoying real money ring games on average and 3500 players enjoying cash action at peak times.

The site constantly ranks in the top three in overall player volume, with as many as 20,000 on the site at its height. Keep in mind the site attracts players from all over the world, which is particularly useful if you like enjoying the action outside traditional prime time. If landmark weekly tournaments are your thing, expect to compete against 700 and 1000 players for the massive guarantees.

Huge Guaranteed Tournaments

Kiwis will love the broad tournament schedule. Expect to find more sit and go as well as multi-table tournaments than you can reasonably handle. The weekend Mega Series lets New Zealanders compete for $178,000 US every weekend. Take advantage of the Mega Deep guaranteed tournament on Sunday to play for $100,000! If you have a certifiable need for speed, test drive the Turbo Mega Deep tournament also held every Sunday. It’s your exclusive chance to play for $50,000.

High rollers will want to log on every fourth Sunday for the $200K Guaranteed Whale tourney. With at least $200K up for grabs, it’s worth pencilling into your calendar right now. Of course Kiwis with shallow pockets can skip the costly buy-ins and satellite to the big time. There are also exciting Mega Micro tournaments that you can enter with pocket change. It all adds up to about $700,000 in guaranteed monthly cash.

Pros & Cons

Leading Loyalty Program

888 Poker prides itself in rewarding all of its players regardless of skill level. The rewards program has twelve distinct statuses with increasingly amazing benefits. You can expect to earn both status points and reward points from your very first hand. As you rack up status points, you’ll earn more status points and a higher rate of cash back. You can redeem status points for freerolls and tournament entries, cash, or amazing merchandise like branded gear and the latest tech gadgets. The best part is you’ll be automatically enrolled for free as soon as you sign up.

First-Rate Promotions

888 Poker might as well be called 888 Promotions! While that might seem like an exaggeration, expect non-stop promos. Take advantage of free cash just for signing up. You don’t even need to make a deposit! If you brought your wallet, you can profit from a 100% deposit bonus that will instantly double your money. You’ll also get exclusive entries into lucrative freerolls reserved for new players.

Make sure you claim regular reload bonuses or tweet for a free tournament seat. You’ll want to take advantage of holiday and seasonal tourneys with plenty of free entries. Earlier this year players won poker vacation packages to Cyprus and trips to the WSOP. The best part is Kiwis are eligible to win!

Flexible Deposit Options For New Zealanders

If you feel like playing right now, you’ll be pleased to discover just how easy it is for Kiwis to get into the game. Choose from popular payment options including Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, debit cards, Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, internet banking, and Ukash. Whether you value speed, convenience, privacy, or complete flexibility, there’s a method that’s right for you at 888poker.com.

Effortless Withdrawals

Unlike some sites that make it downright impossible for New Zealanders to cash out, 888 Poker lets you access your winnings with total ease. After your big tournament victory, you’ll be able to cash out quickly. If you take advantage of credit card or withdrawals using ewallet services like Skrill or PayPal then you can have your dollars as early as the next day. If you’re more traditional, you can still get a bank draft in the post.

Quality Customer Service

888 Poker provides reliable support. In our tests, customer service staff always responded to our email questions within 24 hours, even on the weekend. We had no trouble getting through by phone, although there isn’t a toll free number from New Zealand at press time. The agents we spoke with were knowledgeable, patient and spoke English fluently. The site also has extensive online guides, so you can get most of the answers you need quickly. Still, it’s reassuring to know help is an email or call away.

More Games All The Time

The sheer volume of players at 888 Poker makes it easy to find the game you’re looking for at your desired stakes, no matter what time it is. You’ll find all your favourites like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud at fixed, pot and no limit. There’s even fast-fold versions to shake things up. From cash games to lengthy tournaments that lead all the way to fame and fortune, there’s something for everyone. Plus with extensive resources on site, you can easily learn how to play every kind of poker and win!

Stable Software

Unlike some sites that mess around with intense graphics, 888 Poker’s software is more traditional. While this might seem less immersive than some other offerings, the absence of needless bells and whistles lets you concentrate on the game. You’ll still get all the standard fare like avatars and chatting, but you won’t find over the

top 3-D effects or webcam action. We’re sure you’ll love the stability and smooth play that lets you grow your game. You can expect great performance even on older devices. The lobby is especially well laid out, which makes it easy to find a great game and start playing quickly.

Maximum Desktop And Mobile Compatibility

888Poker lets you get in the game on every imaginable platform. All you really need is an internet connection and a computer built in the last eight or nine years. PC and Mac users can download specific versions for their computer or play directly in any browsers thanks to the no download required version.

Who needs a computer anymore with a phone in every pocket and a tablet in every bag? 888 Poker lets you play on your iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone, or tablet. Choose to play in your browser or download one of the recently released apps. Start experiencing poker right now.

Conclusion

888 Poker is an active and thriving online poker room with a great reputation. The large guaranteed tournaments and ongoing sit and goes, fine customer support and easy to use banking services, and generous first deposit bonus make this a highly desirable poker room. If you’re a New Zealand poker player, you’ll want to give 888 Poker a try.

Sign up me now!