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US CHECKING ACCOUNTS ARE ACCEPTED: One
of the main draws for US players at
BetOnline
is the e-check deposit option, which allows players to use their
existing checking account without the need of a third-party
e-wallet. In the post-Black-Friday online poker industry the mere
presence of e-checks is remarkable and, needless to say,
BetOnline
is the only current US poker room offering this extremely convenient
service. Players should either call in to customer support or chat
with live help in order to make an e-check deposit.
US CREDIT CARDS AND PREPAID CARDS ACCEPTED BLOCK-FREE: The
US credit card processing is also done extremely well at
BetOnline
with a near-100% success rate. While debit cards should be attempted
prior to credit-only cards for maximum compatibility
BetOnline
should be able to accept any major credit card, including those that
may have been declined previously at other poker rooms. Pre-paid
gift credit cards should also be accepted as long as the issuing
bank allows international transactions.
With the online poker industry being forced into massive
changes in 2006 and 2011 US player priorities have changed. With the
luxury of easy deposits disappearing from the US market the ability
to perform the simple act of funding your poker account is now a
determining factor in deciding who gets your poker business.
BetOnline
largely succeeds in this market because they make it easy for US
players to deposit. E-checks, the gold standard of convenience, had
become an endangered species following recent legal developments.
BetOnline
has somehow procured direct processors for them and players should
either call the poker room or chat with support for more details.
BetOnline
also has one of the best credit card deposit success rates for US
cards. Despite every poker room offering credit card deposits
they're largely useless if most cardholders' banks block the
transaction.
BetOnline suggests the use of debit cards over credit cards,
although you shouldn't experience issues with any originating bank.
If you aren't able to make a direct credit card deposit the "Express
Payment" option is a good alternative. With this option you use your
credit card to purchase a prepaid gift card from the poker room,
which is then converted into your real money balance. This method
may have a higher success rate with some credit cards.
BetOnline
also offers cash transfer deposits, which can be done at physical
locations like pharmacies and convenience stores as well as online
with some transfer companies.
BetOnline
will also usually pick up any transfer fees. Paper alternatives
include mailing the poker room a cashier's check or money order via
courier.
BetOnline is a bit more generous than others for paper deposits
as they'll reimburse you for courier fees.
BetOnline
seems to pride itself on personalized service so if you cannot find
a suitable deposit option I'd recommend asking support for
suggestions.
 
Overall:
4.5/5
BetOnline,
who has been in the online sports and casino business for over a
decade under various names, is nothing if not ambitious. In one of
the most hostile environments ever for US online gaming sites
BetOnline
is not only holding their US market ground but is choosing to enter
the poker market with a brand-new independent platform. Rather than
going the typical route of poker startups and piggy-backing on an
existing brand
BetOnline is actually creating their own network.
This bold move of bypassing the skin route has allowed
BetOnline
to reap the benefits of complete control over the cashier and
self-containment of their extremely loose existing player base.
While player traffic is always going to be an issue with a new
network
BetOnline has done little to no marketing and is one of the only
strong options left that allows new US signups. I've been impressed
with the extremely quick growth of
BetOnline, which now features active 10-seat no-limit tables up
to the $5/10 level and tens of active tables at lower limites. As US players begin
to discover this poker room, their easy deposit options, and their
incredibly soft games I expect traffic to spike even further.
In the early-to-mid 2000s US online
poker rooms were a dime a dozen with thousands of players at
countless networks. Most player prioritized the number of games,
tournaments, and the size of the initial deposit bonus. The online
poker industry is an entirely different beast today. With less new
players to loosen up the games and deposit options drying up left
and right most players are focused on finding a cashier with
realistic deposit options and cash games filled with players that
don't treat every dollar like it's their last.
BetOnline
has enjoyed early success with their poker room because they succeed
on both of these fronts, an incredibly rare feat in this market.
A US poker room offering e-check
checking account deposits and block-free credit card deposits seemed
like a pipe dream after the events of online poker's "Black Friday" yet
BetOnline
has both of them. The
BetOnline
cash games are also a throwback to the ultra-loose early heydays of
online poker with high flop percentages and average pots fueled by
the resident casino and sports players.
BetOnline
doesn't offer massive tournament numbers or the promotions
featured at the former behemoths during the US poker glory days but
US players aren't going to find that anywhere these days.
BetOnline
is taking a chance on the US market and it couldn't come at a better
time. Those willing to tolerate some transitional growing pains will
be rewarded with easy deposits, loose games, excellent customer
service, and quick payouts. In the current online poker landscape
that's enough for me to make this my top-rated US poker room.
Bonus (up
to 125% and free tournament entries) and Promotions:
3.5/5
With the poker room recently being added
on to the
BetOnline
offerings they're largely overlooking the poker-only crowd that will
inevitably begin to populate the site.
BetOnline
still thinks mainly in sports and casino terms, something that I
hope is addressed in the future. The best poker promotion is the
Promo Bucks offer, which gives new players free money to use for
tournament entries based on the size of the deposit. Even though
BetOnline
should offer more this is actually one of the more interesting
promotions I've come across as it allows players a
tournament-specific bonus and the event(s) can be chosen by the
player.
The minimum deposit to earn Promo Bucks
is $50, which gives 200 Bucks. The maximum that can be awarded is
4,000 Promo Bucks, which would take a $1,000 deposit. Each Promo
Buck at
BetOnline
is one cent, meaning a $1 tournament entry would require 100 Promo
Bucks. Just about every tournament can be bought into with Promo
Bucks, which is a nice feature.
BetOnline
also occasionally hosts special Promo Buck-only tournaments that use
them as both the buy-in and prize money. The Promo Buck amount isn't
enormously generous but receiving anything instantly on a deposit is
rare. If you don't receive your Promo Bucks automatically be sure to
either e-mail, call, or live chat with a representative to manually
request them within 24 hours of depositing.
The other bonus promotions at
BetOnline
actually require that you play games other than poker to release
them, which might appeal to crossover players. A 25% bonus is given
on all deposits but it must be rolled over 10x in the sports
section. There is also a 100% slots bonus that requires a 50x
rollover from slots play. Finally, freerolls are run at least every
hour and offer prizes up to $200. As a poker-only player I have no use for
these offers and I sincerely hope that
BetOnline
management begins to understand the value of offering more
poker-specific promotions aside from Promo Bucks.
Fish:
5/5
Like most players I've become
increasingly frustrated with the pervasive tightness that has
largely sucked the life out of today's cash games. The lack of new
US players, deposit difficulties, and the availability of advanced
poker strategy are largely responsible for the single-digit flop
percentages seen at the largest rooms in recent years. Fortunately,
the gambling-centric mindset of the casino and sports players at
BetOnline
hasn't changed much over the past decade. With the
BetOnline
poker room predominantly populated internally by players from their
other gaming platforms the cash tables are incredibly loose. Many of
the BetOnline
players haven't played much, if any, poker and are simply looking
for another thrill to gamble their balance on.
The
BetOnline
cash game traffic has really improved over the past few months with
at least 10-20 active tables at limits up to $1/2 NL and several
full tables at higher limits up to $5/10 NL. Virtually every one features flop
percentages of at least 35-50%, which is remarkable for 10-handed
games in the current poker climate. Hunting through the lobby for
the isolated table with decent average numbers has become a common
practice for players at the former US powerhouses. It's refreshing
to know that just about every table at
BetOnline
is filled with calling stations and maniacs chasing draws and paying
you off more often when you hit your monster hands.
BetOnline
bucks what has become the new norm for poker worldwide and
consistently offers cash games comparable to those "poker explosion"
days that seem like a distant memory now. Rather than focus strictly
on bringing in full-time poker grinders as the former industry
leaders had
BetOnline appeals to all-around gamblers and those jaded by the
tight dull games found elsewhere. The extremely easy deposits also
tend to allow players to subconsciously play a looser game and
release the fear that a lost bankroll might be impossible to
replace.
BetOnline cash game traffic is now probably the largest
remaining in the US market and it certainly
earns its top Fish Rating.
Tournaments:
3.5/5
The
tournament schedule at
BetOnline
is more of a token feature at this point than a serious draw for new
players. While there still can be plenty of casual fun in play
sub-$10 events dedicated tournament players might quickly grow
impatient with the high end of guaranteed prize pools ranging from
$1,000-10,000. The most popular daily real-money events draw about
100-200 players, which is certainly modest.
BetOnline
does offer freerolls every hour with prize pools between $10-100,
although you'll be competing with 800+ players for that miniscule
prize.
There are some overlay opportunities at
BetOnline
in which the poker room guarantees a minimum prize pool but the
actual buy-ins from players fall short of that threshold. For
example, one of the better tournaments on the schedule is a $3,000
weekly guarantee with a small $11 buy-in. The entrants often only
make up $2,000 or so of the prize pool, meaning that the poker room
has to add in the other $1,000. This is essentially like starting
the tournament with a hundred players already knocked out as the
prize money is there but not the players.
BetOnline
does have several weekly events with strong value in their $1,000,
$3,000, and $4,000 guarantees with buy-ins under $12.
The largest monthly guarantee at
BetOnline
is $10,000, which won't turn any heads, although the buy-in is
extremely reasonable for low-limit players at $25.
BetOnline
also has a rewards system that disperses Promo Bucks, which can be
used directly for tournament buy-ins. Players can either earn these
as a deposit bonus or through special tournaments that give away
Promo Bucks as prizes.
BetOnline
sit and gos are fairly popular up to the $5 level with only a few
minutes of wait-time for 6-handed events. The tournaments at
BetOnline
are clearly still a work in progress with few large guarantees and a
modest level of traffic. Fortunately, there are still several low
buy-in events every hour to at least serve as entertainment between
cash game hands.
Software:
4/5
The
BetOnline
software is pretty standard fare although I feel that it deserves a
strong score for being clean, uncluttered, and dependable. I also
always enjoy seeing original software clients as opposed to those
that are simply lightly modified versions of a network template. The
BetOnline
lobby offers similar filters as other poker rooms with the ability
to show cash games and tournaments based on specific parameters like
limit and type of game. Strangely, it doesn't show the average
number of hands per hour but from my playing time I've found it to
run at an above-average speed of 60+ hands per hour.
You can choose between a couple of table
skins called "Modern" or "Retro", both of which are no-frills
birds-eye view layouts with clean graphics. I prefer the Modern
theme at
BetOnline,
which I picture at the top of the review with the Retro looking
almost identical to the lounge-like graphics of the old Paradise
Poker client. The Retro theme has a minimalistic approach with a
soft color scheme, stylized chairs, and little player customization.
The active player is clearly identified at
BetOnline
with a blinking light and a colored meter tells you exactly how much
time you have left to make a decision.
Individual table stats are available and
the hand history is in basic text form.
BetOnline
does have buddy list and player notes features for keeping track of
friends or following around weak players. There is little to no
player customization such as custom themes, avatars, or visual
player accolades. Table windows can be resized or tiled, if
necessary. Overall, the
BetOnline
software isn't more advanced than anything else that's come out in
the past 10 years but it doesn't really need to be. It doesn't
feature many advanced options but it has good functionality with a
clean look and speedy games.
US Payouts:
4.5/5
One of the reasons
BetOnline
has thrived in the sports market over the years is their extremely
solid reputation for quick payouts.
BetOnline
seems to structure itself for returning loyal players rather than
for quick-fix bonus hunters. That being said the actual payout
request process is fairly archaic. The guidelines are strange but
once you learn to work within them it is one of the more dependable
payout services online.
BetOnline
works more like an old-fashioned sports site in that you need to
e-mail them through the software to request payouts.
BetOnline
does offer a $50 credit of withdrawal fees every month, although for some reason you
have to request them on a Friday. The most common method is paper check,
although you can request payouts via ACH, cash transfer,
Moneybookers (non-US), and Neteller (non-US).
Customer Service:
5/5
So few poker rooms actually offer live
telephone support that doing so almost automatically compels me to
give a top score.
BetOnline
focuses more on player support and banking ease than flashy
promotions and bonuses so they offer just about every contact method
for players. I usually take advantage of the live chat feature,
which is available both from the website directly or the poker
software. The
BetOnline
support actually seems familiar with the poker room and I've always
gotten the answers I needed from them without having to call in.
Skype is even an option, which is something I haven't seen anywhere
else.
Player Traffic
The biggest crux at
BetOnline
had previously been the traffic level but it has shown remarkable
growth since the early post-launch days. Peak times usually
feature about
2,000 online players with most of them populating the cash games.
There are now 10-20 active tables per limit up to the $1/2 level
around the clock with about a dozen more up to the $5/10 level. As I prefer 10-handed
games to 6-handed I was pleasantly surprised to find just as many
full games and shorthanded ones. The most popular
BetOnline
tournaments draw about 300 players and sit and gos are quick to
start under $5. The traffic at
BetOnline has really grown to competitive levels with table
variety at each limit.
Best Features
Accepts US players. The US market is positively miniscule with
BetOnline
one of the few poker rooms remaining open to new players.
Easy US deposit options. The ability to accept US players means
little if they can't deposit.
BetOnline
offers the easiest remaining options in block-free credit cards and
e-checks.
Awful players. While other US poker rooms might seem loose for the
increasingly tight market
BetOnline
is loose in any market. Expect flop percentages of 35-50% at every
table.
Free tournament entries. The actual bonus isn't very strong but the
free tournament promo bucks allows new players to enter real-money
tournaments of their choice for free.
Game Selection: Hold'em,
Omaha
Limits: Limit: 10c/20c up to
$10/20 No-Limit: 1c/2c up to $50/100
Deposit Methods:
Major credit cards,
e-checks, prepaid gift cards, cash transfer, cashier's check, wire
transfer, money order, Moneybookers (non-US), and Neteller (non-US).
Minimum Deposit:
$25 to purchase prepaid cards and $50 for direct credit card
deposits.
Tips: Though you
are probably
familiar with the overall concepts it's essential to brush up on methods of
combating aggressive players at
BetOnline.
With the majority of cash games featuring high flop percentages and
large average pots you'll usually be seated with a combination of
passive calling stations that play too many hands or maniacal sports
bettors that try to run you off of every hand. With few poker rooms
matching the wild play of
BetOnline
over the past few years you may be a bit rusty on specific
strategies to employ against loose players. The key to profits in
loose games is to be selective with your starting hands and know
when to give and take control.
The inherent weakness in calling
stations is that they play too many hands and stay in far too long,
content to allow more aggressive players to take control and dictate
the betting. How do you extract maximum profits from calling
stations? Seize control and simply bet for value on your strongest
hands. While that may seem simple many players at
BetOnline
and other poker rooms overcomplicate decisions by trying advanced
plays, acting weak, or bluffing. If you expect to get called simply
act strong when you're strong and make your bet sizes as large as
possible without exceeding the post. How do you succeed against
overly aggressive players at
BetOnline?
Allow them to take control and hang themselves on their poor play.
Regularly employ check-raises to trap players for a quick profit or
simply flat-call in position before making your move on the river.
The aggressive players can't see the forest for the trees and give
away massive pots by betting at every street, falsely believing that
pure aggression will cause you to back down. For this reason you
usually want to have strong made hands rather than speculative draws
when facing aggressive players.
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BetOnline
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