Online Poker Reviews

HOLLYWOOD POKER REVIEW

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Overall:  3/5

The network that Hollywood Poker plays on has been around since the beginnings of online poker. Hollywood itself is a newer site endorsed by James Woods, Vince Van Patten, and other celebrities hence the "Hollywood title". I have been very impressed with Hollywood overall, and their new promotions are excellent. They also offer a no-download Java version of their software, which allows Macintosh users or those signed in from a guest computer to play on their account.

As is the case with many veteran poker networks, the competition tends to be tighter than average. Still, with their great software and tournament traffic, this is a very good new poker site. Please note that we're in the process of decreasing their rankings due to not accepting US players.  

Bonus (500% up to $1,000) and Promotions:   3/5

Hollywood Poker has been building its player traffic through some big promotions, but we have lowered their score for not offering games to Americans. I like their new upgrade to the deposit bonuses, since new players are given a few options.

The newest offer is a 100% bonus up to $50, and you'll need to use this link to set up your account and enter bonus code "HWP50". This is a good choice for low limit players, as you don't need to play as many raked hands to work off the bonus.

Another option is their 100% bonus up to $75, which requires a bit more raked hands. You'll need to use this link to set up your account and enter bonus code "HP75".

The last 100% bonus is up to $100 with bonus code "HP100" at signup. This will require more raked hands than the smaller bonuses. The best promotion for high stakes players is the 500% bonus up to $1,000 by using this link and enter bonus code "HP1000".

If you earn it all, this is the top bonus you can get pretty much anywhere. You'll need to play regularly at middle-to-high stakes tables to fully take advantage for this. For tournament players, they have a deposit bonus worth a free ticket to their Michael Woods celebrity invitation tournament. This event usually attracts a good number of players, and various celebrities have bounties to bust them out.

To get the free tournament entry bonus, you'll need to use this link to set up your new account and enter bonus code "HPTP". I recommend the $50 signup bonus for small-to-mid stakes players, while high stakes players should definitely take advantage of the 500% offer. They also have Royal Flush Jackpot bonuses, and a good number of $10,000 freerolls for regular players.   

Fish:   2.5/5
Since Hollywood Poker is a new site offering some decent promotions, their actual draw is usually to new poker players. However, they are on a pre-existing network that has been around for a few years. Older networks tend to play tighter, so the actual gameplay is about middle of the road. Flop percentages typically reach about 35-40% at the middle stakes, and you’ll usually find a combination of soft competition and more observant opponents.

You should probably play pretty tight when you first sit down in order to peg the calling stations from the rocks and be sure to take advantage of player notes whenever possible. Just because your table may be playing tighter, you should still bet out to protect your hand if you see an obvious draw on the flop.

Tournaments:   3/5

In my opinion, Hollywood Poker used to offer a very good tournament schedule however, this has been affected by their decision to pull out of the US market. They have previously hosted tons of tournaments every day at all ranges of buy-ins. Even though they're on a shared network, I like their exclusive tournaments. One of my favorites is hosted every Saturday. It is a $1 buy-in event, but they add $2,500. You're at least going to get $1,000 for first prize, and that would be an outstanding prize on a $1 investment. Besides the cheapies, they do cater to serious poker players with guaranteed tournaments throughout the week.

As a new player, you'll receive a free entry into their new player tournament, which will put you up against largely inexperienced players. The weekly Michael Woods Celebrity tournament is also interesting, as you'll have to chance to earn a bounty for knocking out designated celebrities. Aside from the smaller events, they offer a lot of WPT satellites and other big live tournaments. Hollywood also holds a lot of guaranteed prize pool events anywhere from $10,000 - $50,000.

Software:   4/5

This software is very sharp, and I like their deep red color scheme (I guess they were going for the red carpet feel). Hollywood Poker runs very quickly, and detailed statistics are easily available on your playing habits. I also give them points for their no-download version, which is very convenient and offers surprisingly detailed graphics for a Java window. Avatars are very detailed, and they've obviously taken time to develop the visuals.

The lobby is laid out very simply, and you can find the game or tournament you're looking for very quickly. One annoyance with the lobby is that you  have to click on each table to see statistics, which is a minor inconvenience. Other positive features include comic-book-like bubbles from each avatar that announces their action. I find this to be helpful if the action is very quick and I get a bit lost as to what my opponents are doing. Overall, this is a strong software package.

Payouts:   4/5

I have cashed out at Hollywood Poker a few times using NETeller, and I had my withdrawal within 24-36 hours. However, paper checks can take quite a bit more time.

Customer Service:   4/5 

They provide an online message form for contacting customer service, but a better choice is their option to call their support telephone number. This allows you to get instant answers to any problems, and I give them a high score for offering telephone support. Representatives from this site seem knowledgeable and it doesn't take long to get problems solved. 

Player Traffic

Hollywood Poker is relatively new, but they're essentially a skin on a popular veteran network. Thus, the traffic is very high, especially during peak hours. You can usually find a good number of full tables up to the higher limits and tournaments are busy.

Best Features

Variety of deposit bonuses. These aren't always "one size fits all", especially for smaller players, so they made a good choice to offer bonuses with less playing requirements.

Good tournament schedule. This network probably has some of the best tournament offerings, and the events are usually filled up.

Strong software. The graphics are quite sharp, and statistics are easily viewed.

Big player base. This means that you should be able to find your desired game or tournament quickly.

Game Selection: Hold 'em, Omaha, Stud

Limits:  Limit: 25c/50c up to $50/$100   No-Limit: 10c/25c up to $25/$50

Deposit Methods: NETeller, Firepay, Instacash, ePassporte, Click2Pay, and major credit cards.

Tips: Do you ever release pocket Aces? I know that it can be tough to do, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut. For example, a high-stakes buddy of mine was recently playing on Hollywood Poker. He picked up pocket Aces from early position, and since the table had been pretty aggressive all night, he raised it 10x the big blind. He only got one caller behind him.

The flop came out with a 6-J-2 of mixed suits. That seems harmless enough, so my friend led out with another bet. His opponent raised him all-in! What could he have? Top pair? Pocket Kings? It wasn't much more of a call, so my friend called the all-in and watched two blanks fall. His opponent's cards? Pocket 6-6 for a set on the flop. Ugh! Some of these aggressive players will pay way too much before the flop to see it with any pocket pair, so you're pretty much defenseless if he draws to a set. If you get a big reraise on the flop, you might be beaten.

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