Absolute Poker - Best Sign-up Bonus and Review

Absolute Poker Bonus

Absolute Poker Review

Absolute Poker was established in 2003 and became a well known poker room due to one of the most attractive online poker bonuses offer (especially reload bonuses). Absolute has it's own poker network and privately developed software and is endorsed by two poker pros: Mark Seif and Michael Mizrachi (The Grinder).

The action at Absolute is concentrated mostly at Texas Hold'em tables, although we see a lot of players at the Omaha fun money tables. At $2/$4 stakes and below there are a lot of tight bonus clearing players but there loose game can increase your bankroll if you play accurately. Absolute Poker acquired Ultimate Bet: if thier poker networks will be merged, it will result in more action at Absloute Poker. By today, you can already transfer money between AP and Ultimate Bet poker accounts.

The number of freerolls available at AP is bigger than in other poker rooms and represents another opportunity for your bankroll.

Absolute added Blackjack casino game to their poker client. There are separate bonus offers for blackjack. Like poker, blackjack is also a skill game (a mix of chance with elements of skill) and is the most popular casino card game.

AP rewards points can be used at Absolute Poker Rewards Store where you can buy books, magazines, jerseys, T-shirts etc. The bonus system at Absolute is complemented by a multi-level VIP program. There are three levels: VIP, Platinum and Elite. Each of these levels require you to earn VIP's points. You earn 1 VIP point for every:

• $4 wagered in ring games;
• $4 tournaments buy-in;
• $150 wagered at the Blackjack tables.

VIP levels gives you a Reward Points Accelerator: you can earn Reward Points 1.5x - 3x faster than a regular AP player. Being an ELITE player will give you an Interest Bearing Account of 9% per year. VIP players also receives bigger reload bonuses and the possibility to buy premium products from the Rewards Store: iPods, notebooks, monitors and even jewelry.

Another AP advantage are low-stakes games. There are poker rooms that lacks $0.02/$0.04 tables. Such tables are a great place for poker begginers and for players wanting to rebuild their bankrolls in order to play at higher stakes without re-depositing.

Software and Playability

Table

Lobby

Download (8.3 Mb)

We'll say from the start that AP software features and look&feel can be improved a lot. There are things that you just can't get used to. For ex. popup windows, it's not pleasant to be disturbed in the middle of a game by a message that invites you to a tournament. You are even more frustrated when such a message appears at the same time when you want to press one of the bet/call/fold button. Another minor unconvenience is that you can't you see the hole cards you just folded. In No Limit games there is no "Bet Pot Button". These are the top problems reported by poker players. Below we'll list software features that are AP specific.

Besided the most used Windows version of there poker client, AP offers a no download version (Java version) that can be played on Mac and Linux computers. The No Download (Instant Play) version lacks a lot of customization options that are present in the downloadable version, for ex. you can't resize the table and can't choose the table skin. The good news are that hand history is available in the no download version.

AP allows you to upload your own avatar image. Notice that you can do this only once. Pictures will be screened for approval. The image dimensions should be 97x52 pixels.

Furthemore, AP table background can be changed using table skins. There are several themes to choose from: classic table variations, landscapes. You can create your own skin: it's a 800x600 jpg image that should be renamed into bg9.dat and saved in the Absolute Poker/data/ folder.

If you are curious to find out what is the next card that would have been dealt (the turn card if the game ends after the flop) AP offers the Rabbit Cam option.

You are allowed to play in maximum 6 games/tournaments at once. You can resize the tables but notice that the font size will also decrease so you'll have to concentrate your vision.

In autumn 2007 the security of Absolute Poker was compromised: some players (former AP employers) were able to see hole cards of other players and won a lot of money. Kahnawake Gaming Commission strongly punished AP with a $500k fine, all players affected by cheaters were compensated. AP stated that they'll do their best to ensure that such situations never happen.

Game Variety & Limits

Absolute offers Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo and Razz games. The action is at Texas Hold'em tables at low and medium limits. Games from $0.02/$0.04 up to $0.10/$0.20 are smooth, there are only a few raises before the flop. Uou can constantly win if playing very accurately without bluffing. Starting from $0.25/$0.50 players are raising much frequently, there are more bluffs. The game is more diversified and you'll frequently see that people are betting/raising with just a pair of cards. High stakes poker are rarely played at AP.

Omaha is gaining in popularity, but there is little action at real money tables. People play omaha at fun tables.

Deposit Methods

Withdrawal Methods