Party Poker

About | Software & Games | Poker School | Betting Structure, Rake & Tournament Fees | Promotions | Cashier | Security | Disconnection Policy | Customer Service

About

If you have heard about online poker, it is very likely you have heard about Party Poker.  They could arguably be called the largest poker room on the internet - having the American market tapped strong, and continuing to expand in accord with the a very fast-growing online poker industry.  One of the reasons Party Poker has become so prodigious is that they have been around since the early days of online poker.  Owned and managed by Party Gaming (who also operates Party Casino, Party Bingo, and now holds claim to Empire Poker), Party Poker has been online since August of 2001.  This successful gaming group was one of the first online gambling sites to develop a poker-based software platform, as were they the first to list on the London Stock Exchange (which was the largest flotation the LSE had experienced in many years).  Since 1997, Party Gaming has been a member of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), and continues to employ the strict Code of Conduct the IGC places on all its members, which includes high standards for banking and transaction processing, truthful advertising, prize payouts, audit trails, consumer privacy and data protection, and dispute resolution.  Furthermore strengthening Party Poker's reputation and accountability, they are certified by GAMCare, are licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and are subjected to audit tests by iTech Labs on a monthly basis to insure proper functioning of the software RNG.  Party Poker is one of the founding members of the World Poker Tour, and continues to host their yearly PartyPoker.com Million tournament - which is televised on the Travel Channel as one of the most popular World Poker Tour events.

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Software & Games

Party Poker software is free and comes in a download with minimum computer operating system requirements, including Windows 98/NT/ME/2000 or XP, Pentium processing system with at least 64 MB of RAM, sound card (if you desire audio), and a computer screen resolution of at least 800x600 pixels and a minimum of 256 colors.  The approximate download size is only 5.41 MB.  Included in the free software is a very helpful feature called the Poker Trainer.  Separate from the Party Poker School (explained further down), the Poker Trainer is a great tool to help new players become familiar with the rules of the game by incorporating a hand advisor, as well as give more experienced - but dusty - players to brush up on their skills.  The Poker Trainer incorporates sophisticated Artificial Intelligence that equates to some very stiff competition, which players are very likely to come across when out in the real-money field.  The trainer will advise on whether to fold, raise etc., and will also let users replay their prior hand to help better understand what they did right or wrong.  There are three training levels - beginning, intermediate and experiences - so that no matter one's skill level, the software has a relevant application.  If you are thinking about using your own Artificial Intelligence based poker system, double check that it is allowed, for Party Poker blocks certain programs such as WinHoldem, Holdem Memory, PokerBot Plus, PokerBot Pro, Poker Prophecy, PokerEdge and Poker Sherlock.

Software Platform:

Under the dominion of Party Gaming, Party Poker operates a one-of-a-kind software platform developed by iGlobalMedia.  This particular gaming system is only employed at a handful of gaming sites, which include Starluck Casino.  The graphics are state-of-the-art, which players can get a taste of by visiting iGlobalMedia.com.  This url actually will redirect visitors to the main Party Gaming website, which goes to show how sectored iGlobalMedia and Party Gaming really are. Thanks to the impressive branding capabilities of iGlobal Media, it is hardly apparent that Party Gaming and iGlobalMedia are related. On a side note, the Party Gaming website is worth checking out, for they have a free sample of their latest poker games - giving players a chance to experience the graphics they will be getting on the main software platform of Party Poker.

Games:

Available in Free Download is Party Pokers entire software platform, which includes Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.  All poker games can be played in standard ring game format between multiple players at a single table, giving all players an equal chance to compete for the aggregate jackpot at their table.  Rake fees vary from $.50 to $3.00 a game (depending on the pot size) and are only applied if the pot is over $5 (See chart further down for more information on rake fees).  With over 80,000 players likely logged onto Party Poker's website at any given time, poker players can choose from a wide rang of games, stakes and tournaments.  In addition to Sit 'n Go tournaments (with buy-ins at $5), there is a host of multi-table games and shootouts.

Buy-ins:

Not to be confused with the ante, the buy-in is the amount a player will need in their bankroll to join a specific table.  The minimum buy-in for all real-money poker games is determined by whether the game is standard limit, pot limit or no-limit.  For limit games, meaning there is a limit to how large and small the bets can be in each round (the minimum bet amount is always equivalent to the big blind), the minimum buy-in is equal to ten times the value of the big blind for that particular table.  There is no maximum buy-in for straight limit games.

For the other two types of betting formats - Pot Limit and No-limit Poker - there are maximum and minimum amounts a player may bring to the table.  While there is "no limit" to how much a player can bet, there is actually a limit in the overall scheme of things.  For both no limit and pot limit games, the most a player can bring to a table varies according to the name of the table.  For example, in a $200 no-limit (NL) game, the maximum buy-in is $200.  As for minimum buy-ins for no limit and pot limit games, it is always equivalent to 20% of the maximum buy-in.  Therefore, a $200 max buy-in will require a minimum of $40 (20% of $200) to be brought to the table.

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Poker School

Party Poker's version of poker school incorporates a helpful interactive tutorial that goes over all the different poker games offered on the software platform, including basic information such as rules of the game, poker hand rankings, rules on betting with explanations on buy-ins and table stakes, as well as a helpful glossary of poker terms (including online poker chat terms) and tips on facilitating the learning process.  This particular list was compiled by Party Poker host, Mike Sexton, and poker pro Linda Johnson, and includes some sharp guidance on card strategy.  In addition to the card basics, Party Poker's school covers the Do's and Dont's of playing and old-fashioned table etiquette.

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Betting Structures, Rake & Tournament Fees

The Rake Chart for all real money games are plotted in the charts below:

The Betting Structures for No-Limit and Pot Limit poker games are shown in the following chart:

Tournaments take place round the clock at Party Poker.  To list them all here would be overwhelming, which is why Party Poker themselves can't list all their tournaments on a single page without it getting confusing.  Rather, there is a great search tool that lets players specify parameters of the tournaments they are looking to join, using variables like the tournament category (multi-table, step, guaranteed jackpot and shoot out), game type, limit type, buy-in minimums and maximums and the time at which the tournament starts.  After logging into the online lobby, players will be able to view all ongoing and upcoming tournaments, and join at any time.  Although the guaranteed jackpots get very high at Party Poker (there are guaranteed jackpots of $200,000 every Saturday, $500,000 every Sunday, and $1,000,000 every month all year long), none other has gotten higher than the Party Poker Million Tournament, which is now in its fifth season.  Showcasing on the World Poker Tour, the Party Poker Million tournament usually takes place in glamorous locations like cruise ships, and always has a multi-million prize pool.  Tournaments can be played in either single table or multi-table format, with all games operating on a knock-out basis.  Catering up to ten players per table, each table usually declares a winner in thirty to sixty minutes.

The Tournament Entry Fees for multi-table and single table tournaments go by the following scale:

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Promotions

The promotions at Party Poker encompass a wide range of free offers and contest giveaways. For new players, the $5 K Freeroll is a must - It is free to enter.  There are also daily free rolls with $100 and $150 jackpots for rookie players.  And although not technically a promotion, it can seem that way to those learning poker for the first time.  What I am referring to are the beginner tables made especially for rookies who want to start off with very low stakes when first playing with real money.

In terms of tournaments, there is a monthly $1 million guaranteed jackpot that takes place near the end of the month, offering regular qualifiers and direct buy-ins.  And although promotions change every month, players are practically guaranteed to find at least two other tournaments with guaranteed jackpots over $500,000 each month.  As for the guaranteed tournaments, these consist of the Friday Special with qualifiers taking place the day of, as well as direct buy-ins.  There is also the Bad Beat Jackpot, which deposits $0.50 of every raked hand into a progressive jackpot, the Step Challenge, which lets players enter tournament play one level at a time, and Super Weekdays, which consist of a variety of No-Limit Hold'em tournaments every Monday through Thursday.  Just for your information, at the time of this review, Party Poker was giving away two Cadillac Escalades as part of the jackpot for certain qualifier tournaments.  This is normal fare at Party Poker.

For new members, Party Poker is offering a $25 bonus if you use a referral from a current member.  For the player doing the referral, they will receive $50 free when the referred player signs up using the referral code and makes a minimum deposit of $25.  Certain wagering requirements are imposed on the referred player, while the $50 bonus is free to cash out.

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Cashier

Aside from offering several Deposit and Withdrawal Options, the biggest concern any player will have regarding the online cashier is the security of one's financial transactions.  Party Poker knows this and so goes out of their way describing the processing they implement.  Using the most comprehensive 128-bit encryption  technology of Thawte Security, all transactions and personal data are kept private and secure.  Additionally, Party Poker implements a strict funds monitoring system that charges an Investigations Team to verify cash outs in order to minimize fraud.  For players who would like to transfer funds to other player accounts, this is facilitated by a cashier feature called Inter-Account Transfer.  For players in good standing with the casino and who have adequately aged accounts, they are given the privilege of transferring funds to other players who can subsequently use to gamble with.  The cashier itself uses the Pay-Pro Cashier System, which is responsible for transmitting all transactions and enabling players to view an audit trail of all their transactions and playing results.  Pay-Pro is well-known for delivering fast cash outs and quite a large variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, which include Visa/Mastercard/Diner's Club cards, NETeller, Wire Transfer/Euro Standard Bank Transfer, Citadel, iGM Pay (eChecks), PaySafe Card, Switch/Maestro/Solo debit cards, UseMyBank, Fire Pay, Party Poker Gaming Card, FPS ePassport, Laser Card, Money Transfer, Money Booker, Phone Connect Cards, East Buy, BPay (Australia), ELV (Germany/Austria), eWire DK, electronic transfer (Canada), and Chinese Debit Cards.

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Security

Let's just set the record straight from the beginning - You or anyone else will be very hard pressed to get away with anything at Party Poker.  Using the best technology available, Party Poker has one of the most in-depth security protocols online - And rightfully so, for they also have one of the largest database of players on the internet.  State-of-the-art player identification and controlled access login are just some of the tools Party Poker uses to not only protect its players, but for also protecting itself. 

The Investigations Team at PartyPoker.com is an independently dedicated department that uses various tools to insure a safe gaming environment is upheld at all times.  Deemed one of the "Fairest and Safest" places to play poker online, the Investigations Team at Party Poker has been active as long as poker has been on the internet. The Investigations Team employs a Zero Tolerance Policy for fraud and Collusion, which is defined as a strategy between two or more players to take advantage of other unsuspecting players.  The Collusion Prevention System at Party Poker is a sophisticated platform that uses programmable algorithms to detect players participating in collusion.  If the system detects two players sitting at a table together who have been associated with one another at a previous time, they will each receive a message that informs them of the detection.  While this may coincidentally happen to two players, it is still standard protocol for the system and does not necessarily mean anyone is being directly targeted.

All player accounts are are protected with security measures that include controlled access for players only, identity verification and 24/7 customer support trained to handle security concerns and initiate investigations.

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Disconnection Policy

The live game disconnection policy at Party Poker is within acceptable and fair regulations.  All players are allowed three disconnection resets in a seven-day period for all live game action.  A total of eight disconnection protections is allowed in a time span of seven days.  If after a player makes a request and it is determined by casino management that the player has not used all of their protection quota, they will automatically be granted the reset.  There is no disconnection protection for multi-table tournaments as well as sit 'n go multi-table tournaments.  For cancelled real-money games, players are refunded their bankroll amount at the start of the hand in which the cancellation took place.  For tournaments cancelled due to technical issues, all players who were not yet eliminated are given full refunds, while those who were already eliminated will not be refunded their buy-ins and entry fees.

Requesting for disconnect protection resets can be done through the Online Lobby or by simply clicking on the dealer's chip tray (while sitting at a table) and clicking on the "Request Disconnect Protection" option.

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Customer Service

Party Poker has an honorable reputation when it comes to many things, and Customer Service is most definitely one of them.  They are available twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.  They have been especially admired for their service in regards to facilitating bonus offers and comp rewards.  Although the VIP Services are for players meeting certain requirements, all members are treated with timely cordiality.  In fact, Party Poker promises to respond to all email inquiries within twenty-four hours.  There are several departments assigned to helping players resolve issues and answer questions, including tournaments, games, bonuses, disconnections and refunds, personal account information, cashouts and deposits, technical, and the marketing department.  There is also toll-free telephone support.

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Visit PartyPoker.com for more information.