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May 12th, 2008 |
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May 12th, 2008 |
Poker Room Review:
Fair Poker is a steady and interesting room in the iPoker Network. The interface is smooth and good looking. The signup bonus is good, often better than other room’s huge size bonus when the small print is taken into account. Furthermore the competition is soft.
All factors mentioned in the first paragraph can probably be credited to the fact that the iPoker Network, in which Fair Poker is a great player, is an initiative of PlayTech. The second largest casino software provider is a guarantee for security and a constant influx of novice poker players.
The selection of games at Fair Poker is limited but of high quality. The iPoker Network have succeeded in quickly building a strong network. However the great potential is not yet lived up to in full. The big drawback is that the volume of players – of which a greater part is found in the tournament area – is still rather low. The choices of tables are still OK, especially if you are playing mainly during American daylight hours.
The game variety with Omaha as High and Hi/Lo in limit and pot-limit and Texas Hold'em in no-limit as well is sub-average, but OK considering the volume of players. The betting limits have a good range from true micro-limit games of $0.01/$0.02 up to $50/$100. The low to middle stake Texas Hold'em tables sees the most action. Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi, has been introduced with play money status.
The tournaments are appreciated by the players on the iPoker Network, the regular tournament schedule is shared by the rooms in the network. The traffic at the tournament lobby took off before the cash game section. Naturally the most frequently run tournaments are NL Hold’em. Be that as it may, the tournament area at Fair Poker can be considered complete. The variants – re-buy, freeze out, guaranteed prize pools, satellites, and turbo – are all there. Here the whole spectrum is available from $1 + $0.10 re-buy tournaments to a $200 + $15 freezeout tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000. The latter is at the moment the highest stakes offered on a monthly basis. The choices are less regarding Omaha Hi. Omaha Hi/Lo just became available at all.
The sit'n'gos are good. There are regular sit'n'gos and specially structured ones where progressive jackpots are attached. Choose between 6-table, 10-table or 2*6-table ones and buy ins between $2 + $0.35 and $50 +$7 and you will be awarded a prize between $2,000 and $100,000 after you have won 4 to 6 in a row. Sure, perhaps you noticed the slightly larger fee and it is tough to battle it out for the tenth of a million dollar at the end of the rainbow. That is not the only objective though. There are prizes along the way. Generally there is a nice balance between risk and reward, in an easy going atmosphere.
Fair Poker’s PlayTech software allows you to choose the game play you are most comfortable with. There is a full screen option and a choice on how far the avatars should seem like characters. The avatars can use real voices when making a move. Then you vocally hear "Check", "Call", "Bet", "Raise", "Fold", and "I'm all in". The feeling this can create is unique. The chat bar is easy to follow but not distracting. In the same manner the basic game mode is relaxed. Graphics and functions only speeds along the game play.
Hand histories are available directly after a hand has been played and are outstanding in their clearness. But to save them on your computer you have to e-mail support. The lobby works as expected. The tables can be filtered by betting format, heads-up play and so forth. Buddy list and player search works fine. At the table action buttons and pre-action buttons are fully functional.
Table (click to enlarge)
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Lobby (click to enlarge)
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One major reason to play at Fair Poker is the easy to beat games. The games on the iPoker Network are softer than average. While both the fixed limit and the no limit games are good, the no limit games are the best. The games are not crazy soft, but they are definitely good. A safe bet is that they will stay this way. The leaders in the online casino world stand behind the iPoker Network. The players that they recruit on their casino sites enjoy staying around. The viewed flop percentage at Fair Poker lies in the 40-ies or the 50-ies. Generally the games are passive, somewhat on the opposite side of the spectrum, a few games are wild. Take a pick!
The signup bonus is fair and square, if the expression is excused in this context. $200 is a healthy sum; to get the maximum bonus a $400 deposit is needed. The conversion rate is 500 coins per $10 in bonus. The coins are Fair Poker's player points and are awarded according to the next paragraph.
The coins are based on the rake. For each raked hand in which a player participates where the rake reaches $0.25, 1 coin is awarded. When the rake rises and surpasses $0.50, 2 coins are awarded. If the rake is larger than $1.00, $1.50 or $2.00, 4, 6 respectively 8 coins are awarded.
This means that some time has to be spent at low-limit tables to clear the bonus. Middle-limit players also have to work for their money, at least no-limit players. The good news in this context is that bonuses from Fair Poker are paid incrementally.
The promotions are simple but good. The rest of the promotion portfolio contains daily and weekly good value freerolls. The added money tournaments with guaranteed prize pools are great. You will also find special events, big tournaments with a twist.
Fair Poker rake structure is better than average. The rake structure in the basic format is the same as most other online poker rooms. The target value of the rake is 5% of each pot. More than $3 is never taken out of the pot. There is a “No flop, No drop” policy, meaning there is no charge if the hand ends before the flop.
iPoker’s and by it Fair Poker’s policy is better than most since many type of tables deviate from these general principals. And all deviations are for the players benefit. Fixed limit tables with a maximum stake of $1/$2 caps the rake at $1. For higher stakes players, the max rake reduction for shorthanded play is more important. At fixed limit and big bet poker (no and pot-limit) alike: all tables with 2-3 players have a maximum rake of $1 and all tables with 4-5 players have a maximum rake of $2.
Fair Poker has a very good customer support. The standard e-mail support is good. Fair Poker also shares a first-class 24/7 telephone and chat help with the other rooms in the iPoker Network. Hence, there is always someone there to help you, and you can contact them in the way you feel most comfortable with. A drawback is that you have to get in touch with them in order to get your complete game/hand history.
The cashout speeds are average. The financial security is good. Fair Poker is a safe online poker room. Playtech who operates the iPoker Network, has a spotless record in the gambling world.
