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May 16th, 2008 |
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May 16th, 2008 |
Poker Room Review:
It is Stingbet, not string bet. StingBet does not care for such. StingBet stands for good honest poker. The games, the software and the bonuses, everything stimulates good poker. The gaming variation is the best in the world – with three stud variations not found anywhere else. The software is hi tech – smart features improve the poker games without requiring special attention, hindering the flow. The signup bonus of €100 is moderately easy to clear and is followed up by good value loyalty schemes. StingBet is a good poker room in the distinguishable B2B network.
The games at StingBet excel in at least two areas. There is an unprecedented game selection. The no-limit Texas Hold’em games are without an equal match. Both topics lead to an excellent gaming experience.
There are no less than 10 poker variants at StingBet. Apart form the regular five, there are two draw games and three additional stud variants. StingBet, and the B2B network, has the best draw game traffic online. They are the only establishment to offer Soko, which has been a part of the selection for quite a while now. Now two more unique games, Americana and Telesina, have been added as well. The Five-Card Stud variants are developments of the original game which through different rule variations stimulates more action to the game.
The player base at StingBet really appreciates no limit Holdem. Limit Holdem is the next biggest game. Omaha Hi is often played at very high stakes. All other games apart from 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo are always available, at least on lower limits. The peak hours for the traffic is in European evenings. Full ring games at StingBet are played with 8 players. Limit Holdem is an exception with 10 seat tables. All short handed games are for maximum 6 players.
The B2B network (Stingbet) has a fair sized tournament section, about as many players find themselves here as in the ring game section. The big bet (NL and PL) poker tournaments are generally run with 9-seat tables. The supply of tournaments is first-rate. The size of the bigger tournaments are good, the largest weekly guaranteed tournament is the Thursday €25.000 Guarantee with a €200 buy in. As the peak hours are in the European evenings, big tournaments run at complementary times compared to many other poker rooms.
StingBet frequently run tournaments and leagues which are appreciated by the StingBet players. These “StingBet players only” online tournaments are often played in the more odd variants. There are also qualifications to local events and big StingBet events located at degrees of latitude which guarantees a sunny climate. Currently the StingBet Open at Marbella 30 November – 3 December 2006.
The software creates a great gaming experience. The client is easy to navigate. There is no blur whatsoever; the interface has a clean, simple and appealing look. While the software is downscaled and makes it easy to take in the situation, there is room for extra features promoting the playability.
There is a small pause at the end of each hand making it easy to observe the outcome. There is also automatically a pause when a player needs to rebuy to continue, thus not missing any hands. An extra time allotment is awarded for tough decisions in large pots. The games proceed in a prompt tempo. A resourceful recent addition is an option to automatically rebuy, if used a player is just one click of a button away to have full buy in again at any time. This auto-rebuy option is great for no- and pot limit games. Another feature for big bet poker games is a drop down box giving choices of betting in increments of the pot. In other respects Stingbet’s software delivers as it is supposed to. Statistics, player notes and chat do the job.
Java client allows Apple and Linux players to participate in a convenient manner. The only drawback of the software is its stability, or sporadic instability. It seems there are glitches a few times every day. The buggy periods manifests in slower play and occasionally malfunctioning graphics.
Table (click to enlarge)
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Lobby (click to enlarge)
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There are decent poker players in the B2B network (Stingbet). The player base grew tremendously in 2004 and has continued to grow at a steady pace. A large part of the new players comes from Scandinavian sports books. While this is usually undivided good news, it has not lowered the quality of the games dramatically.
The competition is slightly above or on average online. It seems the well run poker room attracts some good poker players too. Games in the lower limits are in no way deterring. One common denominator for all games is that they are passive.
StingBet offers a moderately sized, half matching bonus, for first time depositors. Use bonus code REVIEWED to get a 50% match signup bonus up to €100. The exchange rate is currently about 1.2:1, making it an approximately $120 bonus.
The signup bonus is paid out in one lump sum 30 days after the deposit. The clearance rate is €1 per 20 VIP Points. To get the entire bonus 2000 VIP’s are required. Reaching 920 VIP’s would lead to a €40 bonus. To get the maximum bonus of €100, €200 (a bit short of $240, making a $240 payment sufficient) has to be deposited.
VIP’s are StingBet’s promotional- or loyalty points. 1 VIP is awarded to each and every player at the table when the pot is raked €0.31 or more. This makes the bonus a bit wearisome to clear at the lowest limit. One or two levels higher, the bonus is moderately easy to clear. The higher the stakes, the more money in the pot, and the more hands are raked the minimum amount. At about €0.25/0.50 for no limit games and €1/€2 for fixed limit games, a comforting percentage of played hands lead to VIP’s. At levels above this almost every pot that reaches the flop gives every player VIP points.
VIP points are not “merely” used to clear the signup or reload bonuses. All players at Sting Bet are enrolled into something very similar to a rake back. The more you play, the more VIP points you get. The more VIP’s you receive in a month, the more cold hard cash is automatically paid to your account the first of the next month through the VIP CashBack Bonus. With 500 VIP in a month the bonus is €5. More VIP points sees the bonus increase expressed as a percentage as well. With 1,500 VIP in one month the bonus amount is €20. 5,000 VIP yields €100 and so on, up to 30,000 VIP in a month which leads to a €1,000 bonus.
One important factor to point out is that VIP points are not consumed by the VIP CashBack Bonus. The bonus is paid out based on how many VIP’s were earned the previous month. Regardless if the VIP’s have been spent or not. The way VIP-points can be spent as tournament buy-ins. All tournaments do not have this entry method. Decent shares of them do though, both MTT’s and SNG’s are available for VIP buy-ins. The remaining good value promotion which has not yet been debated is a Bad Beat Jackpot which is sponsored with €30,000 each month.
The rake at StingBet is better than average. The customary standards are used. The target value for the rake is 5% – with the rake most often landing in the 3 – 5% range. A “no flop – no drop” policy makes sure no rake is taken unless there is a second betting round. The highest cap is set at €3. No Limit tables are raked in increments of € 0.05 per € 1.00.
It is true that the rake is capped at €2 on €1/€2 limit tables (where many other rooms has it at €1, and this cap is set on StingBet’s €0.50/€1 tables and below). However this €2 is applied to €1/€2 limit tables and above (which is not praxis in many rooms). Also the cap when there are 2-3 players is €0.75 on all tables.
Focusing on what is needed to get VIP-points (more than €0.30 in rake) it is quickly realized by consulting the StingBet complete rake chart that the pot needs to reach €7 in no- and pot limit poker and €10 in fixed limit games (unless the game is played with 2-3 players). The pot has to get larger in fixed limit games as the pot is not raked in as frequent intervals with this betting format.
The foremost reason StingBet is a safe poker room to play at, is that they are part of a stable network. A stable network will not allow any of its members to soil the networks reputation in any respect, financial security is not allowed to be a matter of debate. There have not been any recorded problems with StingBet or any of the other poker rooms in the network.
The easiest way to at first get in contact with StingBet is by sending them an e-mail. There is no phone number presented directly to all players. This is not such a big drawback as the e-mail reply time is decent. Moreover the quality in the answers are good, most answers are to the point in plain language. StingBet have also proven to be open-minded when solving any situation that come up.
Cashouts are dealt with in an impeccable manner, minus two drawbacks. Number one, withdrawals are only administered on business days (thus not processed Saturdays and Sundays). Number two, each player is only allowed one withdrawal free of charge every 30 day-period. Normally in the online poker world, bank wiring is the slowest cash out method. StingBet’s banking system however allows speedy wire transfers. Europeans can get the money in their bank account within 48 hours. The process is even smoother for Swedes.
