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Pacific Poker / 888.com
Being part of a company that operates the world’s biggest online casino site, Pacific Poker is no doubt the best choice for players who want assurance of stability and quality poker tournaments.
Established in 2002 by 888 Holdings group, the operator of Casino-on-Net site, the online poker room built a large community of poker enthusiasts who are raring to make a profit by beating equally competitive rivals on the net.
Pacific Poker is one of the pioneering online poker sites in the market. Through the years, Pacific Poker has enjoyed a loyal following from members throughout the world. However, the company experienced a decline in traffic after the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law in the United States, one of its biggest market bases. The legislation prohibited credit card companies and other financial institutions from transacting payments between the U.S. residents and the company. This led the company officials to suspend its real money gambling operations in the U.S. and concentrated in expanding its business in other countries.
This move paid off the company late last year since it found a niche in the European and Asian markets. This resulted to a renewed surge in membership and traffic in the site, thanks to the improvement of its software and additional cash-rich online tournaments.
Features
The new and improved Pacific Poker software has a lot of features that will certainly grab the attention of the player. It has great graphics, user-friendly search feature and excellent layouts. The 3-D avatars are also great to look at. Up to four tables can be monitored by the user simultaneously through its cascade feature. The hands can also be replayed graphically which could serve as an important tool for players to review their play.
Pacific Poker offers the popular poker variations such as Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, Omaha Hi/Lo and Texas Hold’em. There’s never a shortage of game choices.
What makes Pacific Poker stand out among the rest is its no-download client software which means that players that are not using the Windows Operating System (such as Mac and Linux) can still play at the online poker room. There may be some disabled features but it does not affect the gameplay.
Traffic
Pacific Poker is still recovering from a major blow caused by UIGEA. However, the traffic is increasing at a rapid pace. About 8,000 tournament players log on to play during peak hours. Games garnering the most traffic are Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven Card Stud games.
Rake
The site also follows the “no flop, no drop” rake policy which means that once the flop is seen, the pot is raked. A maximum rake of $1.25 is usually taken from the $1 or $2 games and less than a dollar for limits under $1 or $2. These figures are usually within industry standards.
Current Promotions
This online poker room, Pacific Poker, is currently taking part in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) mania just like other poker sites. It is currently conducting qualifying events every two Saturdays of the month. The winner will get a $17,000 WSOP package which includes the $10,000 Main Event Seat, $2,500 travel allowance, $2,000 pocket money and $2,500 for accommodations at the newest tower of the Venetian hotel.
The sign-up bonus can reach up to $475 with a deposit match of up to 125 percent.
Payment Options
Pacific Poker has a very good track record when it comes to payment transactions, thanks to the tried and tested technology implemented by 888, its mother company. There have been no reports of suspicious or erroneous transactions.
Since the online poker room no longer accepts U.S.-based players, no legal obstacles can be encountered in making deposits using NETeller (which pulled out of the U.S. market due to UIGEA), VIA, MasterCard, Wire Transfer, UKash, bank transfer, PaysafeCard, ACTeCASH, FirePay, Citadel, InstaDebit and ClickandBuy. The minimum deposit rate has been set to $30. Withdrawal options include NETeller, wire transfer and cashier’s check. The withdrawals are usually held from one to three days before processing.
Site Support
The customer support service at Pacific Poker is above average. The employees that usually answers e-mail, phone and live chat inquiries are friendly, professional and knowledgeable. With a 24/7 customer service hotline, players can easily get support when they encounter site problems at Pacific Poker. The language is currently available in English.
Other Features and Information
The java version of Pacific Poker’s software makes it possible for players to log on anywhere in the world and play because there’s no need to download the software. To experience fast yet secure poker experience, visit Pacific Poker’s official website at www.pacificpoker.com