PartyPoker Review

Senior Editor
Updated
Reading Time 8 minutes
PartyPoker Welcome Bonus
$30 in Free Tickets
Verified Bonus
First Deposit Only: $30 in Free Tickets Verified Bonus
Information
  • Minimum Deposit: $10
  • Payout Speed: 1-2 days
  • Established: 2001
  • Licensed and Regulated: Gibraltar
  • Compatible On: Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows
  • Deposit Options: Visa, MasterCard, PaySafeCard, WebMoney, iDeal, Click & Buy, Click2Pay, Giro Pay, UKash, DirectPay24, Poli, eWire, Switch/Solo/Maestro, Skrill, EntroPay, Neteller, Wire Transfer
Party Poker has always been one of—if not the—biggest and most prolific trustworthy online poker sites since their inception in 2001. As one of the original advocates of virtual poker rooms, they have always been a top option for players especially in the casual play category.
Best Promotion Free Tickets
Welcome Bonus Welcome Bonus of $30

Since being at the pinnacle of the online poker world as the largest virtual poker room ever, the brand has seen their player count decrease gradually over time due to other operators popping up on the virtual poker scene but from our experience they are still as strong a contender as ever with 14 languages, dedicated networks and competitive bonuses.

Currently, only New Jersey residents can register and play on PartyPoker but this can change so be sure to visit our poker state laws section or seek advice from a legal professional.
What we disliked?
  • Customer service could be more established

Unfortunately due to the act known as UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), Party Poker in 2006 made a bold move to prohibit players from the US excluding New Jersey and possibly more in the future so you’ll have to be sure they accept players from your respective state before signing up. While this was quite a controversial move due to their popularity at the time, we can seen why as field of competition has gotten fierce and Party Poker has been selective in their battles, choosing not to be on the edge of the law compared to a lot of their ‘then’ competitors having been shut down since the act that shook up the industry.

Security

Party Poker is a subsidiary of Bwin Party Digital Entertainment meaning they enjoy the title of the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming company and players can deposit their money safe in the knowledge of Bwin Party Digital Entertainment’s commitment to their London Stock Exchange company investors ensuring tight rules on unethical practices and general legal activity. This is one of just many reasons we love playing at Party Poker and happily recommend it right now as of 2017, considering all the online poker options today.

Software and Game Selection

100% safe and verified software

Right now Texas Hold’em is clearly dominating the popularity charts for 2017 and while Party Poker offers some classic staples to keep your strategies sharpened, there are also Blackjack and Roulette options for the poker players that like a break in between their leisurely routine. Players can find the following range of games to pick from:

  • Limit Texas Hold’em
  • Pot-limit Texas Hold’em
  • Pot-limit Omaha
  • Pot-limit Omaha HI-Lo
  • 7 Card Stud
  • 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo

The Texas Hold’em and Omaha games run from 1¢ / 2¢ going up to $5 / $10 for Omaha poker and $25 / $50 for Texas Hold’em with the occasional Stud and Stud Hi-Lo available as well.

The last year has seen some great additions and simplifications to Party Poker’s tournament system and schedule, now presenting as the four following ‘Power Series’ categories:

Category Buy-in
Featherweight $1.10 – $11
Middleweight $22 – $55
Heavyweight $109
High Roller $350 – $1,050

While being famous for ‘The Main Event’ – a Heavyweight $109 tournament with $150,000 guaranteed, players can find other head-turning tournaments worthy of their attention on a daily basis including ‘The Uppercut’ with a $109 buy-in and $50,000 guaranteed and also our favourite, ‘The Contender’ with an accessible $22 buy-in and generous $20,000 guaranteed.

There are also ‘Sit and Go’ tournaments which work more in a low risk; low chance-style jackpot game winning up to $1,000,000 with small buy-ins and while enjoyable, we personally prefer the former options for a more stable poker experience.

While being all about the poker experience, Party Poker has tried to grip in new players to return with their mission and badge system where players can earn badges and get actual money for completing objectives. This achievement system is partially vanity-based with no real substance to the badges beyond recognition but while it is transparent in its attempt to reward players more; it does add an additional element of fun for the players that appreciate that.

Promotions and Bonuses

New players opening an account today can enjoy PartyPoker’s current offer of a no-fuss $25 welcome bonus completely free in order to try out their hand at cash games and tourneys with no deposit required.

PartyPoker has a long history of abundant players and know how to keep them returning with a well-devised loyalty program. They use a system of Four tiers which players automatically benefit from upon depositing. Every dollar paid in rake or tournament fees nets a player 2 points and it’s straight-forward rewards from there!

Tier Monthly Points Req. Cash Rewarded Tickets Rewarded
Bronze 0 None Up to $22
Silver 50 Up to $109 Up to $109
Gold 750 $100 Up to $530
Palladium 2,000 $500 Up to $530

Players can exchange their points in the Points Store for cash, bonuses and multi-table poker tournament tickets with increasing ratios of reward to investment.

Customer Support

PartyPoker’s customer service has historically been one of its weak points but in our personal experience it has been completely fine with good support via email and very helpful free-phone and live chat staff.

There is an FAQ guide which we’ve used several times for testing and genuine reasons and it has held up its purpose very well for the most part, with real customer support filling in the gaps, but we have to admit that PartyPoker could make an effort to push their customer service presence better to more faithfully present its readiness to help with capable staff already on-hand.

Summary

PartyPoker is pretty much a hand-down gold standard in the industry which is evident through its multiple buyouts and with the most recent being GVC Holdings snatching up the virtual online poker room gurus for over $1 billion – we can definitely see why this poker room is so popular.

PartyPoker have a phenomenal attention to their software security and mobile compatibility which almost garner enough merit on their own for us to recommend them but they are also backed by their stunning track record that follow them, abundant payment options, vast tournaments and reliable VIP and bonus structures. All that is to say, don’t give this a miss and you’ll be recommending it to others as we are to you before you can say ‘royal flush’.

Payment Options: Certified
Payout Speed: 1-2 Days
Security Check: Passed
Is PartyPoker legal in my state?

PartyPoker’s real money application is currently only available to players from New Jersey due to regulations and the UIGEA law but this may change in the future. Players from other states in the US need to be mindful of the state laws that are enforced in their local jurisdiction. Check the Poker State Laws page to get an up-to-date list of states to play play legal real money online poker.

How can I play PartyPoker online poker?

Just download the client on on a Windows or Mac computer from PartyPoker’s website and sign up for an account to log in and play with. Easy as 1-2-3!

Are there support services?

PartyPoker has customer support in the form of e-mail, live chat and free phone, all of which can be found on their website.

What poker games do PartyPoker offer?

Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot-limit Texas Hold’em, Pot-limit Omaha, Pot-limit Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Card Stud and 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo.

What PartyPoker deposit options are available?

Instant Checks, Wire Transfer, Mastercard, PartyPoker Discover, Neteller, 7Eleven ‘Pay with Cash’, Borgata, Visa/Visa Electron and Skrill Moneybookers. Take note that banks that issue credit cards have recently adopted policies that restrict users making transactions associated with internet and eGaming purchases. When depositing, keep in mind this possibly if your card is declined, otherwise we recommend trying another method.