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Betfred Poker Review
Reasons to Join |
Very easy sign up process
Loads of loyalty offers - probably the best out there!
Loose ring game play |
 | Signing Up |
I simply downloaded and ran the installer, it was ready to use within a minute. Existing Betfred Sportsbook and Casino members can use their current username and password to login, I did'nt need to register a credit card and there were no forms to fill in because I'm a sportsbook member already.
I deposited my $100 and was playing within minutes, easy peasy. |
9/10 | Software |
The software is fairly basic looking but customisable with a few nice features. My favourite was full screen mode which allowed me to use the whole of my screen and see from further away, that came in useful with the daily physiotherapy I've had to endure since rupturing my knee ligaments, I kid you not.
There's plenty of space for player note taking, lots of useful game statistics plus extensive hand history facilities. Betfred allow you to play an unlimited number of tables simultaneously for either ring games or tournaments, which is great if you like to multitable or just like playing against the more mechanical style of the textbook multitabler. There are all varieties of poker on offer, from Stud, Omaha and Hold'em. |
6/10 | Ring Games |
The ring game traffic has definitely improved over the last few years and is likely to grow further if Betfreds presence on the UK high street is anything to go by. There are plenty of ring game tables at a wide range of stake levels and the standard is generally loose. It can be perceived as a good thing that there is'nt a huge volume of traffic, especially if you make player notes.
I believe the ring games present the best opportunity to make profit based on the current numbers and loose general standard of play.
The most appealing aspect of their cash games has to be the rake; a uniform 5% is applied to all stake levels, including the micro stakes, which is impressive seeing as many online cardrooms charge twice as much at those levels. |
4/10 | | Tournaments |
There is excellent tournament traffic on this network and a wide range of buy ins, starting from as little as $1 and going up to $500 so you're sure to find a suitable level for your bankroll.
There are plenty of satellite tournaments leading to the Asian Poker Tour in Macau, Sun City Million in South Africa and Irish Winter Festival in Dublin; because of the loose opposition, this site could provide one of the softest routes into a big money televised tournament, in my opinion.
There are daily $45k tournaments, a $50k tournament on Saturday plus a $100k one on Friday; there's also a juicy $2,500,000 tournament in September; qualify via satellites starting from less than $3. |
7/10 | Sit & Gos |
There was also good Sit & Go traffic, this is where I spent most of my time. During peak hours it never took longer than a couple of minutes for a 10 seater table to fill, especially on the no limit side.
The standard of play was'nt as loose as on the ring games and it definitely was harder to make a profit from Sit & Go's than on other sites I've tried in the last few years.
My opponents were noticably more chatty than other sites, nowhere moreso than in the Sit & Go section, it's quite a friendly little subcommunity, definitely worth trying if your main goal is to have fun. |
7/10 | Support |
Betfred have a toll free number for UK residents and a chargeable line for the rest of the world. I suggest using their live chat support which instantly allows you to talk to a Betfred support person who is helpful and competent in my experience.
They also have email support, but I had no need to email them since the live chat method worked so well. |
8/10 | | Banking |
| You may only register one card at a time to an account, but you can also deposit from a MoneyBookers Wallet, Neteller and myCitadel. Withdrawing money was very easy, my bank account was credited in under 5 working days. All major credit and debit cards are accepted. |
9/10 | Standard of Players |
The overall standard of the site is loose, this can be attributed to the fact that they are affiliated to an online Sportsbook and Casino.
It should be noted, however, that the quality of opposition in the Sit & Go section is slightly higher than the rest of the site; I believe this might have something to do with the huge bonuses on the Sit & Go tables.
I played there for just over a month and managed to turn $100 into nearly $700, although I had plenty of unwanted distrations and disasters during this period and could possibly have made more in better circumstances. |
9/10 | Loyalty Promotions |
I knew there were going to be plenty of bonuses at Betfred Poker, Fred is known as the bonus king and he did'nt let me down. When I played there was a 100% bonus on your first deposit of up to $600, which you earn back by accumulating Betfred VIP points while you play.
They had a monthly loyalty bonus too where you earn bonus dollars simply by playing poker and accumulating Betfred VIP points.
There were numerous other bonuses, especially on the Sit & Go's, they were giving a $15,000 prize to anyone who wins five consecutive $5 Jackpot Sit & Go's and a $200 prize to anyone who finishes either 1st or 2nd in five consecutive $5 Jackpot Sit & Go's.
There were similar bonuses at the higher levels, with $25,000 and $300 bonuses at the $20 level, also $50,000 and $750 bonuses at the $50 level, but instead of 5 consecutive games it's 6.
There are also numerous daily freerolls, it's the site that keeps on giving. |
10/10 | Summary |
Possibly the best poker site out there for bonuses. If you like playing ring games then make sure Betfred is a regular hunting ground for you as the play is loose. |
7.7/10 | |
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