Party Poker

Party Poker used to be one of the biggest poker rooms in the world but, like many rooms, it was hit badly by the 2006 ban on US players. But, lucky for us, it seems to be back on the rise, bringing back its great range of special events, competitive play and great cash games. Play is still rather soft in some tournaments, especially Hold’em and Omaha but a software update last year has added some new features meaning better graphics, live action previews and even the ability to customise your player image. Arguably one of the securest sites on the net, party poker has certification from eGaming, GamCare and eCORGA- meaning you know it’s one to trust.

There is even a bonus promotion code where you can get up to a $500 (£300) signup bonus with the code PL500EN with a minimum deposit of $25 (£15). To claim all you need to do is collect 8 times the amount you deposited in PartyPoints. So, $50 (£30) would mean 400 PartyPoints to get your $50 (£30) bonus back.

Instead of the previously complex loyalty system now players just have to collect PartyPoints. A player earns 2 PartyPoints for every $1 (60p) in fees they pay and for those who earn over 5000 points a month there is The Palladium Lounge Club with bigger rewards for players! For other players there are generous bonuses and credits to encourage more game play.

There is tough competition in the tournaments where a player can win the $215 (£130) buy-in for as little as $3 (£1.80). If you’re wanting something a little looser, however, there is still the smaller buy-in tournaments and the play-at-any-level games. There’s a good freeroll spread with bonus points and events for new players and extra promotions.

The software has improved dramatically in recent years, boasting top quality graphics and customisable avatars as well as quick seat, full colour hands and training tables. The best feature, however, is the “Hot Hand” alert, which tells you have you have a good hand like a pocket ace. Because of the new software you can play on Windows, Apple and even Linux computers, but unfortunately can still only download to Windows.