Overview
Top o’ the morning to ya and other Irish stereotypes! PaddyPower poker is an ever-growing site on the iPoker network, born from successful sports betting company PaddyPower. In short, these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to gambling.
The Paddy Power Poker Pro Promotion offers the chance to win a €100,000 pro sponsorship package via their C*A*S*H VIP programme. Accumulate enough player points each month and you can move up the ranks. Reach the rank of General and you will be gain free entry into an exclusive online final where eight will go through to the Live Grand Final for a top prize of €60,000.
Other Promotions on offer include the iPoker Jackpot Sit n Go’s, where if you win a number of consecutive Sit n Go’s you can win a jackpot of up to $190,000
Conclusion: Our Verdict: Even if you don’t fancy a spot of poker (which is an alien feeling to the guys at BluffEurope.com) then you can still have a flutter on the footie. It’s win-win!
Software
Paddy Power Poker is on the iPoker network along with other sites such as Titan and VC poker. It is one of many sites that have joined the growing network, developed by leading casino-software developer PlayTech, and despite being one of the newest networks it is also one of the largest with traffic on a par with that of Ongame Network. The graphics are solid and players are able to choose from a number of quality in-game features such as ‘dealer’ and ‘player’ sound options, multi-table tiling and detailed recent hand histories.
Conclusion: Our Verdict: On the whole the iPoker network software is pretty good, although it could at times be a little faster and multi-tabling can be a chore on slower PCs. Nevertheless graphics are good and there is something sexy about the way the cards are dealt
Traffic
During peak hours, statistics as of June 2009 show there are around 10,000 ring-game players and 55,000 tournament players – around average for the industry. There seems to be a greater appeal in mid to lower stakes games with less of an opportunity for those looking to play higher stakes. However, below that you get a wealth of games and even at the higher limits you’ll still get enough going to keep your average player satisfied.
Conclusion: Our Verdict: A lot of people like to donk around after a sportsbetting flutter but it’s not the busiest site out there. If you plan on grinding out a million hands a week then you might want to give it a miss.
Donks or Not?
As always, donks a-plenty. In this case they’re mostly punters from the sportsbetting or casino section of the site who fancied giving poker a try. A big win on the horses will often get slapped down at the tables and donated to the sharks. As Mike McDermott said in Rounders: “these people have no idea what they’re about to walk into.”
Conclusion: Overall Verdict: Paddy Power Poker offers some great promotions in particular their C*A*S*H VIP programme and €100,000 Sponsorship Package. Anyone who plays regularly and is looking to be rewarded for their hard work and dedication at the tables might want to join the programme.