bet365 Poker Review

“Serious about poker?” asks the message on the bet365 Poker homepage.  Well one thing is clear, this UK gaming giant is “serious about poker” and has one of the best poker offerings we have seen from a networked poker operator.  $20 Million Guaranteed in big monthly tournaments, a 200% first deposit bonus, seats to land-based events and possibly the best management and customer service in the business.

Getting Started

Poker at bet365 is offered through a simple download client and is part of the Playtech iPoker Network – one of the largest and most popular poker networks today.  At the time of preparing this review (14:00 GMT) there were over 15,600 players online and over 1,300 seated at tables.  Whatever level of game you are looking for; you will find it here.  Although there are many free-roll offerings, the real value in bet365 is for depositing players. 

Opening your bet365 account is easy through the poker client but if you want personal service or need some assistance UK-based Customer Service is available via Live Chat, toll-free telephone and email in 14 languages.  Once your account is funded and you are ready to play, finding your way around is intuitive and simple.  Choose from  Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha H/L, 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Stud, multi-table tournaments and sit-and-go’s.  Limits at bet365 range from $0.10/$0.20 to $30/$60.  Casino games including Blackjack are also available through the poker room and are very popular with players.

Tournaments

Perhaps their slogan should be “serious about tournaments” because there was a lot on offer for the tournament player when we conducted this review.  Their Leaderboard Grand Final (the culmination of their Leaderboard series) was upcoming in a few months and they were offering 5 seats each week in the Leaderboard Race Challenge – a great way to get your share of over $130,000 in cash prizes.   If that is not enough cash for you, don’t worry, bet365 guarantees prize-money of at least $16,000,000 in scheduled tournaments each month!

If free seats to land-based poker events are your fancy then bet365 had more than a few of these on offer as well.  Tournaments were scheduled where players could win seats at The Irish Open, Aussie Millions, and the APT Manila.

Promotions and VIP Program

bet365 is currently offering a new player bonus of 200% of your initial deposit (max value $600).  This alone is more competitive than most poker sites however with bet365 it does not stop there.  When you play at bet365 you earn Merit Points for playing at cash tables or participating in tournaments.  The Merit Points are linked to their 6-level VIP program and used to trigger a variety of other promotions and bonus offers.  You can even us your Merit Points to buy-in to cash tournaments.  Each month they offer a VIP Monthly Reload Bonus where you receive a 50% reload bonus on your first deposit each month.  The maximum bonus amount you can receive is based upon your VIP level.  If this all sounds complicated – it’s not.  bet365 communicates their promotions clearly and in detail on their website and to their players through login messages and emails.  New offers are added frequently so see the site for current details.