Absolute Poker Review

Absolute Poker is a successful internet poker site that was established in 2003. For the longest time, Absolute Poker remained a small but trusted poker site that seemed destined to remain on the fringes of internet poker for all time. A combination of weak marketing and slow software kept them from joining the big leagues. However, that has all changed in recent years.

In 2008, Absolute Poker joined forces with Ultimate Bet to create the Cereus Poker Network. The two poker sites decided to remain independent but they merged their poker tables so that both sites now share a player base that is twice as big. This proved to be a smart strategy because it instantly doubled player traffic and gave the players many more tables to choose from and opponents to battle against.

At the same time, Absolute Poker underwent a major software upgrade. They improved the graphics, removed a lot of the bloat that made the software run slow and ended up with a much better poker room. Today, Absolute Poker is one of the largest poker rooms on the internet.

Absolute Poker Sign Up Bonus

All new players who sign up at Absolute Poker receive a 150% bonus on their first deposit there. This bonus is offered on the first deposit you make after signing up and it maxes out at $500. To claim this bonus, just use the referral code IG500 when you sign up for an account.

After you make your first deposit, the bonus money is released in $5.00 increments by earning “Status Points” at the table. These points are a part of Absolute Poker’s VIP program and they are earned automatically every time you participate in a real money cash game or tournament. Twenty Status Points must be earned to release each $1.00 in bonus money.

Ring Games

Absolute Poker hosts ring games at a variety of stakes and game type. Texas Holdem is the main attraction here, but they also spread Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, Razz and mixed poker games. These games are further divided into fixed limit, no-limit and pot-limit.

The stakes of the ring games start out at $0.01/$0.02 for no-limit and $0.02/$0.04 for fixed limit. The stakes gradually increase from there and max out at $200/$400 no-limit and $500/$1000 fixed limit. The traffic at each level is solid, but it can be difficult to find ultra high stakes games in the middle of the day.

The competition at Absolute Poker leans slightly towards the tight side. The player base here is decent but they aren’t incredibly skilled. At the lower levels, you’ll find a bunch of fish with the occasional decent player mixed in. As you move up in stakes, the competition becomes much more skilled in general. Overall, the games feel a tad bit tighter at Absolute Poker than average, but it’s not terrible.

Tournaments

Absolute Poker has a nice selection of daily and weekly tournaments that should keep all tournament players busy. The tournament lineup is geared mostly towards Texas Holdem but other poker variants make the occasional appearance in the tournament lobby. The buyins for tournaments at Absolute Poker range from $0.05 to $5,000.

The types of tournaments that can be found at Absolute Poker include standard freezeouts, rebuy and add-ons, bounties, satellite and freerolls. There is also a nice selection of guaranteed tournaments, including a weekly $200,00 guaranteed prize pool tournament. If your bankroll can’t handle the buyins for the more expensive tournaments, you can always win your way in for much cheaper through various satellite tournaments.

Sit-n-go tournaments are also offered in their own category at Absolute Poker. These tournaments also start out at $0.05 at the micro limits and go all the way up to $5,000 a piece. Most of the SNGs here are single-table format, but there are also multi-table SNGs and satellites up to larger buyin tournaments.

Software

The Absolute Poker software has come a long ways since it was first introduced to the poker market. The first software back in 2003 was ugly and slow and that really turned off a lot of potential players. When they merged with Ultimate Bet in 2008, the software got a much-needed upgrade in both functionality and graphics.

The current software at Absolute Poker is actually one of the best in the industry. The graphics are clean and simple, which makes for a solid poker experience. Crashes and bugs are basically nonexistent and the tables move at a fast pace with minimal time spent waiting between hands. Serious poker players will love this software because everything is efficient, speedy and easy to read.

There are also quite a few options that can be changed to fine-tune your experience. From the main poker lobby, you can use filters to display exactly the types of games you’re looking for. For example, if you want to play shorthanded no-limit tables of a specific level, all you have to do is open the filter and click a few options.

More options can also be changed at the tables themselves. When you join a table, you can change the viewpoint, the table skin, you can set hotkeys, change to four color decks, set auto-rebuy options and much more. As you get accustomed to the software, you’ll learn how to set all the options up for optimum efficiency.

VIP Program

Absolute Poker has a VIP program that it uses to keep current players happy and willing to return for more. The program revolves around your play at the real money poker games at Absolute. For every hand you play in a real money cash game and for every tournament you join, you are rewarded with both AbsolutePoints and Status Points.

Status Points are used to determine the level of your membership in the VIP club. There are five levels, and each level brings with it increasingly valuable perks. At the highest levels, players can earn concierge service, interest on their account balances and more. It all depends on how many Status Points you earn each month.

AbsolutePoints are the currency of Absolute Poker’s VIP program. You can use your AbsolutePoints to redeem cash bonuses, purchase items from the VIP store and buy in directly to tournaments without paying. At the first level, you earn AbsolutePoints at the same rate as you earn Status Points. As you move up in levels, you earn AbsolutePoints at a faster and faster rate.

Overall, the VIP Club at Absolute Poker is a rewarding system. Every player is automatically enrolled in the club and points are automatically distributed. If you happen to be a high volume player, you’ll find it very generous indeed. At the highest levels, you can earn up to $1,000 a month in extra cash.

Deposit Options

When you’re ready to play for real money, Absolute Poker has a variety of deposit options that work well for both USA and international players. Each country has its own list of deposit options, but the most common include:

USA Deposits

• Visa / MasterCard
• Instant eCheck
• Cash Transfer
• eWalletXpress
• UseMyWallet

Non-USA Deposits

• Neteller
• Moneybookers
•  Credit / Debit Card
• Bank Transfer
• Click2Pay
• ClickandBuy