Ultimate Bet Poker Review

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Overall Score 6.7 of 10 (Good) Popularity 8 Security 7 Competition 7 Software 7 Support 3 Ethics 6 Promotions 9 Visit UltimateBet Poker Deposit Bonus: 111% to $1,100 plus $10 cash free! Bonus Code: CHIP10

The Quick Summary

Ultimate Bet is one of the largest poker rooms on the internet. It regularly has 15,000+ players online at peak times. With generous rakeback and frequent reloads that clear concurrently (at a reduced rate), Ultimate Bet is the home site for many regular poker players. They also advertise enough so that there are plenty of fish at the tables to keep the games nice and juicy. Their software interface is functional and convenient, with the exception of the lack of ability to store hand histories on the harddrive. A recent software update added HORSE into the mix of games offered, and UB is unique in that they offer elimination blackjack tournaments.

Popularity: 8 of 10 - Excellent

With between 10,000 and 20,000 players online at nearly all times, Ultimate Bet is one of the most popular places to play poker online. UB has pretty good traffic for Omaha and 7 Card Stud games, up to about the $3/6 level where they become less common. You can usually find a Triple Draw or Pineapple game going, but it will be pretty low limit unless it's a high limit Triple Draw game. Their SNG system is pretty good, while not always completely up to date. You can usually get into a SNG of your choice without having to wait more than a few minutes. There are many Multi-Table Tournaments throughout the day, with guaranteed prize pools being common. Ultimate Bet offers super micro limits of $.01/.02 for several of their games, so you can learn how to play them without risking a lot of money, but without the lack of significance that play money gives to the game.

Security: 7 of 10 - Good

Ultimate Bet is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. They use a very unique random number generator as well. From their website: "Our system utilizes thermal noise on a zener diode - shielded to prevent any environmental interference. The characteristics of this device are governed by the laws of quantum physics and are provably non-deterministic." The Ultimate Bet cashier is secured using SSL and verified by VeriSign Inc.

Player Competition: 7 of 10 - Good

Many very good players play at UB regularly, due to their solid rakeback program and generous reload bonuses. They also attract a lot of fish with their advertising and bonuses. You really have to pay attention to the players at the table to find out who the sharks and the fish are, and programs such as PokerTracker and PokerOffice will help you do that. It's important to take notes on players too, to help make the right plays at the right times. There are a lot of short handed tables and it is not uncommon to see tables with 60%+ of people seeing the flop. Just remember, if you can't spot who the fish are within the first 10 minutes, you are the fish!

Site Software: 7 of 10 - Good

Ultimate Bet's software is very solid. The lobby is almost always up to date and provides plenty of information on the games such as the % of players seeing the flop, average pot, and the number of hands per hour. You have a varity of sorting options, but having some filters available to decrease the number of tables listed would be a nice feature in a future release. All tables have unique names so if you want to play with a friend it is easy to find them. The software is regularly updated with new features and games, but it remains easy to navigate and clean.

The actual tables on UB are well laid out and easy to use. Once you sit at a table it automatically updates so that you are located on the bottom most seat, a convenient feature when playing multiple tables so you don't have to figure out where your seat is at. You have many options with regard to the sound and how the software acts. You can enable a four color deck if you wish. Player bets and stacks are clearly visible, and the current pot size can be displayed by adjusting the table options.

Hand histories are available instantly, but are all listed in a big window instead of being stored on the harddrive. This makes UB incompatible with PokerTracker without the use of a third party application such as GameTime+ or UltimateHistory. Even then you have to keep the hand history window open which makes annoying beeps when it updates. On the plus side, using GameTime+ you can capture the last 50 hands played at that table, so that you have a general idea of how players play as soon as you sit down. Talk about an advantage!

Customer Support: 3 of 10 - Poor

Ultimate Bet only offers email support, although it is available 24/7. Many people have difficulty getting a response, let alone an adequate response, from Ultimate Bet. They do not have phone support or live chat at all. Cashouts also take several days. This is one area where UB could greatly improve.

Company Ethics: 6 of 10 - OK

Several of the top professional poker players in the world endorse UB, including Phil Hellmuth Jr., Annie Duke, and Antonio Esfandiari. Their sometimes insufficient customer support reflects negatively on the company as a whole. Overall the company seems to be pretty mediocre ethically, nothing too bad, but nothing too great either.

Site Promotions: 9 of 10 - Excellent

Ultimate Bet has a very good initial deposit bonus of 111% to $1,100. They also have several reload bonuses per month to make sure your bonus account stays topped up. The bonus is released every time you play at a table, in amounts at low at $.01. They run non-stop satellites to many of the top live events in the world, and have a weekly $200k guaranteed. One place where UB really shines is in their great promotions.

Overall Review: 6.7 of 10 - Good

Ultimate Bet does a lot of things pretty well, but only their promotions stand out as being great. It is a solid room that could easily be your new home if you find out you like it there. Just watch out for the other sharks!

Official Website: www.ultimatebet.com