Party Poker deposit bonuses clear at some of the best rates on the internet. Party Poker uses a point system for bonus clearing and for player rewards (see Player Rewards below). A point is earned by being dealt a hand in a raked pot. 5 points are needed for each $1 of bonus. So, for a $100 bonus, you will need to play 500 raked hands (which is quite easy at Party Poker). While the bonus amount isn't the best, it is probably the easiest bonus to clear of all the online poker rooms. Bonus does not clear in increments, you must complete the raked hands requirement before the bonus will be released to your account.
Software (8)
The Party Poker software hasn't changed much visually for years. Although they have added many features to their poker room over the years. The graphics have remained the same and are mediocre at best?table views can be altered if you find the right table mod site (google "party poker table mod"). Overall, the look of Party Poker is not great, but the functionality is great. You can play up to 8 tables at once on Party Poker.
Traffic (9)
Party Poker boasts the largest collection of poker players on the net. Peak hours will see 60,000 to 75,000 users playing.
Ring Games (10)
Party Poker has some of the softest ring games on the internet. Preflop percentages range from mid 20's to mid 40's depending on the time of day you play(between 8pm and 1am EST is when you will see mid 40's). Unfortunately, the preflop percentages are not listed in the lobby, but they do list the average pot size. Limit games range from $.50/$1 - $100/$200 and No Limit games range from $.10/$.25 - $10/$20.
Tournaments (8)
Multi Table Tournaments at Party Poker have increased a great deal lately. Very good turnout for most tournaments. Sit-n-Go tournaments have always been a staple of Party Poker. Sit-n-Go's are quite juicy and always available. At peak times, it's often hard to get to a table and get seated before it fills up...you need to be fast on the mouse trigger!
Variety (7)
Like most online poker rooms, Hold 'em is their most popular game. Still, they also offer Omaha, Omaha hi/lo, 7 card stud and 7 card stud hi/lo with very good traffic.
Player Rewards (8)
Party Poker offers a player rewards system that is based on your frequency of play and the level you play. They use a tiered system to determine how fast you accumulate points. Basically, the more you play and the higher limit you play, the faster you will accumulate points. Points can be used in the Party Poker store where you can get products ranging from license plates to hats to sweatsuits. Actually, it seems like they should offer a wider variety of products as they only offer 14 different products currently. Points can also be used for buyins to tournaments (specifically, tournaments that require points for the buyin...there is no cash value for the points). These tournaments typically have cash payouts.
Overall (9)
Party Poker is one of my favorite sites. It has all that poker players should be looking for: lots of options and lots of action! Party has been one of the leaders in reload bonuses, but this has slowed in recent months. They have gone to account specific reload bonuses rather than site wide reload bonuses. But they still seem to offer some sort of bonus every month....just watch for emails from them. Their Sit-n-Go tournaments are some of the best on the internet, while the starting chips and blind levels aren't the greatest, the competition makes up for it! Overall, between the sheer volume of the ring games and the good tournaments, Party Poker is a must for all online poker players.
