Full Review of Paradise Poker
Summary of Paradise Poker
Paradise Poker has been around the online poker scene since the Big Bang. At least since the big online poker bang in the end of the nineties. They used to run their own software, a very nice and well functioning poker client with some unique and amusing features, such as being able to enjoy a good cigar at the table.
Since then, Paradise Poker has joined the IPN/Boss poker network, which of course entailed a complete change of software, as well as a new and much larger player base.
Practically seen, this is no big loss for the poker world. But with the original Paradise Poker gone, a culture has died and there’s certainly some nostalgia involved for those of us who started our online poker careers at Paradise 1.0.
At Paradise you can play a few games beside the standard variations, such as five card stud and five card draw. There are loads of tournaments in various formats to choose from.
The customer support is very good and usually answers to your most contrived requests in a quick and constructive manner.
Paradise Poker has really strong promotions. For example, their freeroll paying $1,000,000 to the first place finisher is quite unique. There are guaranteed prize money tournaments and a promotion system for loyal players.
The refer-a-friend bonus pays $50 to you plus $50 to your friend. The value for players at Paradise Poker keeps increasing.
Historically, Paradise Poker wasn’t among the strongest players in terms of promotions and bonuses. Maybe they didn’t think they needed that, being one of the old guys on the market and all. Today, this has changed very much.
Paradise Poker has even been known to offer no-deposit bonuses up to a groundbreaking $1,000!
Poker Traffic
For a long time, Paradise Poker was the largest online poker room worldwide. Other sites got ahead of Paradise, and the stricter US legislation put a definite damper on the numbers.
However, with the move to IPN, things changed overnight, and today Paradise shares the largest player pool in the world. There are pretty much always enough players to provide you with the games you are looking for.
The real-money poker traffic at Paradise Poker currently reaches more than 3,500 ring-game players at peak hours (Feb, 2008). Without US players, peak hours at Paradise usually occur during European evenings, that is, around 2 PM, Pacific Time.
Software & Graphics
The new poker software of Paradise Poker is delivered from IPN (Boss) and shared with 80 other poker sites in the network. It‘s stable and reliable, pretty good-looking (if you like blue) and quite well organized. An unusual feature is the support for multi-currency gaming.
The game controls are nothing out of the ordinary, but they are in no way terrible either. You can see statistics of your game at the table, as well as the cashier, which may come in handy at times.
White text on black background in the lobby doesn’t work well on all computer screens, and links to sports betting and casino games won’t make the original poker buff go crazy with love. Then again, you don’t have to click on them.
The software is not one of the fastest, but functionality is decent and playability not bad at all. You’ll find pretty much all the usual functions plus one or two unique add-ons. Updates are patched in regularly, which guarantees good stability and personal security.
Game Variety
Paradise Poker is one of these rare places on the internet where you can play more than just Texas Holdem and Omaha. A couple of Stud games with seven or five cards are available, as is the old man Five Card Draw. The game diversity is a plus at this online poker old timer, even after the move to IPN (when the old Pineapple disappeared.)
Tournaments are mostly (or exclusively?) played in Texas Holdem, which is a shame really. But within this tight setting, you won’t miss anything at Paradise.
Apart from freerolls, there are tournaments with micro buy-ins like 10c, a fantastic little invention for those of you who are ready to take the next step. You may even pull off a Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson ploy and turn zero dollars into $10,000!
In the other end of the gamut, there are the high roller tournaments with buy-ins up to $500, or $100 with rebuys. Guaranteed prize pools between $50 and as high as $250,000 occur on a regular basis.
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