Ultimate Bet

Full Review of Ultimate Bet

When an online poker site can stand the test of time like UltimateBet Poker has managed to do, you have to admit that they're probably doing something right. When huge names like Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke are prepared to put their names and reputations to your site, the chances are that you're going to find a poker experience that's totally at the top of it's game.

Quite simply, UltimateBet Poker seem to have been around forever and now move into their 10th anniversary year looking in better shape than ever before. In November 2008, UltimateBet completed a highly publicised merger with another giant in the online poker world, Absolute Poker, and now form part of the Cereus Poker Network.

The merger seems to have taken UltimateBet Poker onto a whole new level and the site now offers more free games, more freerolls, better tournaments and more opportunities to gain entry into some of the biggest tournaments in online poker.

UltimateBet Poker also one of the best sign-up packages around and continue to reward regular players with an extensive range of promotions that keep adding those all-important dollars to your bankroll.

For the new player, UltimateBet Poker offers a massive 111% first-deposit bonus that can see anything up to $1,100 added to your account. Bonus payments are made in incremental stages and are earned by climbing the unique 'raise' ladder. As your status level increases the points level required to clear the next bonus level comes down, which means the increments become much easier to reach.

UltimateBet Poker also offers a 100% reload bonus that could see you earn up to $650 . Like the sign-up bonus, the reload bonus is paid out in incremental levels based on the 'raise' ladder program and is surprisingly easy to clear.

There's also a Refer-A-Friend program that pays players anything up to $75 for each referral and a Hall of Fame feature that sees $50 credited to your account once players rack up ten million play chips. Once paid, your overall score is reset to 20,000 and you can earn the bonus as many times as you wish.

UltimateBet Poker continue to lead the way by offering an outrageous Bad-Beat Jackpot that regularly reaches the $250,000 mark meaning that even the unluckiest of losers can still walk away a winner!

When it comes to tournament play, there's very little in the online poker world that can compare to what UltimateBet Poker has to offer. Take part in some of the best freerolls to be seen anywhere, or use your bankroll to work your way up to the tables of some of the biggest events in world poker.

There's a vast choice of multi-table tournaments, sit-and-go competitions, direct entry satellite games and bounty poker tournaments that see handsome cash rewards being offered for knocking other players out of the tournament.

As well as tournament play, there's an infinite number of regular table games including ring-table, short-handed and heads-up varieties. Players can enjoy a full range of poker games with all the popular versions available plus some welcome rarities such as Razz and H-O-R-S-E.

Table stakes start at 2c/4c at the beginners tables while the more accomplished players can bet anything up to $500/$1,000.

The software at UltimateBet Poker is remarkably simple and ignores the use of avatars to bring a refreshingly basic style of play without compromising the overall experience a player might expect from one of the market leaders of the genre.

The software is glitch-free, pleasantly designed and includes hand history, player notes and game statistics. Where the software really excels is when the UltimateBuddy system is used. UltimateBuddy allows you to keep track of, and communicate with, all of your friends who use the UltimateBet Poker site. It's a great add-on and gives the site a genuinely social feel.

The lobby area is wonderfully easy to use, rarely stalls and is brimming over with tables for players of every ability imaginable.

Traffic-wise, UltimateBet Poker enjoys an average of just under 20,000 players for the year and can attract almost 35,000 poker buffs during peak periods. This puts an awful lot of competition out there so it's never too difficult finding a table to suit your needs. Play can be quite tight at times, but isn't always indicative of the quality of poker being played.

All electronic withdrawals are completed within 48 hours while cheques can take anything up to 15 working days. The withdrawal system can sometimes be a little complicated but the overall quality of the site more than compensates for it.

In terms of support, UltimateBet Poker is out there with the best. The site includes one of the most detailed sets of FAQ's available while the telephone support and live chat facilities offer superb customer service from knowledgeable and courteous staff.

After 10 years of sitting firmly on the top tier of online poker, UltimateBet Poker uses the knowledge it possesses to continually improve their product and service. It's a wonderful blend of history and know-how that offers poker players of every imaginable level the very best of online experience.