PartyPoker Review
Since the platform’s founding in 2001, PartyPoker has been a leader in the leaders in the industry. The site offers a well-regarded online poker room that includes great cash games, major tournament action, and great promotions for players.
The site also offers numerous online qualifiers for PartyPoker Live events held around the world. In recent years, Party has made major overhauls to its software client and mobile product, making for an even better live experience. Mobile has been an especially important focus for the operator as more players choose to play on a cell phone or tablet device.
Keep reading to learn more about PartyPoker, a great online poker option for many players around the globe.
About PartyPoker
With more than two decades in the industry, PartyPoker is a recognizable online poker brand. The company was founded by PartyGaming owner Ruth Parasol. Poker Hall of Fame member and longtime World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton also played an early role in helping the company to develop its software and earning a small share of the company’s stock.
The platform became a hit with players and was the top operator in the world until 2006, when PartyPoker left the U.S. market because of legislation restricting online poker. The company heavily advertised during broadcasts of the WPT during those early years of the poker boom. Many of those commercials also featured Sexton.
The company added to its poker offerings by purchasing the WPT in 2009 for $12.3 million. Party sold the tour six years later to Ourgame International for $35 million. In 2011, Party was acquired by gaming giant bwin, which was rebranded as Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.
GVC Holdings, now known as Entain, then purchased the company for £1.1 billion in 2016. Party is licensed by the government of Gibraltar and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner under the Gambling Act 2005
The PartyPoker international site remains a popular poker option for many players around the world. Regularly among the top 15 sites in the world, the site’s traffic was seeing a seven-day average of 500-600 players in April 2023. The platform also operates dedicated sites for the Italian and French markets.
Party also partners with MGM Resorts to operate in the U.S. with the BetMGM/Party platform available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The company returned to the American market in 2013 after online poker became a state-by-state regulation issue in the country.
While the site has dropped a bit in popularity in recent years, PartyPoker continues to offer a nice option for players looking for a nice online poker experience.
Cash Games at PartyPoker
Playing some cash games at Party is a simple process and players will find plenty of action. In April 2023, the site was experiencing an average of 500-600 cash game players with 24-hour peaks of around 1,000 players. That won’t compare to the bigger brands but still offers a chance to get in the action.
Low- and mid-tier stakes players will find plenty of action. Party offers Texas Hold 'em (No Limit and Fixed Limit), Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo. However, as at many sites NLHE is the favored game and some of the others may not always be available at all stakes.
Look for stakes starting at $0.01/$0.02 up to $10/$20. Players looking for even higher may find games running up to $200/$400 as well. An added option is to hit the “Ante” cash games, which bring even more action to the tables with blinds and antes as part of the games.
Cash game players will also find some nice cashback reward opportunities not found on other sites. Party offers players a chance to earn cashback points, which reward a weekly bonus of up to 40% rakeback. That’s a great opportunity for cash game players.
In recent years, Party has made mobile gaming a major focus for the company. Some of those enhancements include:
- An enriched main lobby showing game tiles rather than a list.
- A cash game lobby offering game tiles or a carrousel view.
- Enhanced filtering options allowing players to even more easily choose their favorite games.
- Portrait mode allowing for heads-up or six-handed cash game play.
- Tiling of up to four games at once.
Beyond this, Party also offers a few more nice features. FastForward is the site’s quick-fold option that takes players from table to table. After getting out of a hand, you’ll be “fast forwarded” to another table instantaneously – keeping the cash game action going.
A game option often seen in televised or streamed cash games is also available on PartyPoker. With “Run It Twice,” when two players are all in, two sets of remaining board cards will be dealt when these players are in agreement.
Many players believe this can cut down on variance. The pot is divided into two equal parts – one for each run of cards. Those who prefer jumping in on some cash game action will find a nice option and excellent software experience with PartyPoker.
Tournaments
Players who love the option of competing in bigger events with a chance at some nice payouts are in luck at PartyPoker. From major tournament series to regular daily and weekly events offering hefty guarantees, there seems to be something for every level of player.
Look for a nice, easy-to-use software experience as well with sophisticated gameplay on the poker client and mobile platform. That goes for tournaments as well as cash games.
The Daily Legends are a big part of the schedule. These events feature more than $3 million in total guarantees each week. Buy-ins range from $1.10 to $55 with Mini and Micro versions and guarantees as high as $150,000.
Some nice weekend majors are also on the menu. These include some nice five- and six-figure guarantees. Here’s a look at some of those:
- $215 Big Saturday – $30,000 guaranteed, every Saturday
- $1,050 The Grand – $75,000 guaranteed, every Sunday
- $22 Sunday Carnival – $50,000 guaranteed, every Sunday
- $109 Sunday Party – $150,000 guaranteed, every Sunday
These events feature qualifiers and satellites throughout the week. In recent years, The site has really worked to offer low buy-in qualifiers so all levels of players have a shot at some of these events. That includes qualifiers starting at just a penny – known as “centrolls.”
Those looking for even more will find all level of sit & go’s and SPINS on the platform. The latter are PartyPoker’s quick play three-person tournaments with a random prize amount.
These are great to play on the Party mobile platform, with players checking, betting, raising, and folding all with a single hand. With more players using mobile devices for gaming of all sorts, Party has ramped up the mobile experience with more features that might be seen in other gaming environments. Here’s a look at a few of those:
- emojis and animations
- bubble chat
- enhanced dialogues for added excitement among players
- new hand replayer
- simpler SPINS search tool
- a redesigned and more user-friendly lobby
- a redesigned multiplier animation
Beyond the regular tournament schedule, players will find some regular major series on the calendar as well. Players will find major events like the popular MILLIONS series, which also features live versions at major casinos all around the world. Party offers plenty of online qualifiers for these events.
Plenty of other tournament series are also on tap including the Grand Prix series, which features tournaments with a racing theme and plenty of promotions as part of the mix. The PartyPoker Championship series also offers major online and live events as well.
These events regularly feature millions of dollars in guaranteed prize pools. PartyPoker can be a great option for poker tournament players.
PartyPoker Bonuses
PartyPoker’s bonus is pretty standard and straightforward, but is definitely worth checking out. However, the site is one of the few that offer players a no-deposit bonus as well that doesn;t even require funding an account. The free play bonus is paid out as:
- $10 for use toward cash games
- $5 for playing in regular poker tournaments or sit & go events
- $10 for casino play
After test driving the site, you may be ready to fund an account for playing even more. Those looking to make a real money deposit can take advantage of the New Player Bonus, rewarding you with a 100% match of up to $600.
Players can take advantage of the bonus for a deposit of as little as $10. Bonus funds are released in 10 parts with a 2x play-through rate. That means the site will send you $1 for every $2 you pay in rake or tournament fees. Those who choose to use some of their funds to play at PartyCasino will earn the pay-through at 4x rate.
Be sure to use the links on this page to take advantage of these exclusive bonus offers and some extra cash as you battle it out at the tables on PartyPoker.
PartyPoker Extras
As mentioned earlier, the rakeback feature is a great extra for players. You’ll earn rewards for every $1.50 paid in rake on all poker games. Some games like FastForward earn even more, 4 points per $1 in rake. There aren’t really any caveats to this plan.
“Get paid in real cash – no bonuses, no wagering requirements, no nonsense,” the site notes of the program.
Payments appear in your account every Monday. The cashback program does reset each week and you can also earn boosted points from other promotions as well.
A few other Party features stand out. Sit & Go Leaderboards reward players with $1,500 per day. This is a great bonus for players who enjoy the fun of playing these single-table events. There are two leaderboard levels for players to take advantage of and those include:
- Micro ($1 – $4.99) – $400 daily
- Low ($5-$19.99) – $1,100 daily
The top player in the Micro standings scores an extra $40 while the Low leader grabs $125. The leaderboards pay out a total of $75 players at each level. A few other nice features and promotions include:
- Round the Clock Freerolls – Those who enjoy a shot at some cash without a tournament buy-in are in luck. More than 5,000 prizes are on the line each day. Prize pools range from $50 to $200, with $2,500 given away daily.
- FastForward Leaderboards – These offer players $1,000 up for grabs each day.
- SPINS Leaderboards – Even more leaderboard cash up for grabs with $12,000 available each day.
- Sit & Go Boosted Hours – Take advantage of these player point happy hours for playing some of your favorite events. Players normally earn 2.5 points for every $1 in sit & go rake as part of the cashback program. On games of $20 or more, the Booster Hours increase that to 3.75 points for every $1 in rake.
- All-in Cashout – Earn some insurance payouts when a bad beat heads your way.
- Club Games – Play in your own “home game” with friends around the world. Players can set up and run their own poker games with others and the feature is available in both mobile and desktop.
These are just a few of the options available to players at PartyPoker. The company offers plenty of creativity when working toward appealing even more to players.
Payment Methods
After clicking on those bonus offers, players will be ready to set up an account and make a real money deposit. You’ll be asked to provide some basic information and create a username.
Players will then be asked to select a method of payment and can expect a secure transaction. PartyPoker offers several options to make that happen including:
- Visa, MasterCard, American Express
- Wire transfer
- ACH bank transfer
- Maestro debit card
- PayPal
- NETeller
- ewallets like Skrill and others
- Paysafecard (a closed loop gift card)
- Western Union
- Click2Pay
Payment options may vary by location. Most funding options are immediate and give players an immediate chance to get in the PartyPoker action. But make sure to take advantage of the bonus links located here.
The Verdict
With a deep history of catering to players and numerous promotions and features, players can’t go wrong by giving PartyPoker a shot. The site offers great user-friendly software with plenty of excellent cash game and tournament options.
Party seems to be a player focused site with plenty of extras including some a great rakeback for players to earn even more rewards beyond the nice bonus. The no-deposit bonus is also a nice addition, allowing people to play without even making a deposit.
PartyPoker is a longtime favorite for many only poker players that saw the site grow throughout the poker boom. Those looking for a great poker option should jump in the action.
