Summary
Owned by Betfair – the largest betting exchange in the World - Betfair Poker has a player base that is both vast and loose, two factors that really benefit the seasoned player. Big promotions are par for the course at Betfair Poker, where many of Europe’s top pros play online, including Annette Obrestad, winner of the first ever World Series of Poker Europe Main Event.
Key Tournaments
For tournament players with a decent bankroll Betfair Poker offers a great selection of scheduled tournaments, the most popular of which is the $100 buy-in $15,000 Guaranteed event. The firm also play host to their $250 buy-in $35,000 Guaranteed showpiece which runs ever Sunday,
Game Variety
Players looking for Texas Hold’em and Omaha are at the right place, but there are no diversions into Razz, HORSE, or any of the other poker variants that are gaining in popularity at other online poker rooms. At Betfair Poker the choices are Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, and that’s it. This seems to be a recurrent downside with European poker rooms, as Stud and Razz are American favoured variants. Given the action at high stakes, the lack of any mixed games is disappointing.
With over $4 million guaranteed monthly in prize money, Betfair is Europe's premier poker room when it comes to tournaments. There are a plethora of guaranteed tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $780. With its abundance of sponsorship deals, Betfair represents the best place for a European player to gain live event qualification. Satellites to the WSOP Europe, Betfair Portuguese Poker Tour and Irish Poker Classic run frequently. Through a series of steps and qualifiers, you can also become part of the 'New Breed' - and take a place on the Betfair Pro roster. There are also regional satellites for the $1 million live SnG to be held at the WSOPE in London, and it doesn't cost a penny to enter.
All said and done, the Betfair client has a real professional feel to it, and the sheer diversity of tournaments make it a must for any budding European player.
Traffic
There are as many as 1,200 cash game players logged on during peak hours at Betfair Poker, with most of them located in the small stakes Texas Hold’em limit games. Tournament traffic fairs better, with up to 4,000 players involved.
Most cash games tend to peter out above the $5/$10 level on European sites, but not at Betfair. The likes of Annette Obrestad, Sorel Mizzi and Erik Sagstrom guarantee action at the highest levels - $250/$500 - although not on as frequent a basis as say, Full Tilt Poker. Heads-up cash games are very well represented at mid-stakes.
Because Betfair is a European centred site which forbids US players, action will dwindle severely during off-peak hours.
Rake
The Rake at Betfair Poker is fairly standard. The industry standard is a 5% rake with a $3 or $5 cap (based on limit.) At Betfair it is a $3 max. Most small stakes games won’t see anywhere near that limit in rake, and Betfair also sports the “no flop, no drop” policy, which means no rake is taken if a pot is won before the flop.
The $10 cap on tournament fees is a real incentive for highrollers.
Competition
A few years ago, Betfair was touted as one of the fishiest, loosest sites on the web. However, its boom in popularity and signature of top notch pros - guaranteeing high stakes action - have attracted many sharks to the waters. Heads up cash games at $2/$4 and above in particular are peppered with regulars and probably best off avoiding.
Having said this, low stakes cash and tournament games are still relatively soft, and the number of guaranteed prize pools make it an ideal place to build a bankroll.
Support
Players should check the Frequently Asked Questions section of the site where they will find many of the answers they need. If the FAQ doesn’t have the answer, the crack customer support team will, which can be contacted via email or phone.
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposits and withdrawals: Bank Wire Transfer, Check, ClickandBuy, Laser, Maestro, MasterCard, Moneybookers, Neteller, PayPal, Solo, Switch, Visa, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, Web Money, Western Union
Currencies supported: Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Danish Kronor, Euros, Hong Kong Dollars, Norwegian Kronor, Pounds, Singapore Dollar, Swedish Kronor, US Dollars