Betfair Poker Review

Overview |
Interface |
Action |
Bonuses |
Support

Betfair Poker Overall Review

Betfair Poker is one of the world's biggest online betting sites. Betfair started solely as a sportsbook catering to clientele that was tired of betting against the house. In 1999, Betfair was created and allowed players to bet against one another, not the room itself. Needless to say the concept exploded and Betfair has been an established online sportsbetting site ever since. Recently, Betfair has expanded to include poker, casino games, and even a racebook. The site is known for soft games, gambling Europeans, and solid customer service.

Betfair is its own network, which is quite rare these days. Because of this they do tend to struggle for traffic at higher stakes games but there is plenty of action for small and mid-stakes grinders. They are constantly upgrading the software which allows players to resize their tables. However, in order to do so you have to allow Betfair to install some software on your computer, otherwise you will just have to deal with keeping the tables the same size.

Betfair spreads a basic assortment of poker games including No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit Holdem as well as Pot-Limit Omaha. Stakes start as low a $.02/$.04 blinds and go all the way up to $1,000/$2,000 blinds. The Omaha stakes are between $.05/$.10 and $250/$500 blinds. Their tournaments are somewhat lacking which can be expected for a smaller sit. SNGs begin as low as $.11 and go all the way up to $10,000! The $40k Guaranteed is a weekly event with a $510 buy-in every Sunday. The $60 $12k Guaranteed is a daily event running in the early afternoon.

If you get bored with poker venture over to the sportsbook where you can set your own lines/odds and pick and choose from other players bets. There is no vig like a regular sportsbook, just a small commission for your bet going through. If you are knowledgeable about a particular sport you can stand to make some decent money at Betfair Poker. Also, new players can place a free £25 bet after signing up and depositing.

Betfair Game Types, Action, and Difficulty

Betfair Poker offers a very limited array of games and stakes. However, what they lack in game variety they more than make up for in game difficulty. Betfair is home to some of the softest games on the internet which is great for those looking to build a roll.

Cash Games

The only games spread at Betfair are Texas Holdem and Pot-Limit Omaha. Holdem games start as low as $.02/$.04 and go up to $1000/$2000. Pot-Limit Omaha stakes range from $.05/$.10 to $250/$500. There is a decent amount of action at the micro and small stakes games; however, at the higher levels there may only be one or two tables running total.

Sit-N-Go's

The lack of players at Betfair is particularly obvious in their SNG lobby. Even the smaller stakes games, which on other sites would have double-digit games running at all times, have trouble getting more than 1-2 SNGs going at once. Buy-ins start at only 11 cents and their heads-up SNGs go all the way up to $10,000! The SNG lobby itself is a bit unorganized which can make finding a specific game difficult.

Scheduled Tournaments

The tournament schedule at Betfair is much like the rest of the site, on the small side. There are a handful of guaranteed events running through out the day from $2 up to $60. The daily schedule is highlighted by the $60 $12k Guaranteed which runs around 3pm EST. On the weekends Betfair runs some bigger events including a $510 $40k NL Holdem freeze out. Players looking to gain experience at tournaments would be best served to look into the micro events as well as their extensive freeroll schedule.

Players Base and Action

The players at Betfair are some of the worst on the internet. Being known as a sportsbook brings in a lot of loose gamblers who are just ripe for the picking. It's safe to say there really isn't a bad table ever on Betfair; the players are just that loose and weak. The problem is there just aren't that many players. The smaller games might have 5-10 full tables running at each level, which isn't too bad. However, if you try to jump to $2/$4 and higher you will either need to play heads-up or wait on games to form.

The same can be said for their SNGs and tournaments. The scheduled events have guarantees which can lead to some nice overlay. The SNGs take some time to fill and it can be quite hard to multi-table the same stakes. The best advice for those on Betfair Poker, learn to play multiple stakes at once as it can really help you play more tables and increase your hourly.

Betfair.com Bonus and Loyalty Programs

Betfair Poker has a very exciting sign-up bonus offer that actually allows you to choose from five different offers. This will allow you to pick the bonus that is right for you.

The five sign-up bonuses Betfair offers are $50, $250, $500, $1000 or $2500. You can choose them by using one of the following codes: WELCOME50, WELCOME250, WELCOME500, WELCOME1000 or WELCOME2500. Each of these bonuses have different release rates, meaning that the bonus money is released in different increments and after different amounts of Player Points are earned.

Bonus Amount ($)	Bonus Code	Clearance Rate	Increment ($)	Points needed for each increment	Total points needed	Expiry (days)
$50	Welcome50	8	$5	40	400	90
$250	Welcome250	8	$10	80	2,000	60
$500	Welcome500	9	$25	225	4,500	60
$1000	Welcome1000	10	$100	1000	10,000	60
$2,500	Welcome2500	14	$500	7,000	35,000	60

The $50 bonus has a release rate of $5 for every 40 Player Points earned. It is also the only one in which you are allowed 90 days to clear. Every other bonus expires after 60 days. The $250 bonus releases at a rate of $10 for every 80 Points earned, while the $500 bonus is $25 for every 225. The $1000 and the $2500, which are also the two hardest to clear, release at $100 for every 1000 and $500 for every 700. The smaller bonuses seem bet suited for casual players while the larger ones seem suited for high-volume players. Make sure you choose a bonus that is attainable, because if you choose one that is too large and cannot clear the first increment, you won't receive any bonus money.

The aforementioned Player Points are earned by all players for simply playing in real-money cash games or tournaments. In cash games, Player Points are awarded based upon rake contributed to each pot. For every $1 raked, a player will earn 3.25 Player Points. In tournaments, a player will earn 5 Points for every $1 paid in tournament fees.

Betfair offers other promotions, as well, such as the $2,500 Welcome Freeroll. All new sign-ups receive a ticket to this tournament, which runs every Thursday and has $2500 dollars added to the prize pool. This tournament could jump-start your bankroll! To receive your ticket, all you have to do is play one raked hand or enter any real-money scheduled tournament or sit-n-go.

For those looking passed the new player bonuses, Betfair also offers a fantastic loyalty program. The Player Points you earn in ring games and tournaments can also be used to buy cash bonuses. The more Points you earn, the better the conversion rate is when converting to cash.

Besides poker, Betfair offers the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest bet-exchange in the world. This online bet-exchange allows gamblers to bet on odds set by other gamblers, instead of the house. This little twist can provide exciting implications! If you are a new user, you can receive a free £25 bet by using the promotion code BET636 when creating your sportsbook account. Just wager £50 or more on exchange games and Betfair Poker will refund 100% of losses, if any, up to £25.