Pick Your Bonus - $50, $500 or $1,500 -- Use Bonus: CYOB50, COB500, CB1500
Nuts (Good): Betfair is home to some of the softest games on the internet. Their history as a sports betting site brings in a lot of loose gamblers to their poker games. They also have a sportsbook, racebook, and even an arcade. The sportsbook is unique in that players can bet against one another, not just the house.
Beats (Bad): Unfortunately Betfair does not accept American players. Their games, while soft, are sparsely populated at higher limits making game selection difficult. Their bonuses, while large, can be a bit of a chore to clear and they do not have much of a loyalty program.
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 Poker Software and Interface/Usability
Unlike other sites/rooms Betfair Poker is a network all to itself. They do not share action with other poker rooms and have created their own software for their games. The lobby and tables operate a bit differently than other sites but it is still easy to use and navigate. In fact, it's a nice change of pace to see something besides the standard cookie-cutter software.
The lobby has tabs on the top for games and stakes and in the left nav for cash games, tournaments, and other options. Players can quickly find new promotions, customer support, or even other players by clicking on the options on the left side of the screen. The right portion of the lobby contains tourney info and a chat box which relays updates on upcoming events. In the cash game window you can sort the lobby by stakes, players, average pot size, players seeing the flop, or hands player per hour.
The tables can be resized but you will have to upgrade the Betfair software (and some on your computer as well) to accommodate this feature. The upgrade takes a few minutes but is more than worth it for those who enjoy multi-tabling. The tables are crisp and the action is fast, there is no waiting around for extra effects between hands. The right side of the table has a section for chat, stats, and notes. There are many customizable options including a four-color deck, sounds, and other standard preferences. Those who employ poker tracking software will be pleased to know Betfair Poker can save your hand histories to a specific location on your computer in the form of a .txt file.
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
There are a few different sign-up bonuses at Betfair Poker which can be a bit confusing. There are three different initial deposit bonuses: $50, $500, and $1,500. Choosing which bonus is best for you can be a bit of a gamble, as you will have 12 weeks to clear the bonus. There is no matching deposit required (besides the $20 minimum deposit), just use any of the following codes when signing up CYOB50, COB500, CB1500 and you will have "opted-in" for your bonus and the clearing process begins immediately.
The three bonuses all have different clearing requirements as well as pay-outs. For the $50 bonus you will need to earn 150 Betfair Poker points for each $5 step. This means there are 10 total steps and players must earn 1,500 points to clear the $50 bonus. For the $500 bonus players have to clear 1,200 points for each $50 step which means 12,000 points total. Finally, the $1500 bonus requires players to earn 3,000 points per $150 for a total of 30,000 points. A note about poker points, as you earn more points Betfair will actually lower their commission in the sportsbook, truly a win-win situation!
The bonuses must be cleared in 12 weeks. As you can see, the biggest bonus clears at a better rate than the $50 bonus. The $1500 bonus clears $50 for every 1,000 points while the $50 bonus takes 1,500 points to clear. Well then we should all go for the $1,500 bonus right? Well, not exactly. Players need to make sure they have the time to clear enough poker points to earn the bonus otherwise they run the risk of not receiving anything. To earn Betfair Poker points you have to pay rake or fees in real money cash games, tournaments, and/or SNGs. For every 10 cents (or £.05) in rake you pay you will earn a single point. In the end this works out to be around 30% rakeback, which is a great deal compared to other sites.
Betfair runs some other promotions for along with their bonuses. Their sportsbook has a free £25 for new players, their casino offers a free £20 trial, and you can earn a £100 credit in their Tradefair. Make sure to use the code BET234 when signing up in the sportsbook to guarantee your free bet. Betfair has an extensive freeroll system which is great for those new to tournaments who want to learn the ropes with out having to pay for their education. There are SNG and MTT leaderboards which pay out weekly as well as a cash game points system. Players can earn more than $500 in a week by topping any of the leaderboards which is a great incentive to put in more hands.
At the current moment there isn't a true VIP system at Betfair Poker; however, they do reward their higher volume players much like other sites.
Betfair.com Customer and Technical Support
Betfair Poker covers a lot of the typical concerns in their extensive FAQ found on their website. For a more personal touch you will need to contact them via email or over the phone. You can email them through their website or to the address found below. You should expect to get a response with in 24 hours if not much sooner. At this time there is not live support but as Betfair expands it is a definite possibility.
