WPT Online

Summary (4.8)

World Poker Tour Online is without a doubt one of the strongest of all brands in the poker industry. But despite all the publicity, WPT Online falls far behind the competition. There have been some improvements to the software in mid 2007 and they certainly push the software to a much better position. We must commend the World Poker Tour team their hard work to increase the player traffic, which they have succeeded with remarkably well. WPT Online is by no means a giant, but the traffic has tripled in just a year from 2006 to 2007. The WPT Online bonus is also boosted significantly. Still, this site is no more than average at best in all aspects. We certainly don't recommend you to stay away from it, but there are more well-established options that also accept players from the U.S. See our list to the right for more information.

Software (4)

In mid 2007, the World Poker Tour Online software received a major update to its previously crippled software. In fact, we rated the WPT software with the lowest score. Things have turned for the better now since the update both in terms of visuals and stability. We must stress that it is not on par with state of the art software like Full Tilt Poker, but it is certainly closer than ever. The lobby features decent functionality and can filter everything but stakes and such, which is hardly a drawback as long as the network remains low-trafficked. The table software is in a "close but no cigar" state. It looks good but doesn't compete at a top level.

Traffic (4)

When World Poker Tour Online went online for the first time in 2005, the site was plagued with a slow growth rate. Things have taken a turn for the better in 2007 after a significant software update, which is why you normally see over 2500 players playing at the tables. It is also worth noting that the Omaha tables are crowded.

Tournaments (4)

Regular sit’n’goes come in mostly Texas Hold’em No Limit, ranging from free entries to £100. Over 90 percent of all tournaments are concentrated to Texas Hold’em No Limit. These games usually stop at £25 buy-in levels, which is very low. As far as traffic goes, you will unfortunately have to wait some to get regular sit’n’go games, but scheduled WPT satellites are popular.

Game Variety (4)

World Poker Tour Online host the common varieties ohef Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. The biggest disappointment is the lack of turbo games and heads-ups, which – if we dare say – are common nowadays.

Soft Competition (7)

A lot of people believe that the small online poker rooms are filled with mostly poor players. This is usually incorrect as soft competition is seeking its way to the large and usually heavily promoted poker rooms. Most of the very few players compete at an average level here and we usually see about 50% flop views. This is by all means no tight play and if you are good, this won’t be a struggle for you, but if you want soft opponents, then there are many other alternatives that we would consider as better ones.

Sign Up Bonus (7)

WPT Online gives all new players 100% matching bonus on your initial deposit up to $1500. Deposit at least $25 into a real money account and generate enough poker points (explained below under section Loyalty Rewards). Your bonus amount will be released in $20, $30 and $50 increments. The bonus is redeemed by earning My Poker Points (MPP). Although you start earning MPP's as soon as you start playing, only those points earned from August 17th will be credited towards the sign-up bonus. The amount of bonus that you may redeem is directly related to the number of MPP's you collect.

Loyalty Rewards (4)

Poker Points can be earned through playing raked hands. For every $0.25-$0.99 of rake that you contribute, you earn 0.25 MPP. Anything greater than $1 rake gets you 1 MPP. These points can be redeemed for various awards, such as special freeroll entries (which usually don’t get that filled, meaning that you get a good shot at the money) and poker merchandise, such as DVDs and more.

Promotions (5)

It’s no surprise that you will find satellites to World Poker Tour events here. Such tournament is no easy shot, but if you need a WPT entry bad and combine these with the low player counts and the fact that this is the official WPT network, then this is a slightly better chance. The wealthy sign up bonus is a great welcome to all new depositing players as well. Additionally, a regular beginners freeroll and various other freerolls are offered. These are usually not scheduled on a standard time basis, so you will have to check the schedule first. Unfortunately, the low player counts also affect the promotions. If you want the special stuff outside your Texas Hold’em gaming, look elsewhere.

Support (5)

WPT Online offer a very fast e-mail support. There’s also a telephone support line which is open for international calls. The quality of the responses are good and usually informative.

Deposit & Cashout Methods (4)

Deposit: credit card (no American Express), Neteller and InstaCash.

Cash-outs: credit card and Neteller.