888 New Player Bonuses and More

There are two bonuses new players can take advantage of at 888 Poker. The site offers an initial 100% match bonus up to $400 that is one of the more simpler bonuses to clear at any online poker room. 888 also offers a free $88 bonus that new players can take advantage of upon sign up. This review will go into detail about both, along with the VIP program 888 Poker currently offers it’s customers, as well as games offered, table stakes for cash games and tournaments and so much more!

100% Match Bonus up to $400

On top of the FREE $88 you’ll receive upon sign up, 888 Poker also offers a 100% match bonus up to $400 when you decide to make your first deposit. The bonus is unlocked in $10 increments, which is earned every time you hit 100 “Status Points.” These points are earned simply by playing in any real money ring game, sit and go or multi-table tournament. It’s important to note that your new player bonus expires after 90 days from the day of your 1st deposit.

$88 FREE Bonus

By downloading the 888 Poker software today you’ll be instantly eligible for $88 FREE. While the offer seems to be enticing on paper, the fine print actually promotes this bonus as a “package,” with $2 in real money being credited to the player’s account upon sign up and email confirmation, along with $6 in tournament tickets for use in the poker room (six $1 buy-in tournaments) and then an $80 pending bonus.

The $80 pending bonus is released into your player account in $8 installments, with the bonus increments comprising of the aforementioned $2 in real cash and $6 in MTT tickets. Each $8 bonus payment is triggered when you earn 250 Status Points. You can check the progress of this bonus via the lobby under “My Rewards” page.

VIP Program

888 offers a VIP program that converts your Status Points into Rewards Points, which in turn can pay anywhere from 2% in rakeback to as high as 36% in rakeback every month.

The latter percentage is aimed at the more serious player that otherwise puts in huge daily volume at the tables every month, while the smaller percentages are geared towards the recreational players looking to earn a little cash back while playing some online poker for a few hours out of the month.

In addition to cashing in Rewards Points for instant cash back into your player account, 888 Poker also allows points to be exchanged for numerous items in their Rewards Store. Items in the store include 888 merchandise, Macbook’s, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, the latest in Beats by Dre audio equipment and digital cameras.

Software

The software being utilized at 888 Poker is privately developed by the company; however, since they offer a variety of games (especially those in the casino), the company uses multiple software providers to ensure its customers have a broad selection of gaming products to enjoy. Their poker platform is one of the very best around the globe and is available in a “Download” and “No Download” version. The No Download software can be opened up instantly via your internet browser and is also Mac-compatible.

888 Lobby and Table Features

The lobby at 888 Poker is one of the easiest to navigate around and organize to your liking. Games, table stakes, real money tables, sit and go’s and MTT’s can be easily filtered at the click of a button. The lobby also gives you quick access to your account balance, pending bonus statuses and of course your Reward/Status Points.

The tables are extremely customizable as well. 888 allows players to choose from a dozen+ table themes, colored decks and even 3D views of the table. The player note function allows you to seamlessly keep tabs on your opponents during any session and save those notes for future use. Players can also save hand replays and histories of their play at any time.

888 also allows players the ability to resize and tile up to 9 full-size tables at once on your monitor. They are automatically adjusted to fit most screens at 500×365 pixels. Players looking to load more tables can choose to cascade their tables which should automatically adjust to your screen as well. You can also utilize keyboard controls to help bet, raise or fold faster than ever to keep up with all the tables.

HUD Use on 888 Poker

Poker HUD’s are allowed at 888 and are frequently used by more serious players. Both PokerTracker and Holdem Manager are compatible with 888’s software and are the most popular options amongst “regs” at the site.

Mobile Options for 888 Poker

888 offers their own mobile gaming app that’s available through Apple iTunes and the Android Marketplace. The app allows for instant play on your mobile device and tablet and runs very seamlessly from my own experience in using it. 888’s mobile app is only rivaled by that of PokerStars, which still makes it a must-download for your smartphone or tablet.

Poker Games, Sit and Go’s and MTT’s Offered

888 Poker’s most popular games are of course Texas Holdem and Omaha. As one could imagine, No Limit Texas Holdem is where a majority of the real money cash game traffic is at, followed by Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi and Hi/Lo (although Stud games rarely run at 888 due to the lack of interest it seems). These games start as low as $.02/$.04 to as high as $75/$150.

888 Poker also offers round the clock Sit and Go action, with a wide array of buyin amounts for those. Sit and Go’s are available in heads up, 6-handed and 9-handed form. The site also offers “Double or Nothing” games where the top 5 finishers in a 10-entrant pool earn double their buy-in amount back. Sit and go’s can also be filtered for Turbo or Super Turbo formats.

MTT schedules vary at 888, but for the most part there’s normally some type of multi-table tournament going on throughout the day. Guaranteed money tournaments, deep stack events, satellites, rebuys & add-ons and heads up MTT’s are usually always on the docket and have buyins ranging from absolutely free all the way up to 4-figures.

You can of course see the full schedule of sit and go’s and MTT’s by opening up the 888 lobby.

Real Money Traffic at 888

According to PokerScout.com, a leading poker tracking website, 888 Poker is the 2nd-largest online poker room in the world. As of the publishing of this review the site averages over 2,000 real money ring game players online at any one time during the day.

Most of the ring game traffic is centered around the No Limit Hold Em tables, with well over 1,500 active players playing here around the clock. The Omaha tables have the second-most traffic, however, that figure is normally in the low 100 to 200-active player range.

Additional Gaming Options at 888

Casino

888 Casino, like their poker, sportsbook and bingo brands, is 100% licensed and regulated for fairness. The site offers 270+ games, including video slots, blackjack roulette and live dealer games as well. New players will earn an immediate 100% bonus up to $200 into their account and can instantly access 888’s casino games on their smartphone and tablet.

Sportsbook

888 Sport is one of the more recognized European sportsbooks out there today. New players will have access to instant play mobile betting, live betting and tons of global sports markets to wager on. 888 Sport has a variety of promotions going on at any one time, with most involving free bonus money that can also be used instantly in the casino as well.

Bingo

While this isn’t exactly one of their more heavily advertised brands, 888 Bingo does offer some top notch bingo games and promotions on the site. In fact, new players wanting to try out their bingo software for the first time can earn an instant £50 bonus when a deposit of £10 is made – a 500% value!

Banking Options

New players looking to fund their 888 Poker account have a wide array of deposit options available to them. The cashier normally processes deposits in less than 1 to 2 minutes and from there your funds will be available for use on the site.

Depositing at 888 Poker

There are literally 40+ different deposit methods that can be utilized at 888. It’s important to note that some of these deposit methods can be country-specific and may not be the same as another method in an another area of the world.

For those looking at more “universal” deposit options the following are normally accepted from ANY country that allows 888 Poker in their jurisdiction:

• VISA credit and debit cards
• MasterCard
• Bank Transfer (can take up to several days to process)
• Skrill (formerly MoneyBookers)
• Neteller
• Ukash
• Diners International credit card
• Instadebit
• ClickandBuy
• CashUp prepaid cards
• Entropay Virtual Visa

Note: Minimum and maxium deposit limits are available at the 888 website upon sign up.

Withdrawing at 888 Poker

In most cases, players are normally able to cash out via the same method they used to deposit. However, depending on the country in which you reside those options are subject to change and availability. For complete withdrawal information please refer to the 888 website or cashier.

Players looking to withdrawal will have to submit ID validation in the form of a driver’s license, passport or utility bill. This is done in order to prevent fraud and is a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things.

Cashouts are handled by logging into your account and simply submitting a withdrawal request. Depending on your locale and withdrawal method, cashouts are normally processed and completed within 2 to 28 days. Below is an average wait time for the more popular cashout methods:

• 1 to 2 days: Neteller, PayPal (region-specific), Webmoney, Skrill, Click and Buy
• 2 to 3 days: Entropay
• 3 to 7 days: Bank wires, Maestro Debit and VISA (dependent on your home country)

Bank drafts and check withdrawal timeframes also vary based on your location. UK residents normally only have to wait a maximum of a week for cashouts via this method, while other European residents have to wait anywhere from 7 to 15 days. For players located outside of Europe the timeframe to receive your check or bank draft is anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks.

Customer Service

You can reach customer support directly at 888 Poker by clicking on the following URL:

http://888-external-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/496/prod/4

From there you can simply choose your country and call any of the toll-free phone numbers listed on the page. This will get you assistance a lot faster than by going the traditional email route.

If you need to contact support via email you can send an inquiry to [email protected].