About the Company
The company was founded way back in 1997, and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2005. It’s worth around £2.4 billion now, and has two main gambling verticals, casino and poker. You’ll find that most of the company’s revenue comes from its casino product however, as the 888poker site is more geared towards new players, or more recreational in nature. This is by design, to counter some of the issues faced by the game in the last decade or so, with many games being dominated by professional or semi-pro players who use third party software and tracking tools to gain an advantage over amateurs. By attracting a more casual player, who isn’t using this software, the games at 888 can be fine. As it happens the site does offer some useful tools itself, but none of them are able to give you an unfair advantage over other players.
One of the benefits of joining a large, well-established company like 888 is the tournaments they’re able to offer their players. Being granted licenses for events like the and the WSOP allow them to run qualification routes for these events that would be impossible for smaller operators. This means you could end up playing your way to the World Series for less than $1 if you’re lucky enough. Add to this a host of other promotions, including weekly $100,00 leaderboards and prize pools shared between players based on the number of fish in an aquarium, and there are plenty of opportunities to boost your bankroll just by playing.
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Complete Caesars Casino Online Review NJ & PA - GamblingSites.comSpecial Offers
Aside from the regular bonuses offered to all new players, 888 don’t currently have any exclusive offers through our link. This may change in the future so do keep an eye on this page, but for now you should head there to just play on the site rather than for an enhanced welcome deal anywhere else. Saying that though, the bonus is huge, worth 100% of your deposit up to $600 / £400 / C$600 / €400. We’ll break down how to release the bonus below, but the basics are that for every $10 paid in rake on qualifying tables, $1 is released into your account. You’ve actually got ninety days to work through the bonus which is far longer than most rivals, and one of the longest in the industry.
You won’t be able to use every single table on the site to clear your bonus as 888 have defined a set of tables called “rake share” tables. Basically what this means is that money paid in rake from all the players at the table counts towards your own bonus. Standard six max NLHE tables contribute 25% per table, so if you all pay $10 in total rake, $2.50 would count towards your own bonus. A full ring table contributes 20% at this rate. Tournament fees also contribute at different rates depending on the type of game, but again you’re looking at around 20-30%. One excellent feature of this system is that you’re able to see exactly how much rake share you’re going to receive when you sit at a table. Just hover over a table before you register and it will appear in the bottom left.
online casino accepts paypalLoyalty Rewards & Promotions
Promotions at 888 cover a wide range of prizes and ways to win them. Some are totally unrelated to poker, asking you to complete tasks within the client or around the web to earn points that can be exchanged for spins on 888’s attached . Others are linked to poker in some way with one of the most popular being the “Fish Party” promotions where if you’re dealt fish, ACES FULL OF GARTH BROOKS, on a specific table at a specific time, you’ll win a prize. It’s pretty random and silly, but quite fun in all honesty.
Tied in with the bonus system we’ve mentioned already is the weekly $$$$ and $$$ club promotions. Earn 200 in rakeshare during the week and you’ll get a ticket for the $25k Sunday tournament. Double that to 400 and you’ll get entries into both the $25k and the $500 freeroll. The prizes are reduced if you play on 888 NJ, ON or GB, but the principle remains the same. This system of levying rake from all players at a table to clear your own bonus certainly doesn’t have universal support from the poker community, so by giving something back to the players that contribute, 888 are trying to swing the pendulum the other way.
Tournaments and Freerolls
With access to some of the best-known tournament brands in poker, it’s no surprise that 888 has a strong schedule for both free and purchased entries. The biggest volume games at micro and low stakes, are Full Ring No Limit Hold’em, with some slightly odd clock settings. Rather than the standard 9 or 10 minute clocks you’ll be used to, these run every 8 minutes. It’s not a massive difference, but can definitely catch you out if you’re used to having an extra orbit. There is a wider choice of games at weekends, but there’s never really a quiet time of day to play on 888.
15+ Best NJ Online Casinos 2023 - Top New Jersey Casino SitesThe XL Innings promotion ran for 10 days in July 2018, with over $8m worth of guaranteed tournaments spread across the 888 family of sites. In Europe they have the (CHO), which runs monthly with guarantees starting at $125k. If you like deeper, Survivor style tournaments then the Last Woman Standing events might be up your street. These start with hundreds of players and reduce by one each orbit until one player remains. These run regularly with guarantees of $10k on 888 NJ/ON/GB, and $30k on . Satellites for both cost only $1.
Software and Graphics
On Windows devices 888 uses proprietary software which, while not the best looking on the market, has decent graphics and functional features. Anybody switching from the industry standard clients, such as those produced by , may take a little while to adjust but it’s entirely usable. Unfortunately this version is ending in November 2017 and all players will need to switch to the 888/Poker 8 software which is currently used on Mac, Linux and Tablet/Phone devices.
888/Poker 8 Platform Review
We had a look at Poker 8 when it first came out in 2013 and found it lacking, and having revisited it our opinion hasn’t changed significantly. Functionality is limited, with no import of hands into HM2/PT4 possible at the moment (although 888 does supply hand histories in a readable format). Avatars are limited to preset images of people, which is a shame. There’s no import of hands into HM2/PT4 possible at the moment (although 888 does supply hand histories in a readable format). However it is very customizable; you can right click any button on the screen and get the option to personalize it. This makes it faster to get set up the way you want, even if a few options seem strangely absent. Filters on the client aren’t great and you may find yourself unable to multi-tablishorty specific tables.
One issue we found was when attaching the (which incidentally, is necessary for HUD usage). After attaching the key fob, the 888 client became unresponsive and had to be restarted. When we tried to enter the software we received an error message claiming our license was not valid. A quick restart of the laptop and a reconnection of the software had us up and running again, so it wasn’t a major issue.
In general the software feels slow, particularly when minimizing or resizing tables. The fact that you can customize everything helps, but overall there are better looking and functioning pieces of software out there. That’s not to say you shouldn’t download it and give it a go, but don’t come at us screaming if it feels clunky.
888poker Mobile App
Currently available on iOS and Android devices, the mobile app from 888 is slick and does everything a mobile app should. You can make deposits and withdrawals, play in the cashier and access your account details. Most importantly you’re able to play poker! Cash games, and multi table tournaments are accessible but unfortunately not single table tournaments at this point in time. Hopefully they’ll add these soon.
Traffic
The 888 network is made up of 888 poker clients from several countries. The largest volume games are on .888 and these are shared between Canada, ON, France and Spain. At peak times there are around 250 players at the micro and low stakes, dropping off to around 100 at the higher ends of the stacks. Full ring games are far more populated than at other apps, probably due to the rake system. However as soon as you move into or six max, numbers drop away rapidly. There are some juicy tables out there if you know when to find them.
Soft Competition
Some of the players on this network have never seen a raise before now, it’s as if they’ve been introduced to the game for the first time. You only have to look at the to see some truly awful plays leading to a winning session of $36,000 in under three hours. Unfortunately for us regular grinders, the snap-cam table feature, lets any player with a webcam show their face to anyone else with a webcam. So unless you want kids, dogs and old men dancing around during poker games, you’d better invest in a hoodie. Alternatively you can turn this feature off, which kind of defeats the object of trying to find the fish.
Withdrawal and Deposit Methods
- Visa / Mastercard
- EntroPay
- Neteller
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
Support
Email: Via web form
Support Telephone: Email for regional phone numbers.
Online help center with articles and faqs.
Our Driver Rating
The 888 software gets a poor score from our team simply because we’re used to slick, fast programs which can be customized easily and import hole cards into equity trackers. However, we appreciate this isn’t universal amongst the poker-playing public. For someone completely new to the game, or an occasional player looking for some fun, the 888 platform is perfectly adequate and easy to use. Where 888 scores incredibly highly is in the fishiness of the players. If you’re a skilled poker player looking for soft spots, you could do a lot worse than checking out the snap cam tables at 888poker.
Sites to Play Free Slots Online with No Downloading or RegistrationThe fact that 888 are able to offer qualifiers to the and theWSOPE are testament to their strong regulatory standing in multiple jurisdictions. This is no mean feat considering the amount of jurisdictions that have either heavily restricted or outright banned real money gaming. Add to this a solid selection of tournaments, both free and paid, and 888poker is definitely a site worth downloading and taking a look inside the pixelated felt places.
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Is 888 legit?
888 is very legit. Listed on the London stock exchange the company turns a healthy profit and has done for years. They hold gaming licenses in multiple jurisdictions including the UK, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and New Jersey, Ontario & Britain in the Americas. To obtain these licenses the 888 management team have had to prove the software is fair, payments are honorable and the company is solvent. Independent testing houses like eCogra also audit the sites to ensure games are truly random and paying the correct amounts. -
Can I play 888 in the US?
888america.com currently only offers free play money poker, with no real money games. However, 888 does have real money licensed sites in three separate States; 888NJ for New Jersey residents, 888ON for Ontario, Canada and 888GB for Britain and Britain-adjacent Europe. Residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan are assured that these state regulated sites are on the horizon.-
How do I download the 888 app?
888 app options depend on what kind of device(s) you want to play on. On a PC or MAC you’ll need to download the free software to play on 888, alternatively you can use the web app which requires no download at all. Mobile app options depend on your phone’s operating system. The 888 poker app for android can be downloaded directly from the 888 site because Google do not host real money gaming apps in the Play store. If you have an iPhone or iPad then you can find 888 in the Apple App Store.
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Does 888 accept Paypal?
888 was one of the first online poker and gaming sites to accept PayPal deposits and still accepts the eWallet in most jurisdictions where the site runs. Be aware that you wont be able to use PayPal to make a withdrawal yet, you’ll need to choose an alternative method from the list provided. -
Does 888 have a HUD?
Yes and no. The Poker 8 software, used on mobile phones, tablets and non-windows computers does not have API integration, meaning a HUD is not currently possible. However, the old school desktop software does have API integration from both PokerTracker 4 and Hold’em Manager 3. If you’re still using version 2 of these tools, you can use the PT4 converter to get the data onto a database. One caveat is that you will need a bluetooth dongle to authorize the software. We tested with the Waves Mini Blue RF USB Adapter which cost under $10 and worked first time.
References
- * 888 annual report 2017. (accessed 11., 2018) https://investors.888.com/app/uploads/2018/03/888-Group-Annual-Report-2017-low.pdf
- *, Dan (20th Aug 2018). Joey Stich Wins 2018 $888C ($1m) Main Event. (PokerListings). Retrieved 22nd November, 2018, from https://www.pokerlistings.com/news/2018/08/joey-stich-wins-888c-1m-main-event-wpt-deepstacks-new-jersey-final-table-photo-86658.htm
- *, Scott (19th Jul 2018). Massive $8m XL Innings Online Poker Series Now Underway. (PokerListings). Retrieved 22nd November, 2018, from https://www.pokerlistings.com/news/2018/07/888xling-online-poker-series-2mill-guaranteed-main-event-84618.htm
- *, Scott (12th Jun 2018) 888poker Announces Record Breaking $8m Series. (PokerListings). Retrieved 22nd November, 2018, from https://www.pokerlistings.com/news/2018/06/888xling-june-record-breaking-prize-pools-online-poker-85764.htm
- Wikipedia Contributors. (20th April 2018). . Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_1201
- *, Nick (20th March 2018). First Quarter 2018 Trading Update. (888) Ltd. Note: This is an official company document and can be found at https://investors.888.com/for-investors/regulatory-news-and-media/presentations-and-reports/2018/results-and-presentations/2018-q1-trading-update
