Summary (Rated 8 out of 10)
As the online poker industry expands ever further its becomes more and more difficult to distinguish between each new site popping up on the map. There are though some sites which have found ways of edging themselves ahead of the crowd and Absolute Poker is one of these. Although pretty solid across the board it is clear that the initial and follow-up bonuses are what set this site apart, something which, when combined with weaker than average opposition, suggests a promising future.
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Game Selection (Rated 7 out of 10)
While perhaps not begin the very best out there, the game selection at Absolute offers some unique aspects and a generally sound base of options. Cash games are a good example of this, offering the usual basics of NL, Limit and PL Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha HI/LO, 7-card stud and 7-card stud HI/LO, though not extending to the more alternative games like 5-card draw, HORSE or Razz. The stakes also cater to the average player with plenty in the low to mid range but little for the truly high stakes player. This type of focus though will keep the vast majority of players satisfied with their options.
Tournament options, on the other hand, will appeal to a much broader range of player and in particular anyone who frequents the sit-and-goes. Not only are the buy-in and tournament size ranges second-to-none but there are also plenty of non-hold’em games and satellite sit-and-goes, both of which are rarities in online poker. Scheduled tournaments don’t have quite the same breadth but a few Omaha and 7-card stud games are still enough to stand out, while plenty of freeroll and low buy-in games will again appeal to the average player.
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Quality of Players (Rated 7 out of 10)
One of the major effects of Absolute’s efforts to appeal to the middle range of players in most aspects is that they have attracted a lot of weak players and beginners. Usually sites with a slightly higher standard of all-round options for the genuine poker player, like Absolute, will be populated by an equally high standard of player. This is in some cases, such as further up the stakes ladder or at many of the higher buy-in tournament tables, true here too but not nearly as uniformly as at certain other sites where fish are much harder to come by.
There are most likely two major reasons for this, great bonuses and some low-stakes tables at which to spend them. It is possible here for quite inexperienced, or even novice players, to sign-up, hit the required raked hand targets and all the while never risk too much of their bankroll. On the other hand, because of equally impressive reload bonuses, many weak players stay long enough to venture out of micro-limits and onto at least the 50c/$1 tables where it is quite possible to part them from their money. As always though, a word of warning, wherever there are fish soon there will be sharks.
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Software (Rated 8 out of 10)
As far as the software at Absolute is concerned the most important thing is that there is nothing about it which in any way lets down or spoils the experience of playing on this site in general. Whilst there is nothing overly exceptional about it everything is in place to maintain a smooth and untroubled environment to play poker. Another way in which this is a good place for people to try out their first online poker site is that there are extremely good basic guides to both the site and to the various games. The customer and internet support options are also pretty thorough and of a high standard.
This level of sufficient smoothness is carried through to the tables themselves where there are rarely any worries or annoyances regarding efficiency of actions. Tournament play seems in general to be very well structured in terms of blinds and payouts with several different structures available for the various levels of scheduled and sit-and-go games. Also, something which is indicative of Absolute’s intent is the frequent software updates, though the installation of these is quick and painless.
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Graphics (Rated 7 out of 10)
The only possible disappointment about the Absolute experience is the largely uninspired graphics. This is not to say that there is a major problem and your time here will be seriously effected, rather it is just surprising that a site with so many other attributes hasn’t spent more time on this aspect. The main user interface is about as simple as they come but its usability is not impacted negatively with each of the user options as well as the cashier easily locatable. The tournament and table listings are also well enough organized and navigation around them is quick and easy.
Once at the table the graphics remain user-friendly but again are nothing out of the ordinary. There is though one quite unusual little extra, that is the ability to download your own avatar or ‘skin’ from a range which they have provided or upload one of your own choosing. This provides each player with a bit more character than they would otherwise have had, as well as the opportunity to play with your table image. Aside from this everything, in terms of cards, chips and décor is basic and average. One slight problem is the difficulty in seeing raise amounts, instead having to refer to the pre-select call button for that information.
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Profitability (Rated 10 out of 10)
Undoubtedly Absolute’s strongest suit and the thing which will bring greater and greater player traffic here is the money which can be made. They have uniquely managed to combine superb bonuses, a weak standard of player, and plenty of tables at which to meet them. The initial sign-up bonus is particularly remarkable at a whopping 100% up to $750 and, what is even better, is that its clearance is really quite reasonable. They even follow this up with some pretty generous reload bonuses just in case that first $750 wasn’t enough.
The only minor drawback to these bonuses in terms of profitability is that at many of the tables, especially in the middle stakes range, many of the players will become extremely tight in the hope of risking as little as possible before they reach their raked hands target. This though simply requires a slight adaptation in playing style as some shrewd bullying tactics will usually pay off. Also, play loosens up quite a bit just a couple of rungs above this. Overall Absolute is a both a site at which to learn the game and then profit from it.
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Good site, fairly easy to clear
Posted
Apr 19, 2008 by
jugadorjavier
Absolute usually has many tables going, although it is sometimes hard to find non Jackpot tables (extra .50 in rake). I found this bonus very easy to clear at low stakes limit.
goodgood
Posted
Mar 27, 2008 by
MOHXFOKELS
theres only few fullring tabless but its still easy to play 300 raked hands. competition is soft. no complainig in software/graphics. gogo. easy savypoints.
Ok Poker room
Posted
Mar 18, 2008 by
tatry1
In my opinion players are stronger than others rooms. But they are really ok. Pokersavvy bonus really very good!
My Review at Absolute Poker
Posted
Mar 15, 2008 by
Eisbox
One of my favourite sites!
The players on Absolute are really horrible and the software is easy to handle.
The bonus takes some time on Absolute but you can earn a lot of money in addition to the savvypoints!
OK site
Posted
Mar 12, 2008 by
uglycard
I liked this site, even i lost my depo totally :) Good games also in omaha, not many players, but good games.
Not the best Poker room!
Posted
Mar 07, 2008 by
carefulmic
I had so many bad beats there, sick!
The support is ok, also the graphic.
The frequency of players is average, and there are not so straong.
Middle of the road
Posted
Mar 05, 2008 by
Jason101
The competition was pretty weak, and the bonus was fairly easy to clear, but the lack of non-jackpot tables and the worrying frequency players show down identical hands to amass a large amount of rake whilst splitting the pot was a little worrying.
Support was terrible - I emailed them two days ago and am still yet to receive any reply from them - not good.
Also, the fact you can't cash out direct to a card is a bit of a major pain, and I had to start a neteller account just so I could withdraw funds.
Not the best, but good for a weak game of holdem.
Easy to complete
Posted
Feb 29, 2008 by
SlimboKarvell
The Absolute Savvy Bonus is easy to complete as 300 RH is not a lot. In addition the signup Bonus is released in increments, so that you can add some of it before completing the Savvy Bonus. There are always a lot of tables at Absolute and the competition is rather soft at the lower limits. Therefore the Bonus should be one of the easiest on the site!
Absolute
Posted
Feb 11, 2008 by
nappis
Absolute poker software is one of the best I've ever tried. There wasn't as many bad players as some other sites might have. The bad beat jackpot was huge and you could win it at almost any table.
Points are great, the site is not.
Posted
Jan 28, 2008 by
recochica
Unless you are looking to play no limit, or shorthanded limit, this is not the site for you. Shorthanded limit, is very loose and almost manically aggressive. Omahaha hi lo is soft, but I could find at most two tables going. 7 card stud is also rather soft, but tables are hard to come by. Almost all of the lower limit tables have a jackpot rake attached to them, which really puts a dent in your bankroll ran extended play session. The savvy points are easy to clear, and are credited very quickly, however the bonus itself is just a disaster. I managed to clear just 10 dollars in bonus money. An easy way to check if you have met the savvy requirements are to open up all your hand histories at the end of a session, organize them by pot size, and count all the hands that are $10 or higher.
Soft games
Posted
Jan 15, 2008 by
Filbertino
The no limit Texas Hold'em games seemed to be very soft and the bonus was quite easy to clear in NL100. Thw withdrawal was not the fastest around though. But no problems still.
Review at AbsolutPoker
Posted
Jan 09, 2008 by
Huddl0410
I had very much fun playing at AbsolutPoker.
I think its one of the best pokersoftwares i've played since now.
Good points are:
- you can choose the tableview and
design
- you have overall stats, not only for
the
actual session
- ralatively stable connections
- relatively good but fair players
- good overview over all your actions
Huddl0410
Easy to clear
Posted
Jan 07, 2008 by
SheriffWoo
In order to get the SavvyPoits you need to play 300 raked hands that are raked more than $0.50, which is easily achievable by playing NL50 SH. It took me 3 days to clear it. Best thing is, you only need to be dealt hands in order to get them. No contribution needed!The competition is not the best, I took some nice extra profit out of it.
Absolute is Ok!
Posted
Jan 03, 2008 by
Galle23
Absolute Poker is a good site. My biggest complain was the slow cash out time, but other than that I enjoyed the software and thought the games were weak! Recommended for other Savvy Users!
My Absolute Poker Review
Posted
Dec 11, 2007 by
evvk73
Absolute Poker is was rough to me! (Laughs) I was dealt really good hands, but just couldn't win them! I guess that's just part of poker. Reaching the necessary raked hands was quite easy, and there are plenty of tables to choose from. Overall, I recommend the Absolute Poker bonus to others and hope all of you have better luck than me!
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Dec 04, 2007 by
ollippeti
Absolute Poker was an absolutely horrible place to play. Their customer service sucked, normally it took a couple of days for them to reply to a simple question. I still haven't been able to withdraw my money from Absolute Poker, despite the fact that I have already sent them a picture of my drivers license and utility bill. The software and graphics were terrible. The quality of players was very bad and almost every table was Bad Beat Jackpot table. They earn one star for having a very easy PokerSavvy bonus, otherwise I don't recommend this poker room!
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Dec 04, 2007 by
airiane
This bonus is easy to clear, but one should play at $100 max buy-in no-limit tables at the least, maybe $50 max buy-in is okay too. The software is nice and up-to-date though the player base could be bigger. Most of the cash game action happens at Bad Beat Jackpot tables which I disliked since they take an additional $0.50 from every pot to pay for it. It took me about 2,500 hands at shorthanded tables to clear this bonus, so as I said, it doesn't take very long to clear this bonus.
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Nov 29, 2007 by
Henk_M
The Absolute Poker software was slow but practical because of the resizeable tables. There is a wide variety of different players at Absolute. The Bad Beat Jackpot tables are irritating and you have to pay too much extra rake because of that. The bonus is hard to get, but once you finish it the reward makes it worth it!
Easy bonus points!
Posted
Nov 12, 2007 by
canyons
It was very easy to complete the needed 300 raked hands, otherwise the rake system is difficult to deal with. I played for about a week at $0.10/$0.25 and $0.05/$0.10 no-limit Hold'em tables to clear this bonus. Their software was quite simple, but barren and lacking features. The graphics weren't the best but it's possible to get used to it. Personally, I didn't like the look of the tables, but the most important thing is the gameplay. Overall, I gave this room only three stars because I have liked other rooms better than this one. May the odds be with you!
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Nov 09, 2007 by
Mr_Andrew
Absolute Poker's software has a nice layout. The bonus is not very easy to clear playing below $50 max buy-in no-limit Hold'em, although the players at this site were pretty bad.
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Oct 25, 2007 by
Ando1801
This site is full of terrible players that thrive on catching cards in either limit or no-limit games. I wasn't really impressed with this poker room.
Fixed-Limit Grinding at Absolute Poker...
Posted
Oct 13, 2007 by
Afrikantähti
I cleared the requirements for the SavvyPoints bonus in October 2007. The site didn't leave a very good impression on me, here are the reasons why... Few players, hard to find tables I wanted to play at, and the player quality was above average. Lots of 'ABC' poker players playing a tight-aggressive game who knew when to lay a hand down. Everybody played at the jackpot tables, which I didn't understand at all. Hence, I played in them too and paid rake plus a jackpot contribution. This made making a profit even harder. When I cashed out my balance it was down $140, I think this was the first site where I actually clearly lost money. If I have to mention something positive I would say that the software was decent and the cash transaction speed is good. Overall, I really can't recommend this site for a low level fixed limit player.
Absolutely!
Posted
Oct 03, 2007 by
Bonterosa
Absolute Poker is very fine poker room, although I didn't so much like the graphics and the colors used. But, after all, the SavvyPoints bonus is easy to complete and also Absolute's own deposit bonus is quite easy to complete.
Nothing for fixed-limit multi-tabling...
Posted
Sep 21, 2007 by
Cathamenia
Absolute Poker has very nice software, an easy to clear bonus, good graphical features plus you can chose three different table layouts. Unfortunately, there are not enough tables for multi-tabling $3/$6, $2/$4, or $1/$2 fixed-limit Hold'em games.
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Sep 19, 2007 by
tomikos
Nice, unique software and fishy opponents. The bonus is not easy to clear playing $25 max buy-in no-limit, to speed things up I recommend playing $50 max buy-in minimum. Of course, to earn a raked hand, a minimum of $.50 must be raked.
Bad Beat Jackpots?
Posted
Sep 18, 2007 by
bogus26
Absolute Poker has good software, and resizable windows. It's not as good as PokerStars, but way better than many others. Players seems to be okay, lots of loose players as usual, but also some decent players. The main problem is that most of their cash game tables have a Bad Beat Jackpot, and that considerably increases the amount of rake you pay. For that reason I think absolute is an okay deal for earning some SavvyPoints, but not a place to stay.
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Sep 05, 2007 by
late
This is a hard bonus to finish, but Absolute Poker is a very good place to play. Great tournaments and nice graphics!
Many Jackpot Tables!
Posted
Aug 20, 2007 by
pokerpig
The biggest problem was the rake structure. They mostly only offer jackpot tables making it a bit harder to make a fortune. PokerSavvy offers a nice and easy to clear bonus at Absolute Poker. The players there aren't so good, and the bonus was easy to clear playing at micro to low stakes. I cleared this one in about three days.
Ugly software, best deposit bonus...
Posted
Aug 17, 2007 by
Dime
For $1/$2 limits and lower you will find too few non-jackpot tables, never sit down at the jackpot tables, you will be paying $0.50 every time the flop is dealt, so it's just -EV. The non-jackpot tables don't draw so many fish. I would recommend playing on this site if you play at medium or higher stakes. The SavvyPoints are pretty easy to clear, though!
Great bonus!
Posted
Aug 14, 2007 by
Leviathan
This was a great site to play at. Good software, loose opponents and above all, you didn't have to contribute to the pot. So, the SavvyPoints came real easy...
Woulda Been Better If I Could Read!
Posted
Aug 09, 2007 by
markusgc
I mis-read the PokerSavvy raked hands definition and thought they were the same as the Absolute Points requirements. Well, you don't have to be as dumb as me! You just have to be dealt cards in a hand where the rake is at least $0.50. That's a pot of about $10. In order to receive 1 Absolute Point, YOU have to see the flop, but that's not the case for it to count towards the PokerSavvy promo. I played WAY more hands than I needed to, unfortunately. :(
Anyway, their software is fine. Maybe a little big for multi-tabling, I could barely fit three tables on my screen. The play is average. As has been mentioned previously, 6-max tables are much more prevalent here. However, I prefer those, so I got lucky in that regard! The withdrawal time is very reasonable, too.
Overall, it's probably a pretty easy promo as long as you're not reading-impaired as I am apparently!
Lovely Poker Room!
Posted
Aug 02, 2007 by
ALEX78
Absolute Poker is a lovely, familiar poker room. The Software looks good and is easy to use and to understand. They have a very nice bonus system. If you cash in you get a 100% instant bonus up to $250 on your first deposit. They release your bonus very fast for playing. Absolute was the first poker room where I got the whole bonus they offered before it expired. The feeling there is a little familiar. You often have to wait a few minutes before you get a seat at a table, but it only takes a few days and you'll know your opponents there. By the way, you can find any kind of poker game there! There are a lot of tournaments, fixed limit cash games, no-limit cash games, etc. I love Absolute Poker and you can always find me there...
Easy!
Posted
Jul 14, 2007 by
Moro84
Very, very easy to complete playing cash games. I played only three days at two $0.25/$0.50 tables for few hours each day...
My Absolute Poker Review!
Posted
Jun 27, 2007 by
jazzo33
Nope, can't really say I liked this one. The software is bad, you can't even adjust the size of the windows, so multi-tabling is virtually impossible. Only funny thing that I noticed was the rabbit cam, which allows you to see what the next card would've been after you fold, but that is useless if the rest is so bad. Won't be coming back here no more!
Short handed only!
Posted
Jun 22, 2007 by
SlamALot
Absolute Poker is a good place for players who like to play at short handed tables. Full ring tables are rare. The tables are not resizeable. So, it's not the place I want to play.
Nice software, nice games.
Posted
Jun 18, 2007 by
bsidensol
I really like the replay feature they have and I like the structure of their sit'n'goes. Main problem is not enough players and having to wait for games to fill up.
Great site!
Posted
May 23, 2007 by
vize2002
I love this site! The software is fast and stable, but unfortunately not resizeable. The SavvyPoints are earned very fast and so is the deposit bonus. If you do not like shorthanded Hold'em limit play, I recommend not signing-up, since there are about zero full ring tables open.
My Absolute Poker Review.
Posted
May 20, 2007 by
tupe
This site sucks. Their software is very bad, every time you get pocket Kings someone else has pocket Aces. The games are very loose in there.
Absolutely a good room!
Posted
May 17, 2007 by
salukidean
Great software and good offering of games. If the site had more players to insure that all the offerings had full tables, it would be one of the best available!
Realy Nice!
Posted
May 16, 2007 by
Marita1966
Absolute Poker is a really nice poker room, the bonus is very easy to clear and a lot of fish at this site!
Hmmmmm
Posted
Apr 18, 2007 by
elmo_letsgo
Don´t like the software. Gigantic tables, ugly looking skin, poor deposit bonus........(... and you can´t cashout after less than 48h.)
2 stars for fast SavvyPoints.
A good place!
Posted
Apr 03, 2007 by
papi
The software has a nice layout. Their customer support was great and they have a lot of fishes playing as well!
Absolute poker
Posted
Mar 28, 2007 by
mpietari
This SavvyPoints bonus was okay. Players on this site were pretty bad and there were only short-handed tables.
Easy Bonus!
Posted
Mar 24, 2007 by
BIGLAX
From the sites I've played at this was probably the easiest. An easy way to earn SavvyPoints!
Horrible
Posted
Mar 22, 2007 by
skabb69
Worst site I ever played at. Software is okay, players are bad. Unfortunately they were so bad I didn't have one winning session on this site. Lost a ton even after the SavvyPoints bonus...
Easy SavvyPoints!
Posted
Mar 18, 2007 by
badford
I might have had luck but the SavvyPoints were really easy to earn. I was playing $2/4 limit Hold'em. I'd like to say that there were a lot of good players as well.
I'm a Beginner...
Posted
Mar 13, 2007 by
13salomo13
I'm a new player and I was surprised that I earned the required points with just a $100 deposit. Maybe it was beginner's luck. I was mostly playing $0.25/0.50 and $0.50/1 limits. The skill level of players isn't very good in my opinion because I was doing pretty good. A good place to learn how to play!
For Shorthanded Fans
Posted
Feb 27, 2007 by
Fabmaszter
The software is good with many options and a very good stats overview. The opponents are not really good, they call down to the river with nothing so you often get a bad beat. But as a good player you have an edge over them! The only thing I really didn't like and the reason for only 3 stars is that usually only the shorthanded tables were filled. Normally not even one full ring table is going. I played $.50/1 but the other limits are nearly the same.
Hard games
Posted
Feb 14, 2007 by
Gotama
I lost a lot of money at Absolute Poker. Got the full bonus, but still lost a lot. Too many good players around there, so be careful when you risk your money at the tables at Absolute Poker.
Great Bonus
Posted
Jan 08, 2007 by
waqsfeu
I like the website pretty much, and the bonus clears quickly. Don't hesitate to do this promotion, it doesn't take much time to get your points!
Nice Site
Posted
Oct 05, 2006 by
Dionmack
Absolute has a pretty easy bonus to clear and a good amount of Savvy Points. Customer Service is great as they get back to you soon. Play Poker here long term it seems this site may be the way to go.
600 points 300 raked hands
Posted
Sep 29, 2006 by
Glyndiana
The sites that have u playing between 300 and 500 raked hands are the type that u can finish in one sitting. I played 3 tables of 1/2 limit hold'em and it took me about 2 or 3 hours.
Top Notch Site
Posted
Aug 30, 2006 by
presdlee
Absolute Poker is one of the best up and coming poker sites. Great software, Poker Tracker friendly, and a great selection of games make for an enjoyable experience.
Great
Posted
Aug 21, 2006 by
laney462
Tons of players, great amount of games, good website and interface. Except for the suck outs I have gotten it has been great. (I am still up a dollar)
like how the rake worked
Posted
Aug 15, 2006 by
Zach46290
not a bad site everything was about average but the one thing i did really like was it counts for a raked hand every time you are dealt cards and not just every time you put money into the pot so it felt like it did not take very long
Normal all the way
Posted
Aug 04, 2006 by
difiCa
This is just so flat out basic room with a basic software and a basic competition, which is a bit on the good side. However the game traffic is what this site lacks, you might not find a single low limit full ring game in the european evening, and the american evening doesn't really improve matters. Altough you can find some low limit shorthanded games as well as short handed no limit games, the traffic is bad. The other games than hold'em are about dead. The bonus clearing system is nice.
Hard Points
Posted
Jul 25, 2006 by
WVPokerGod
Man, this one was hard to pull off. The players are tough on this site, and you have to play at least the $1.00 big blinds table to get points. I was glad I finally completed this, because I was playing outside of my comfort zone!
Very nice poker room
Posted
Jul 19, 2006 by
Yannick08
It is a very good poker room!
The graphics are good and the action was easy to follow!
I like this site and i'll continue playing on it!
