Overall: 4
Paradise Poker is one of the oldest and most
reliable online poker sites around. They’re coming off a
really big year from their Million Dollar
Freeroll promotions, and we’ll keep you posted when new
events are added. The biggest side-effect from this
was the large increase in players as a result. The
tables play pretty consistently (as compared to some of
the wilder sites) and I like the software here. They do
have a larger player base, which allows for more filled
tables at limits, including high stakes. While upfront
promotions are modest, the tournament offerings are very
good here.
Bonus: 3.5 (25%
up to $50)
The upfront bonus is pretty standard at 25% up to $50.
To receive the full 25% bonus, you’ll need to use
this link and enter bonus code “FIRST25”
on your first deposit. Smaller players may have
difficulty earning the full bonus as you’ll need to play
100 raked hands at a minimum of 25c per hand to earn
each $10 of bonus. Larger players should see this earned
fairly quickly.
Promotions: 3.5
The largest promotion at
Paradise as of late has been the two Million
Dollar Freerolls, and they may be planning a third
event. Besides that, they have revolving promotions and
you should check the
Paradise Poker homepage for current news.
Mostly, their promotions come in the form of satellites
for big live tournaments since they have good tournament
action. Also, their annual Paradise Masters events are
neat with main online event guaranteeing a $1,000,000
prize pool.
Fish: 2
As is typically the case with older poker sites, the
player base at
Paradise tends to play on the tight side.
This may be refreshing to players frustrated by wild
online tables, and the main advantage is the decrease in
bad beats from drawing opponents. Also, you should keep
in mind that you want to be playing the opposite style
of the table, so you should open up your game and play
more aggressively against timid opponents. With the
recent Freeroll promotion, the games have opened up a
bit from newer players. Flop percentages typically range
between 25-30% at the middle limit. No limit ring games
are popular up to the $2.50/5 range, and fixed limits
are played up to the $40/80 level with full tables.
Tournaments: 4.5
The tournament variety at
Paradise is excellent, with one of the top
online tournament schedules. Serious tournament players
will find a lot to like in the multitude of events in
the $10-200 range. They have several events every hour,
and smaller players will also find a good number of
tourneys under $10, including the “Big Buck” $1 buy-in
event which is pretty popular. Sit ‘n Gos also have good
traffic, and the overall tournament traffic is very good
attracting over 1,000 players to their biggest events.
Overall, this is one of the best features of the site.
Software: 4.5
The
Paradise software has traditionally been
extremely slow and tough to deal with, but they’ve made
some improvements over the past few months. It’s
resulted in much faster ring games, and typical
hands/hour reaches 50-60. I like the tropical-themed
tables, and the lobby is very easy to navigate. A couple
of silly features that I appreciate are the sounds and
extra visuals. For some reason, this really makes the
software for me. For example, when the cards are dealt
you can hear them in stereo going around the table.
Also, you can order virtual snacks and beverages that
can sit next to your seat at the table. Other animations
include hands that light on fire that win big showdowns.
I find this software to be fun, and the speed
improvements have really helped their overall score.
Best Features
-Veteran online poker site. Many players have trusted
this poker room for years.
-Great tournament traffic. Typical number of entrants is
very high and they run a lot of events throughout the
day at differing buy-ins.
-Fun software. I like the unique features and visuals.
Cashouts: 5
This is a very financially stable poker site owned by a
publicly traded company, so don’t fret about your $200
NETeller cashout. You should have it within a day.
Customer Service: 4
For such an established company,
Paradise should offer more than e-mail
support, but I found them quick and helpful in replies
to written concerns.
Game Selection: Hold'em, Omaha, Stud (7 and 5
card), Pineapple
Limits: Fixed Limit: .02/.04 - $40/80
No Limit: .01/.02 - $2.50/5
Tips
The players at an older site like
Paradise Poker are probably a bit better at
tracking your play than the typical fish. Thus, you
should be sure to mix up your play. This is especially
true during tournaments when you won’t have as many
players shuffling around as compared to ring games. You
might start off the tournament raising a lot of hands
and winning them without having to show your cards down.
It is much better to win a pot without having to show
your cards, especially if you pick up a premium hand
soon after your aggressive moves. Usually you’ll have at
least one player stand up to what he thinks is another
bluff, and you can usually extract more chips. If you
win the pot and do have to show down your cards, you’re
set up to play aggressively again under a consistent
table image. This constant switching of gears is the
best formula to keep your opponents off-guard and afraid
of you in tournament play.
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