Poker Room            

One of the newer and more aggressive players in the online poker arena is PokerRoom.com.  A remarkable aspect that sets this site apart is that it offers both a client-download version and a Java-based non-downloadable game.  Many Mac and Linux users may prefer to use the Java version since they won’t have to deal with downloads or potential software conflicts.  In either case, the game graphics are both easy to read (with large cards and numbers for bets and pot size) and fun (with a wide variety of player avatars ranging from little old ladies to Texas cowboys).

Recently, PokerRoom.com improved their bonus promotion.  Previously, this site only offered a signup bonus of 50% (instead of most sites’ 100%) with a $300 maximum (instead of most sites’ $500 or $600).  In this arena, PokerRoom.com has truly stepped up their game.  As of this writing, PokerRoom.com is offering new customers a 100% bonus up to $1000 – the largest of any online poker site we’ve reviewed.  Another gift that PokerRoom.com is extending to their new customers is a set of entries into their Weekly Welcome Series of freeroll tournaments.  A top fifteen finish in their free daily qualifying events guarantees that player an entry into the Sunday tournament with a prize pool of $2500.

One area in which PokerRoom.com excels above many other sites is in statistical analysis of a player’s betting patterns and hand history.  For players who are more like number-crunchers than face-readers, this kind of data can be invaluable in working on certain aspects of your game.  Such analysis can also be helpful in scouting opponents that play to your strengths so that you can exploit their weaknesses. 

If you are a true student of the mathematical aspects of the game, PokerRoom.com also includes an Expected Value calculator.  Do you really want to know what kind of EV you have with Ace-King suited from under the gun at a ten-player $2/$4 table?  How about a pair of eights on the button while playing a six-handed $25/$50 game?  Here’s your chance to know for sure if calling that additional bet is actually worth the time and money!  This is a fantastic tool that can keep inexperienced players from chasing cards and give grizzled veterans the real story on a “positive-EV” play.

Another welcome facet of PokerRoom.com is their customer support innovations.  While they include the customary support e-mail addresses and telephone numbers, they also have a “live chat” option that you can employ either through the software “lobby” or the web site itself.  One of the best aspects of the live chat system is that you can walk through any potential problem with the software and be sure that the supports staff on the other end of the chat sees the same problem you do.

While not quite in the league of Party Poker or Full Tilt in terms of popularity, PokerRoom.com is certainly making progress in climbing the ranks in the competitive industry of online poker rooms.  With their oversized signup bonuses and their fascinating statistical tools, a trip to PokerRoom.com can be a very profitable undertaking.