Ultimate Bet Review

Ultimate Bet Deposit Bonus: 200% Up To $1100 Free Bonus Code: PSOPOKER Deposit Options: VISA MasterCard NETeller FirePay Western Union Citadel (US only) eChecks (by iGM-Pay)bank draft cashier's check money order check

Download Ultimate Bet Visit Ultimate Bet

	So, you don’t want to spend your money for on-line poker then try our free money promotions. We will give you cash so you can start your on-line poker bankroll.
	The free gift promotion is a great option for players who already have a bankroll but would like to try other rooms, we offer free gifts for signing up through PS.
	For die hard players, you can earn a percentage of all the rake you contribute while playing online poker

Name Ultimate Bet Country Costa Rica Network CEREUS Established 1999 Support email support Telephone N/A

Overall Rating 5.90 Software/Interface 6.9 Ring Games 6.4 Tournaments 6.4 Game Variety 6.8 Soft Competition 5.4 Signup Bonus 5.4 Frequent Player 5.5 Promotions 5.3 Customer Support 5.6 Deposit & Cashout 6.5

Ultimate Bet has fused with its longtime sister site, Absolute Poker to form the third largest online gaming network in the world, the Cereus Network. While it now enjoys the benefits of the additional player traffic from the Cereus formation, Ultimate Bet continues to be an innovator with many pioneering features in online gaming software. Be sure to check out the revolutionary tracker system, UltimateBuddy and the landmark Miniview feature which has been enabling big time multi table players since UB’s inception in 2003. The game variation is good offering players everything from No Limit Hold’em to play money HORSE with stakes ranging from the micro ($0.02/04) to the massive ($300/600.) But Ultimate Bet’s real claim to fame comes in the form of their world class promotions and frequent-player program. Several top poker professionals including Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth endorse Ultimate Bet and will occasionally participate in publically listed ring games.

Though both Ultimate Bet and its sister site, Absolute Poker have experienced security breaches over the past 18 months, all major gaming commissions and regulatory bodies have declared the scandals isolated incidents. Since neither site has experienced much of a drop in player traffic since word of the breaches reached the public domain, it’s a pretty safe bet to assume that UB is plenty safe and secure. Ultimate Bet has few weaknesses and is regarded by many as one of the top sites in terms of player experience. So give Ultimate Bet a whirl, it’s worth it - especially if you are interested in cashing on the best promotions available online.

Ultimate Bet offers a wide selection of skill games; Texas Hold’em, Royal Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha 8/b, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud 8/b, RAZZ , Triple Draw, Pineapple, H.O.R.S.E. , H.O.S.E., and H.O. all in addition to both tournament and ring game Blackjack. The stakes are as varied as the games, ranging from $.02/$.04 to $300/$600 although the mid level Texas Hold’em and Omaha tables are where you will find most of the action ($.25/$.50 to $2/$4.) The games at Ultimate Bet in general are not as soft as some other sites, with many very aggressive long time poker players. Here is a brief approximation of the different levels of player traffic and style generally typified by players at the different stake levels:
Full ring (10-seat) Limit Hold’em is just average with the stakes starting at micro levels of $0.02/$0.04 and going up to the big game at $300/$600. Ultimate Bet's No Limit Hold’em is also average with stakes covering $0.01/$0.02 up to $50/$100. Short Handed (6-seat) for Limit Hold’em and No Limit Hold’em is slightly above average. The tables fill up at the peak hours and the action is good. Lots of calling stations and all-in maniacs at micro stakes plus generally aggressive players at $1/$2 make tight play and bonus whoring very valuable.

Short Handed Pot Limit Omaha is slightly below average with the stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 up to $50/$100. The lower limits get the majority of the action. Full Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is average and the stakes start at $0.10/$0.25 up to $40/$80. Full Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is weak, you would be hard pressed to find a game above $1/$2; however, stakes go up to $10/$20. Ultimate Bet's games of Limit Omaha, Full PL Omaha, SH Omaha Hi/Lo, SH PL Omaha Hi/Lo, and all Stud are picking up but still scarce especially off peak times. Most UB players are Americans, so Omaha and Stud are not as familiar as Texas Hold’em to most UB players. Consequently, you are going to find over active Omaha Hi/Lo tables and underactive Stud ones.

As for the other games such as RAZZ, H.O.R.S.E., H.O.S.E., H.O., the action is limited outside of peak hours and even during peak hours, it can be tough to find the right game. However, if you are looking for something different or a change of pace from Texas Hold’em, they are definitely worth a look.

Ultimate Bet offers a range of Multi-Table tournaments in different formats including Guaranteed prize pool MTTs, re-buy and add-on MTTs, Bounties, Turbos and Sit and Gos (both MTT and STT.) The tournament lobby is both fantastically informative and maddeningly un-detailed: though tournaments can be sorted through their prizes (like satellites for bigger tourneys, vacations, etc) the tournament listing on the main lobby page does not include the number of players already registered – it only says if registration is still open to new players or not.

Especially with the Cereus formation, the site is large enough to support a pretty extensive line-up. Tournaments start at a regular basis throughout the day and Sit and Go’s do fill up quickly so there is not much wait. Ultimate Bet offers a 2, 6, 8, and 10 seat single table SNGs. As for their multi-table SNGs, they range from 18 seats up to 100 seats. The selection is quite good at any time of day.

Ultimate Bet’s software is very stable with minimal glitches. Players rarely suffer disconnects which is as important as anything to successful online players. The dealer action is smooth and quick with the table cards clear and easy to read.

The poker room graphics at Ultimate Bet leaves a lot to be desired though. The table is huge and the chairs are rather large which gives the impression of a crowded room and even feels a little claustrophobic. Also, the chairs are empty; if a site is going to take the time to animate chairs in the room, at least put something in them even if it is just some goofy avatar.

The player’s seat position is always at the center bottom of the table; so you don’t have to search for your name when you sit at a table. Players can choose different room themes and adjust sound effects to suit their preferences. Also, players can hide the Blackjack button which is displayed in the card room if it is just too tempting. Players can choose a four color deck and the current pot size can be displayed if you select that in the ‘Options’ tab. The player's stacks and bets are easily visible and overall the action can be followed with minimal effort.

Of particular note is the terrific ‘player stats’ display that UB supports; it has all the info that you want to see sorted in such a way that a quick glance is all that is necessary to claim the desired info... flop, turn, river percentages, elapsed time at the table, etc. The mini table view is handy for big time multitablers but also presents a fairly difficult view of the poker game to get used to. Ultimate Bet also supports all of the now standard online gaming tools: instant hand histories, player chat and the aforementioned statistic tracker.

The main lobby at Ultimate Bet is very clear and easy to navigate. It has minimal banners and pop-ups. The tab filters are well designed and players can find the games they are looking for fairly quickly. With the exception of already registered players in the tournament, Ultimate Bet’s lobby displays all the important game information: average pot size, players per flop percentage and hands per hour for each table. Although another aspect that could be improved upon is that under the Texas Hold’em tab, there are no sub tabs for NL, PL, and Limit.
 
Ultimate Bet has great promotions: generous sign up bonuses, reload bonuses, rake races and free money deals. The reload bonuses are offered about twice a month and are in the 20 to 25% range up to $150 or so max. Bonuses are stackable and never expire which is a huge plus. With generally aggressive players, even if you are playing lower stakes you have a good shot at clearing almost any bonus.

The loyalty program at Ultimate Bet is a nice benefit. As you play real money games, you earn points which can be used for merchandise in their store such as poker gear, vacation packages, cash etc. The points are not as hard to earn as in some other sites, so the benefits are realistically attainable.

Ultimate Bet employs both SSL and VeriSign Inc. for their cashier security program. UB is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, one of the world’s leading online gaming regulatory commissions. Of course, the top story in UB security is the recent super-user scandal. In addition to seals of approval from the KGC and many other major regulatory commissions, highly respected poker pro and advocate Annie Duke still supports UB which has to tell you something.

The e-mail support at Ultimate Bet is good. The response times are usually pretty good... within an hour or so and the replies are accurate and helpful. They do not offer live chat or phone support which is frankly, inexcusable for a site which comprises half of the world’s third most popular poker network. Although if you are a member of their much ballyhooed VIP program, then you can get in touch directly with a UB representative via telephone.