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Empire Poker
www.empirepoker.com
Ranked No. 2
OVERALL RATING - 9
| Reputation and popularity |
9 |
|
| Theme and creativity |
7 |
|
| Graphics |
7 |
|
| Sound |
7 |
|
| Software |
6 |
|
| Amount and variety of games |
6 |
|
| Promotions and bonuses |
8 |
|
| Ease of use |
8 |
|
| Security |
8 |
|
| Customer support |
6 |
|
| Payment options |
8 |
|
| Free CD |
No |
|
Live games
Texas Hold 'Em
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha
7-Stud
Minimum deposit
$50
Fixed limits
$0.50-1
$1-2
$2-4
$3-6
$5-10
$10-20
$15-30
Pot limits
$0.50-1
$1-2
$2-4
Empire Poker is a poker room whose all-around quality is very high, and this is probably why it's one of the most popular poker sites on the Internet today. Depending on what time you're playing, Empire Poker can attract up to 20,000 visitors, or even more if you consider those playing just for fun, in non-money games.
Not that Empire is flawless, however. The graphics are unspectacular by industry standards, and customer support depends in large part on the question asked. The support, during our research visits, varied from quick, personalized answers to long waits with poor results. In general, don't expect personalized attention on a site the size of Empire.
But graphics and customer support aside, most major areas of importance are very good, if not great. That means Empire Poker can offer its guests a truly amazing range of tables (even if the game selection could use significant improving), so you're sure to find a playing environment that's right for you. Another advantage to such a large poker room is that there's bound to be a lot of beginners, so if you're an expert, you can do very well here.
Empire Poker is very good with promotions as well. At the time of research, Empire was offering seats to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Empire also has bonuses when you're making deposits: use REAL35 for $35 on any deposit, or use WSOP2005 to get 20% of your deposit, with an upper limit (a nice one) of $120. Another common bonus feature at Empire is free cashrolls upon registration. These are both daily and monthly, sometimes up to $500, or more on special occasions. It's definitely worth paying attention to bonuses here.
The software at Empire Poker is nothing special. Connection problems are rare, but there are poker rooms with much better software out there. Still, security is not a problem at Empire and, by and large, the slightly outdated software doesn't detract from the site at all. Cashouts, meanwhile, are reliable and fast, although we prefer Empire's sister site, Party Poker, in this department.
Despite the competition, gigantic Empire Poker remains among the best of the best.
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