Absolute Poker Room Review

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What makes Absolute Poker stand out from the crowd? Well, the drop-dead gorgeous model in the ads, Serinda Swan, for one. Let’s face it—she’s a wee bit easier on the eyes than Phil Hellmuth or Howard Lederer or Greg Raymer.

But in the grand scheme of things, the attractiveness of the people associated with the site shouldn’t make much difference in whether you play there. And at Absolute, the real draw comes from the numerous bonus programs that give back to the players, as well as the commonly held perception that the games there are extremely loose at the middle and upper limits, making it a fantastic place for above-average players to build their bankrolls.

Absolute offers Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, and they recently added Razz as well. But it’s Hold ’Em that draws the great majority of the traffic (the prime-time population of the site hovers around 20,000 players), and at the $2/$4 level and above, there’s a lot of money to be made.

One of the things that makes Absolute great, however, is that you can be only a break-even player and still turn a profit. With their numerous bonuses (including a bad-beat jackpot that often balloons beyond the six-figure mark) and their rakeback promotions, you’re a lot less likely to see your bankroll slowly shrink here than you are at many other sites. There are also all sorts of reload bonuses, deposit bonuses, and a great VIP program as well as a refer-a-friend program.

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The new “Absolute Assassin” tournaments are particularly intriguing, as certain players have bounties on their heads, giving you extra avenues for cashing during tournament play. And there are numerous weekly tournaments with handsome guarantees: $200Ks, $150Ks, and $75Ks everywhere you turn.

As for the playability of the user interface, Absolute has made enormous strides in recent years and now has one of the most popular aesthetics in the business. The cashier, lobby, and tables are easy to navigate, the betting buttons are simple and straight-forward, you can upload your own image for your avatar, and get this: You can play back an instant replay of a hand, in case you want to celebrate a victory in style or closely examine your decisions and those of your opponents. Standard features like playing statistics and player notes are available, plus there’s a find-a-player option that allows you to locate friends at other tables, or more importantly, fish you’ve feasted on before.

Serinda Swan may have the looks to draw you in. But it’s the attractiveness of the games themselves that keep Absolute Poker players coming back for more.