AT A GLANCE
Absolute Poker is the home of the biggest bad-beat jackpot in online poker. It also hosts the Absolute Dream Package, wherein players can freeroll their way to online poker’s ultimate prize.
Absolute Poker also offers a wide range of friendly and rewarding tournaments, alongside exciting and innovative promotions to suit players of all abilities.
| WEBSITE | Absolute Poker |
| ACCEPTING U.S. PLAYERS? | Yes |
| ESTABLISHED | 2003 |
| COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | Costa Rica |
| SIZE OF DOWNLOAD | 6.86 MB |
| SIZE ON COMPUTER | 19.9 MB |
SOFTWARE
The Absolute Poker software was recently upgraded and now supports cutting edge graphics, faster dealing, table view options, resizable tables, and many other great new features.
The site also allows players to upload personal graphics to create their own personalized avatar. This makes Absolute Poker one of the most customizable poker sites out there. There is also a no-download version for Mac and PC users.
Other tweakable options on the tables include: enable hot keys, four-color decks, display bet amount, and turn off sound effects. The tables include a standard set of pre-selected action checkboxes.
The main lobby on Absolute Poker is easy to navigate. The cash games are separated into tabs by poker variant and then further separated by limit-type (fixed-, pot-, and no-limit) or high/eight-or-better variants. Tournaments are split into sit-and-go and “tourneys” (meaning scheduled tournaments). The lobby also has a concise filter system which can be selected by all games, limits, show and buy-in.
The specific tournament lobbies at Absolute Poker are extremely helpful and easy to use. The lobbies list the current rank and chip count of every single player in the tournament - a feature that even some of the largest poker sites don’t have (many sites show simply the top 30 or 100 players’ chip stacks and rankings).
The lobby displays a wealth of other information, including: blind structure, payout structure, biggest/smallest/average stack, time until next break, time until next blind level (and what it will be), and total/current number of players.
The site also allows players to upload personal graphics to create their own personalized avatar. This makes Absolute Poker one of the most customizable poker sites out there. There is also a no-download version for Mac and PC users.
Other tweakable options on the tables include: enable hot keys, four-color decks, display bet amount, and turn off sound effects. The tables include a standard set of pre-selected action checkboxes.
The main lobby on Absolute Poker is easy to navigate. The cash games are separated into tabs by poker variant and then further separated by limit-type (fixed-, pot-, and no-limit) or high/eight-or-better variants. Tournaments are split into sit-and-go and “tourneys” (meaning scheduled tournaments). The lobby also has a concise filter system which can be selected by all games, limits, show and buy-in.
The specific tournament lobbies at Absolute Poker are extremely helpful and easy to use. The lobbies list the current rank and chip count of every single player in the tournament - a feature that even some of the largest poker sites don’t have (many sites show simply the top 30 or 100 players’ chip stacks and rankings).
The lobby displays a wealth of other information, including: blind structure, payout structure, biggest/smallest/average stack, time until next break, time until next blind level (and what it will be), and total/current number of players.
TOURNAMENTS
Absolute Poker has good sit-and-go traffic for buy-ins $100 and lower, plus the ever-popular turbo sit-and-gos. Multitable sit-and-gos are often running for buy-ins $10 and lower.
Absolute Poker has a healthy schedule of tournaments with guaranteed prize pools that offer up to $75,000 (not including the weekly $150,000 guarantee). The guaranteed tournaments easily go beyond their posted prize pools with relative consistency. The big weekly $150,000-guaranteed tournament on Saturdays usually lures around 300 entrants (at $500 apiece for buy-in). Absolute also runs a $75,000-guaranteed tournament on Sunday.
Absolute Poker has a healthy schedule of tournaments with guaranteed prize pools that offer up to $75,000 (not including the weekly $150,000 guarantee). The guaranteed tournaments easily go beyond their posted prize pools with relative consistency. The big weekly $150,000-guaranteed tournament on Saturdays usually lures around 300 entrants (at $500 apiece for buy-in). Absolute also runs a $75,000-guaranteed tournament on Sunday.
CASH GAMES
There are not usually a lot of high-stakes hold’em games running, but the mid- to low-limit games usually have plenty of tables to choose from (mainly six-handed tables: players at Absolute Poker seem to prefer shorthanded play). The number of populated cash games tables for the other offered variants (Omaha, stud, razz and H.O.R.S.E.) are relatively low (especially for razz), and virtually nonexistent in the higher-limits of these games.
FINANCIAL INFO
| PAYMENT OPTIONS | Visa, Mastercard, Moneybookers, Fast Bank Transfer, ClickandBuy, Click2Pay, Paysafe, UKash and Neteller (for European customers), UK debit cards |
| AUDITOR | Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Technical Testing Sys |
RAKE INFO
| NO-LIMIT | LIMIT | |
|---|---|---|
| MICRO | $0.05/$1 - Max $3 | N/A |
| LOW | $0.05/$1 - Max $3 | $0.25/$5 - Max $2 |
| MEDIUM | $0.05/$1 - Max $3 | N/A |
| HIGH | N/A | N/A |
GAME VARIETY
|
| STAKES: $0.02-$0.04 up to $150-$300 |
SUPPORT
| support@AbsolutePoker.com | |
| PHONE | N/A |
| COMMENTS | Options for support include:
Response time:
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SPECIAL FEATURES
- Players can change the table felt via downloaded alternatives
- Absolute Buddy function allows players to track friends and chat with them within the software while playing
- Players can upload their own photo for their avatar
- Over 100 different tabletops and themes, many of which are user-generated
- Mouse-free play possible with keyboard shortcuts
- Instant Play, a download-free version of the software, is available and is compatible with Macs.
PROMOTIONS
- The Absolute Dream Package tournament, which awards online poker's richest prize package
- Bad Beat Jackpot; more than $10 million awarded since 2007 launch
- Absolute Assassins bounty tourneys
- Pro bounty tournaments
- $200K+ guaranteed in tournament prize pools each weekend
- Absolute Rewards loyalty program (points earned; can be used for freeroll tournaments or merchandise)
- Tournament leader board prizes
- VIP program with various benefits, including exclusive bonuses, promotions, freerolls, and even VIP party invitations