The Quick Summary

This is not the Sun Poker that you may think that you know. What was once a consistent but unattractive site on the floundering CryptoLogic Network is now a sleek, well-oiled machine operating on the tip top iPoker Network.

Sun Poker now has video introductions and tutorials, strong promotions and awe-inspiring traffic. Though the iPoker Network does not accept US customers, it is the single largest poker network in the world today.

Popularity: 9 of 10 – Excellent

There’s really only one knock against Sun Poker and its iPoker host and that would be that they do not accept US customers. Otherwise you’re just not going to find any more popular site than Sun Poker: only PokerStars and Full Tilt have more traffic than iPoker, and both of them do the brunt of their business through US customers.

Security: 8 of 10 – Excellent

Again, Sun Poker is very solid in the way of security. A strong encryption system keeps things locked down but the real focus of the security team is manpower. Drawing on the colossal power of the iPoker base, Sun Poker is able to keep its site under lock and key through personalized security measures. No major cheating scandal, no major complaints on any big forum – Sun Poker is a safe place to play.

Player Competition: 9 of 10 – Excellent

When you’ve got 20,000 players you’ve got to have appropriate competition in there somewhere. Whether you are looking for small-stakes fishies or big buy-in sharks, Sun Poker has so many players that you are ensured of finding the right level of competition for you.

Site Software: 6 of 10 – Good

What was once a weakness has become a strength for Sun Poker: a beautiful home page anchored with video proclaims to all who venture into Sun Poker that this is a site designed to look good. While the download can still take some time and there is no flash based version, once you are actually in a game you can be sure that there will be no delays or lag (at least not coming from their end.)

Customer Support: 9 of 10 – Excellent

Sun Poker is one of the three best sites online in the way of customer support. Going to their “Contact Us” subsection can even be intimidating: 5 distinct email addresses, 7 toll free hotlines – you can even fax them if the desire so strikes you.

Company Ethics: 9 of 10 – Excellent

A well-tested Random Number Generator and security team meet with the unparalleled customer support and raw power of the iPoker Network to create a substantial and ethical environment in which to play poker. While the lack of big time promotions keeps the ethical evaluation below a 10, Sun Poker should be considered to be one of the good guys in the poker world.

Site Promotions: 6 of 10 – Good

It’s never easy to scoff at free money and Sun Poker does offer its share of free money to its players. A 100% bonus on up to the first $500 deposit is basically the only big welcome bonus while the $500,000 rake races dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars every month to members. Still, the VIP program is lacking and you’re unlikely to surmount the requirements for achieving most bonuses.

Overall Review: 6.8 of 10 – Good

With the power of the iPoker Network and a new focus on software, Sun Poker has been able to turn what was once the online equivalent of a trustworthy Ma and Pa store into a burgeoning super site. Industry leading customer support and ethics meet with decent promotions and strong security to create the eminently useable Sun Poker.

Final Result: We give Sun Poker a final overall score of 6.8 out of 10.

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