While millions of online poker players take part in the game throughout the world, there is a segment of the market that is frequently overlooked when it comes to online gaming. The portion of the populous that runs an Apple computer or prefers the Mac operating system (OS) is left out of many of the activities to be found online, especially poker. The online poker room Ultimate Bet is looking to change that.
It was announced yesterday that Ultimate Bet, the home of 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, top female poker player and Poker News Daily guest columnist Annie Duke, and online pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy (among others), would be offering a Mac version of its popular site beginning today. Called UB Mac, it is a completely compatible version of the full offerings of Ultimate Bet for the Mac OS, something that has been asked for repeatedly by many poker fans.
“Our company strives to make our poker room accessible to as many people as possible and we recognize that Apple computers have a growing market share in the personal computing industry. In response to this trend, we have developed an all-new download poker application specifically for the Mac Operating System,” said Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett. “As a Mac user myself, the only real limitation I have found is that a lot of poker applications will not run on the Mac OS. With UB Mac, players will enjoy the same incredible user experience that PC users currently have, and we remain committed to ongoing development of our Mac online poker client to ensure it is the best in the business.”
Another member of Team UB and a Mac user, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, was also elated about the latest news from his site. “A few weeks back, I got the news I’ve been waiting for…UB for Mac is ready for beta testing,” Scott stated during the announcement. “I immediately downloaded the application and I was up and running in no time.”
The new software allows Mac players to have access to the most popular features and functionality that UB users playing on Windows-compatible computers have, including ring games, satellites, single and multi-table Hold’em tournaments, and single player blackjack. In addition to both Mac and Windows options, Ultimate Bet also has a no-download option for players who don’t want to bog down their systems with programs. Its sister site, Absolute Poker, also has Mac option.
Other Mac-compatible online poker sites include PokerStars and Full Tilt, both of which boast fully-functional clients for the Mac which can be downloaded and installed with ease. Bodog features a cash game table Instant Play option, which allows for a maximum of one table to be opened at a time. PartyPoker was one of the original innovators of the Instant Play concept. Unlike Bodog, PokerStars, Full Tilt, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker, however, PartyPoker does not accept customers from the United States.
