The Quick Summary
Poker.wsop.com is the World Series of Poker’s officially sanctioned online poker site. Launched in 2009 by Caesars Entertainment, the site uses 888.com’s Dragonfish software, the same software used by 888 Poker. As one might guess, it also resides on the 888 Poker network, sharing its tables with seven other rooms. Despite Caesars being an American company and the WSOP being synonymous with Las Vegas, poker.wsop.com is not available to residents of the United States
Popularity: 7 of 10 – Good
The 888 Poker network, of which poker.wsop.com is a member, ranks amongst the top ten poker rooms or networks in terms of cash game traffic as of the time of this review (May 2011), according to PokerScout.com. It’s no PokerStars or Full Tilt, so you’re not going to find active tables for every game imaginable, but in general, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a decent game.
Security: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Poker.wsop.com is supported by an excellent backbone in Dragonfish. The network uses the MD5 Random Number Generator (RNG), which has been thoroughly tested through millions of deals. The poker room conducts periodic tests itself to ensure fairness and the RNG has been certified by eCOGRA. All financial transactions are secured with both public and private key encryption.
Player Competition: 7 of 10 – Good
The poker network where poker.wsop.com resides used to be known as arguably the fishiest in the industry. With improvements to the software within the last few years, including multi-table support, more sharks have started to populate the 888 network ocean. The player base is still pretty soft for the most part, just not as soft as it used to be.
Site Software: 8 of 10 – Very Good
For those of you who played at Pacific Poker (888 Poker) in the early to mid-2000’s, you may remember that it had what might have been the worst software of any online poker room. And since poker.wsop.com uses the same software, you might be worried to try it. Worry not. Within the last few years, 888 has completely revamped its poker software and it is now amongst the best in the industry.
Instead of the clunky, 1990’s PC graphics that the poker room used to have, it is now very slick looking, with vibrant colors and crisp, fun graphics. The days of only being able to play a single table are over, as well. The poker room allows for multi-tabling and while the tables can’t be made as small as some might like (500 x 365 pixels is the smallest), they can still be tiled or cascaded to the heart’s delight. Player notes are available, along with custom indicators if you want to quickly see if you tagged someone as a maniac or a rock.
The table graphics are customizable, as well, with four options each for card fronts (including four color decks), card backs, and table themes. Most of the table options you would see at other poker rooms, such as whether or not the table should steal focus when it is the player’s turn to act, are available at poker.wsop.com. Hand histories are stored on the player’s hard drive and the directory in which they are stored can be changed to suit the player.
No surprises when it comes to tournaments, either. All pertinent information can be found in both the lobby, and in a chat box tab right at the tables.
Overall, the software runs smoothly and quickly. Things have improved greatly over the last several years.
Customer Support: 8 of 10 – Very Good
The poker room offers e-mail, toll free phone, and live chat support. Live support is probably the best option for immediate assistance, as e-mail can tend to be a bit slow.
Company Ethics: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Poker.wsop.com is a member of the Interactive Gaming Council and is certified by Gamcare, the industry leader for information, advice, and free counseling for problem gamblers. Dragonfish requires all new customer support staff to take responsible gambling training, as well as weekly refresher courses. As discussed earlier, the company uses over 40 online information sources and in-house software to combat money laundering, underage, and compulsive gambling. Dragonfish also closely monitors all of its poker room partners to ensure they adhere to all rules and standards.
Site Promotions: 8 of 10 – Very Good
Poker.wsop.com has a generous deposit bonus in terms of percentage: 100 percent up to $400, although it isn’t the easiest to clear, especially for low stakes players. And of course, being the official online poker room of the World Series of Poker, there are loads of opportunities to win seats in WSOP events.
Overall Review: 8 of 10 – Very Good
Final Result: We give poker.wsop.com a final overall score of 8 out of 10. It is a solid poker room with vastly improved software and the unique positioning of being the World Series of Poker’s official online poker room, something that should give players some great benefits.
