BetOnline Poker Review

A favourite among US-based online poker players, BetOnline has been playing its trade since the early 2000s.

Since 2012, it has moved operations and now works out of its Antigua base. It continues to be one of the most established US-friendly poker sites, sportsbooks, and skill games websites. If Hold'em, Stud or Omaha is your thing, and you're looking to play against American opponents, BetOnline could be for you.

About BetOnline

BetOnline.ag is a market leader in US-facing online sportsbetting and casino games. It's been operating since 2004. While larger poker operators fell foul of UIGEA and Black Friday, BetOnline continues to run real money games through its Antigua license.

With one account, you can access every facet of the BetOnline site - racebook, sportsbook, casino, live casino, and financials - but there is a decent download poker client for Hold'em and Omaha players.

Software

BetOnline has download clients for PC and mobile, but Mac users can access tables via the instant-play client. BetOnline is part of the Chico Poker Network that works off a Kahnawake license. While that means it's possible to gamble in the US you won't find thousands of players hitting the tables every night.

That said, Chico's software is good enough to compete with larger networks, and lobbies are well-designed and easy to navigate. You won't find too much in the way of re-entries on this network - a blessing for some - but the games are mostly at the lower end of the buy-in.

Players

The player pool is fairly soft at BetOnline. The weekly guarantees (see below) are well-populated, and the standard is poor at the $11-22 buy-ins. US players are allowed to play, making it one of the best reasons to enjoy the site.

The lack of a meaningful time bank is a concern when playing, which rather makes multi-tabling a bind. In fact, tiling is fairly limited overall.

Stakes & Cash Games

BetOnline spreads a decent range of cash games to suit most stakes. The largest limits you'll find at NLHE and PLHE are about $25/50 but tables are popular at the low-stakes games. Pot Limit and No Limit rake is capped at $2 for stakes from $0.10/0.25 to $0.25/0.50 in 4-max+ games.

There is a little in the way of Omaha and Omaha 8 cash action, which makes up for the lack of Omaha tournaments in the lobby.

Tournaments

From big guarantees to friendly-priced bounty tournaments, BetOnline has plenty for players of all wallets and standards.

There are many specials at BetOnline, including $100,000 in guaranteed online tournament cash promised each and every weekend. The 12pm ET $5,000 Turbo ($11 buy-in) is well-attended, but Saturday nights are for the 7pm $15,000-GTD tourney with a $33 buy-in.

Sundays have a $15,000-GTD game at $33, with the "big one" a $20k-GTD tourney with a $44 buy-in. On the last Sunday of each month, the $44 game is replaced with a $50k GTD game with a $99 buy-in. You can get free entry in the 50k if you play the Winners Series of $7,500-GTD tourneys on weeknights. No Limit Hold'em is the game for all events.

Poker Bonuses & VIP

BetOnline has always been good with its bonuses, and poker players could access a massive range at time of writing.

A $2500 match bonus greets new players, and anyone making a first deposit can enjoy a New Depositors Freeroll with $5,000 of guaranteed prize cash.

Elsewhere, players can join the $10,000 Weekly Cash Race with the chance to share thousands for topping the cash game leaderboard. Weekly Sit 'n Go leaderboard challenges and monthly MTT challenges also give regular players the chance to win real money. And with such a (relatively) small player pool online at any time, these bonuses can be great for BetOnline customers Stateside.

Customer Support & Banking

There is a 24-hour customer service team on call at BetOnline who can be contacted via phone or email. The phone support (1-888-426-3661) is decent, but the dedicated poker email (poker@BetOnline.ag) is swift to answer all queries.

Deposits to BetOnline accounts can be made via VISA, MasterCard and Person to Person, but the site also accepts anonymous bitcoin transactions. The minimum limits are pretty decent, around the $20 mark for bitcoin and Litecoin, with credit cards requiring a $50 minimum spend. US players experiencing difficulties getting their credit card deposits accepted have a decent range of alternatives.

However, if you've managed to deposit into your sportsbook account, you can transfer cash easily into your poker wallet.

Summary

If you're hankering for some US-facing online poker action with big offers, BetOnline is for you. It can't compete on guarantees or live satellites with the regulated rooms in Nevada or New Jersey but if you live elsewhere in the US it's a serious option. Take a look and make a real money deposit today.