Labrokes Poker Review

February 8, 2009 by Nick Wealthall

Nick Wealthall When I was little Ladbrokes meant trips with my Dad on Saturdays – we picked some horses according to their form, I picked them according to how cool their name was; our results were about even (sorry Dad). They’ve been around in the UK for ages as one of the countries biggest and most trusted gambling names but does their poker room measure up to their reputation?

Why should I play there?
Ladbrokes poker room has just joined the Microgaming network which means it has far more players and games than before. To accompany this they’ve also introduced some nice new promotions and a software re-design which is a big improvement.
There’s a good choice of games whatever your limit both in cash and tournaments. Far more importantly I think the games include some soft money. The site is made up of mostly European players which makes it a little easier than the big US sites but also it has a sports book and we all know how much fun it is playing poker with sports bettors! The only downside is it’s easy to transfer your money from poker to sports if you fancy a casual flutter – must…resist…my gambling…monster….

What are the downsides of playing there?
As with most poker sites out there multi-tabling is a slight problem. To be fair to Ladbrokes they’ve made big strides in this area and multitabling on this site is definitely an option. However the cards could be bigger and clearer and the buttons slightly easier to hit quickly. I wish sites would design their software from the start with multi-tabling in mind rather than adding things on – but then I know this won’t be a big deal for many of you.
The site also doesn’t offer pure rakeback which may put off some cash players however the loyalty schemes and cash back offers are generous and better than most on the net.

And the software is?
On the whole I found it easy to use, bright and clear. As mentioned above it’s a little less clear when multi tabling, however in the main there are few quibbles. One massive plus point is it’s really really quick. If you’re like me and suffer attention deficit disorder when online you’ll be really thankful for how quickly the action zips round. Also a generous time bank allows you to take pause for those really key decisions.

What’s in it for me?
Ladbrokes is famous for taking care of its players and they offer a lot of bang for your buck. There’s a generous welcome bonus, a cashback programme based on your rake and some really cool free-rolls including a rake related tournament with a $1 million prize pool.
The site also invests a lot of effort into taking players to the World Series each year. They not only offer lots of ways to qualify but also try to offer the best package to the series with a great lounge and hospitality if you’re lucky enough to go out with them.

To sum up….
Ladbrokes offers a great combination of choice of game, softness of competition and player promotions. There are a couple of niggles if you’re a multi tabling cash grinder but in general the recent changes have put the site back near the top.

In summary it’s almost as much fun as going to a Ladbrokes betting shop…just a lot harder to steal a little pen – I averaged 3 a visit, shhhhhhh.

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