GGPoker - the Future of Online Poker

MattRyder

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The Negreanu controversy really is what brought GGPoker to my attention. I started playing on their site a few weeks ago in the (one or two per week) Cardschat freerolls.

I like them so much that I'm planning on making a first deposit. This is noteworthy as GGPoker is the first offshore site to which I've ever wanted to make a deposit. And I've played on many, many sites over the years.

Their desktop software is the best! And I'm playing on a Mac, which most sites consider a low/afterthought priority. There's only one site which comes close - pokerstars, and their Mac software still has the same bugs it had five years ago.

The GGPoker mobile client, which I use on my Android phone, is beyond INCREDIBLE! It blows EVERYBODY away! It blows the pokerstars mobile client away. (That said, I'm referring to single table, tournament play. I haven't tried multi-table cash games with them). GGPoker is the ONLY site that I will play on my phone.

I don't know for sure why, but from my limited experience with them, the calibre of play seems far more "professional" if that's the correct way to put it. I see more of what I expect (high stakes) professional players to do at the $3 and $5 buy-in tournaments at GGPoker.

GGPoker is staying away from the many super-cheap, micro buy-in tournaments that seem to be a mainstay at PokerStars. They seem to have a clear business model in mind and a good handle on prioritizing to get there. This may also be why they seem to attract a higher calibre clientele.

GGPoker seems to me to be the future of online poker. You won't find freerolls there, other than the Cardschat freerolls, which would be a good place to start. If you're looking for a new site to try, I definitely recommend them.
 
Joe

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I've really enjoyed my first & early experiences at GG too...

Looking forward to playing more there and getting familiar with the lobby, LOL..
 
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padman400

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God help us if this is the future for online poker. I hate all the crap that shows up when you play. Daft bloody rabbits, stupid chat icons, pathetic faces that pop up every hand. To me it is just horrid. I only play the cardchat freerolls when I have time, that is enough for now.
Give me plain old Pokerstars every day.
 
GeckoAA

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GG Poker’s - PokerCraft has Misleading Results

It does not include the rake in your win/loss this producing graphs that make it look like your a winning player when in fact your not. My husband and I noticed this in “All in or Fold” and even though we’re not completely sure about the other games we think its mostly likely the same.

They were raking “All in or Fold” even with no flop. It comes directly out of your bankroll instead of off the table so you are less likely to notice that there is even rake. At the lowest stake buy-in of $2 they were taking 3 cents from EVERY player at the table EVERY round including SB and BB

We find that not very impressive at all and it feels deceitful and shady. Pay close attention to your bankroll while your playing and check it out for yourself.

So at the moment I will only play CC games.
 
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MattRyder

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They also have a 24/7 real-time, online chat forum (through Discord) with GGPoker staff & experienced GGPoker players. Who else does that? I just got a few questions answered immediately.

369cd9faa08bbbf42d9eb0dc76e1f713.png


I recommended that type of support mechanism to PokerStars a few years back but they just put me off.
 
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MattRyder

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God help us if this is the future for online poker. I hate all the crap that shows up when you play. Daft bloody rabbits, stupid chat icons, pathetic faces that pop up every hand. To me it is just horrid. I only play the cardchat freerolls when I have time, that is enough for now.
Give me plain old Pokerstars every day.
I agree they do have a lot of graphical stuff which can be a bit distracting. I haven't noticed the "rabbits/pathetic faces that pop up", btw, that you mentioned. I look closer next time I play. Maybe that's a PC thing? But, what's important to me is:
  • High Quality Software (BONUS - if they have a great mobile client).
  • Lots of games/players.
  • Good Support (as I mentioned above the online chat forum is fantastic) - I'm in the middle of getting "verified" so we'll see how quickly/well that goes.
  • High calibre players - not necessary I guess, but boy is it a welcome treat.
Pokerstars used to be my #1 choice. I actually have a history with them. I used to be one of their real-time Chat Moderators at the tables back when they had them. They're now my #2 choice.
 
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MattRyder

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God help us if this is the future for online poker. I hate all the crap that shows up when you play. Daft bloody rabbits, stupid chat icons, pathetic faces that pop up every hand. To me it is just horrid. I only play the cardchat freerolls when I have time, that is enough for now.
Give me plain old Pokerstars every day.
I agree they do have a lot of graphical stuff which can be a bit distracting. I haven't noticed the "rabbits/pathetic faces that pop up", btw, that you mentioned.
Sorry, not sure where my mind was at. I do know the "pathetic faces" that you mentioned. They're like an EMOJI/chat thing that all players can post at the tables. I agree - they are kind of dumb, but lots of players seem to like them.

I see players from non-English speaking countries use them a lot. I'm guessing they see them in their native tongue and I see them in English. Kind of a way of bridging the language barrier I think.

Another thing that I like is that they have a HUD display at the tables with some basic stats for everybody to see on every player. Levels the playing field a bit.
 
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0546474

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They have good software, but in order to compare with PokerStars they need to improve the site a little more (eg improve the replay of the hands played at the table) !!! Overall the site is really good !!!
 
MattRyder

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They have good software, but in order to compare with PokerStars they need to improve the site a little more (eg improve the replay of the hands played at the table) !!! Overall the site is really good !!!
I'm glad u raised the point about the lack of a hand replayer. At first I too was disappointed. But, the more I use the "Hand History" display window, the more I like it. Hand replayers typically (be definition) take time to "play" the hand back. Maybe the speed of the playback is perfect for you, it rarely/never is for me.

The GGPoker "Hand History" display window shows me everything that happened and allows me to read it/skip thru it as quickly or as slowly as I want. It shows me what the pot was at the beginning of each street. It also shows me when a player requests time (the alarm clock icon) which I've never seen a hand replayer do.

So, I'm no longer disappointed. I prefer this method of reviewing hands to the hand replayer playback method.

b273dbcfed5a3fbd7d32a4f41e83dc55.png
 
Poker Orifice

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I agree with lots of what you've said here .... except
The Hand History view is a very outdated type of feature. I feel it is much preferred to have a typed out 'text' type version along WITH a HandHistory 'Replayer'. With the Instant 'Text' hand history I can quickly snap copy/paste it as well. Also works with other replayers. I find that the GGPoker one takes up far too much space on my desktop. I like to play 6 tables per screen (24in.) and with typical HH replayers it's easy to open them & make the window very small... PLUS you can actually put player notes ON the players in the replayer. Something that is totally impossible on the archaic GGpoker HH. In the games I play this is KEY (unfortunately partypoker is a fail there too)

Also, I'm not sure what kind of volume you've put in on the $3 or $5 games (I thought $5 is the lowest buyin on there?) but imo one of the very BEST things about GGpoker site is that it has a MUCH higher percentage of BAD players (& gambly type players) in the micro & low buyin games, both cash & Tournament play.
My experience with GG for cash games is that they are BY FAR the softest site of all that I play on regularly. (maybe ACR/WPN is softer.... but I wouldn't know as I rarely play on there... and of course chico network has extremely soft micro cash tables as well).
Many more regs. on Partypoker, & also on Pokerstars vs. GG

I'm not sure why you're not keen on depositing on 'offshore' sites? (aren't they ALL offshore?... aside from Kahnawake which personally I'd have less faith in than the others).
I've been depositing & withdrawing $'s seamlessly for many years on over 40 sites. Much much simpler when Canadians could use skrill (or neteller or Moneybookers).. but still very easy on many of the sites.
 
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Richardszabo

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GG poker desktop software may be good, but I don't think it's the best because it has a higher power requirement than other poker software. Android App is really good and very stable. I miss freerolls and sit & go, but i'm happy with the end of micro buy-in tournaments!
 
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The Negreanu controversy really is what brought GGPoker to my attention. I started playing on their site a few weeks ago in the (one or two per week) Cardschat freerolls.

I like them so much that I'm planning on making a first deposit. This is noteworthy as GGPoker is the first offshore site to which I've ever wanted to make a deposit. And I've played on many, many sites over the years.

Their desktop software is the best! And I'm playing on a Mac, which most sites consider a low/afterthought priority. There's only one site which comes close - Pokerstars, and their Mac software still has the same bugs it had five years ago.

The GGPoker mobile client, which I use on my Android phone, is beyond INCREDIBLE! It blows EVERYBODY away! It blows the Pokerstars mobile client away. (That said, I'm referring to single table, tournament play. I haven't tried multi-table cash games with them). GGPoker is the ONLY site that I will play on my phone.

I don't know for sure why, but from my limited experience with them, the calibre of play seems far more "professional" if that's the correct way to put it. I see more of what I expect (high stakes) professional players to do at the $3 and $5 buy-in tournaments at GGPoker.

GGPoker is staying away from the many super-cheap, micro buy-in tournaments that seem to be a mainstay at PokerStars. They seem to have a clear business model in mind and a good handle on prioritizing to get there. This may also be why they seem to attract a higher calibre clientele.

GGPoker seems to me to be the future of online poker. You won't find freerolls there, other than the Cardschat freerolls, which would be a good place to start. If you're looking for a new site to try, I definitely recommend them.
Their app is no good
 
MattRyder

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I agree with lots of what you've said here .... except
The Hand History view is a very outdated type of feature. I feel it is much preferred to have a typed out 'text' type version along WITH a HandHistory 'Replayer'. With the Instant 'Text' hand history I can quickly snap copy/paste it as well. Also works with other replayers. I find that the GGPoker one takes up far too much space on my desktop. I like to play 6 tables per screen (24in.) and with typical HH replayers it's easy to open them & make the window very small... PLUS you can actually put player notes ON the players in the replayer. Something that is totally impossible on the archaic GGpoker HH. In the games I play this is KEY (unfortunately Partypoker is a fail there too)

Also, I'm not sure what kind of volume you've put in on the $3 or $5 games (I thought $5 is the lowest buyin on there?) but imo one of the very BEST things about GGpoker site is that it has a MUCH higher percentage of BAD players (& gambly type players) in the micro & low buyin games, both cash & Tournament play.
My experience with GG for cash games is that they are BY FAR the softest site of all that I play on regularly. (maybe ACR/WPN is softer.... but I wouldn't know as I rarely play on there... and of course chico network has extremely soft micro cash tables as well).
Many more regs. on Partypoker, & also on Pokerstars vs. GG

I'm not sure why you're not keen on depositing on 'offshore' sites? (aren't they ALL offshore?... aside from Kahnawake which personally I'd have less faith in than the others).
I've been depositing & withdrawing $'s seamlessly for many years on over 40 sites. Much much simpler when Canadians could use Skrill (or Neteller or Moneybookers).. but still very easy on many of the sites.
Good points!

I haven't played multiple tables on GGPoker & don't expect to. I have lots of screen space so that's not an issue. I've never wanted to, or even thought about, adding player notes in the hand replayer. I really do like the "archaic" HH. It meets all my needs and does so quite nicely. Perhaps personal taste is a part of it?

I'm only interested in a site that I can play a single tournament at a time, AND can do it on my phone sometimes. I've never really liked the Pokerstars mobile client, and theirs was the best I'd found till GGPoker.

Playnow is not offshore, and the only actual Canadian, based in canada site not on a Reserve, run by Canadians, which to date is the only site to which I've deposited. I've never been a hardcore poker player, certainly not a grinder, so till recently I'd never felt the desire to get "invested" in an offshore site. But, I like GGPoker so much I'm willing to "invest" in them for a while.

I also like that I can use Interac to deposit/withdraw at GGpoker. The company (Gigadat) that makes that possible is based in Canada, specifically Winnipeg.
 
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It looks like a good room. I will open an account to play and get to know this site.
 
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I feel GGPoker is a rising poker client that should get better with the amount tournaments they offer.
 
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Unfortunately GG Poker does not accept customers from sweden, presumably because they are still in the process of aquiring a license. And for this reason I have not been able to give it a try. But I can certainly see the point in raising the bar a bit and getting rid of things like freerolls and 10-50c tournaments, which generate very little revenue but put load on the server and support system. And maybe get rid of 2NL cash as well, since with 20+ years of inflation this limit has also gotten a bit silly.

But maybe GG Poker are taking it a bit to far. As I understand it, they have no SnGs at all, and the cheapest normal MTT without bounties is for 5$. They do have some 2,2$ MTTs with bounties, but if you are brand new to tournament poker, its not a good idea to start playing with bounties. Their game selection would be fine for me as a relatively experienced player, but I would not call GG Poker a beginner friendly site.
 
Vampduk

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I signed up this week, and I don't like the app at all. Far too busy and naff.

On a personal note, I also seem to have a lot worse luck.

Only 3 days in though, so by the end of the week, I may change my mind, but at the moment, I can't see myself keeping with it.
 
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For beginners I recommend Natural8. The same network, but tons of freerolls
 
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Of course not, don't even try to play there
 
Highsolation

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GG Poker

Mind if I ask, what Negreanu controversy? Because he left Pokerstars under the premise that he wants to focus on his marriage/family and then joined GG Poker?

Anyways, I also tried out GG Poker because I stumbled across Negreanu's video on YouTube, the GG interface is quite smooth, both PC and Mobile, it has a lot of key visual indicators about who's behind, the outs that they need etc.
I used to play on Pokerstars quite few years back, have no idea how their clients are nowadays, but might try to recover my account and see the differences.

Haven't tried the tournaments on GG yet though, so can' t give a review on that. But I guess it shouldn't be bad as the clint itself is quite well built.

The Negreanu controversy really is what brought GGPoker to my attention. I started playing on their site a few weeks ago in the (one or two per week) Cardschat freerolls.

I like them so much that I'm planning on making a first deposit. This is noteworthy as GGPoker is the first offshore site to which I've ever wanted to make a deposit. And I've played on many, many sites over the years.

Their desktop software is the best! And I'm playing on a Mac, which most sites consider a low/afterthought priority. There's only one site which comes close - Pokerstars, and their Mac software still has the same bugs it had five years ago.

The GGPoker mobile client, which I use on my Android phone, is beyond INCREDIBLE! It blows EVERYBODY away! It blows the Pokerstars mobile client away. (That said, I'm referring to single table, tournament play. I haven't tried multi-table cash games with them). GGPoker is the ONLY site that I will play on my phone.

I don't know for sure why, but from my limited experience with them, the calibre of play seems far more "professional" if that's the correct way to put it. I see more of what I expect (high stakes) professional players to do at the $3 and $5 buy-in tournaments at GGPoker.

GGPoker is staying away from the many super-cheap, micro buy-in tournaments that seem to be a mainstay at PokerStars. They seem to have a clear business model in mind and a good handle on prioritizing to get there. This may also be why they seem to attract a higher calibre clientele.

GGPoker seems to me to be the future of online poker. You won't find freerolls there, other than the Cardschat freerolls, which would be a good place to start. If you're looking for a new site to try, I definitely recommend them.
 
MattRyder

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For beginners I recommend Natural8. The same network, but tons of freerolls
I'm still a little confused why GGPoker has other skins (including Natural8). Perhaps similar to PokerStars and FullTilt?

From what I'm reading Natural8 focuses on Asia. Their homepage says as much:

f8f677cfa870316ac5c7744e84fa4680.png


But what that actually means is still a mystery to me since you don't have to live in Asia to join Natural8 and in fact can belong to both GGPoker & Natural8:

d376ef558c458ee613e53f2f371287b5.png


Can anybody explain what this means to the average player who doesn't live in Asia?
 
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