Unibet Poker Review

Unibet Poker Review 2017

For an online gambling behemoth as large as Unibet/Kindred Group, it'd be easy for them to just put out an average poker client and reap the benefits from players that clicked over from their online casino or sportsbook. Instead, they created a unique platform that has drastically changed the online poker landscape.

The first thing most notice when checking out Unibet Poker for the first time is the site's fun look and feel. That tone is found everywhere else on the site, from the interesting promotional calendar to the goofy avatars to the keep-it-simple approach that focuses on the reason most of us started playing poker to begin with: it's fun.

Swedish online gambling giant Unibet announced that its online poker room was going to move away from the Microgaming Poker Network in 2014. Stating their new software was going to focus on more casual players as opposed to more competitive ones, many were unsure how the network would fare.

Fast forward a few years later and Unibet Poker is one of the most popular online poker networks in the world. During a time when casual players were being alienated by the use of tracking software and HUDs by so-called 'grinders', Unibet reinvigorated the online poker scene with a structure that discouraged such tools, introduced beautiful graphics, and eliminated the usually-toxic chat rooms we noticed in most of our non-Unibet poker room reviews.

Unibet's software reflects this aim and every interface you interact with runs smoothly and intuitively. There's even three ways to play on it: on the no-download version in your computer's browser, on the Unibet Poker download software client, or on the iOS/Apple and Android-compatible Unibet Poker app. Across all three you'll notice that the features are nearly the same and you can even use the same account for each.

The site's focus on keeping things simple extends to their game selection. On Unibet you'll find only No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha in both tournament and cash game formats. This might seem like slim pickings, but the site offers enough challenges (see below in our Unibet review) and other special features to keep things fresh.

While Unibet's primary audience is on recreational players, the site's great features have attracted more talented players in recent years. If you're a novice, these grinders can be avoided by logging on during more casual player times (weeknights and ends) or playing opposite what that month's special bonuses are promoting (e.g., play tournaments if there's a cash game leaderboard contest going on).

We realised during our Unibet poker room review that there's not too many online poker sites that offer both downloadable software for PC and Mac players and also downloadable apps for mobile players. Of those that do, Unibet's poker mobile app just might be the best.

The Unibet Poker download app is far from just a watered down version of the site's main software client, as it offers nearly all the same features. This includes both cash and ring games, unlockable achievements, and the ability to play on five tables at once on iPad (and up to four on nearly all other iOS/Apple and Android smartphones and tablets).

Visually, Unibet looks and runs as smooth as its PC counterpart. The already-intuitive interface has been tweaked for easier accessibility on mobile screens and there's still over 100 different avatars to choose from for your in-game identity.

Given that Unibet poker mobile offers nearly everything the full-fledged software does, the biggest caveat of Unibet's poker app is simply that it's exclusive to Android and iOS players. If you use a Nokia Lumia, Samsung Galaxy, Fire tablet, Surface Pro, Sony, HTC, or similar device, you'll have to play within in your smartphone or tablet's html5-capable browser.

Unibet offers nearly every popular poker tournament format you can think of, and usually you don't have to wait too long to join in on any of them. This includes freezeouts (once your chips are gone, you're gone), multi-buy ins, freerolls, guaranteed prize pools, bounty tournaments, and even pot-limit Omaha tournaments. There's also satellite tournaments that earn players entry into the Unibet Open, the popular European live poker tournament that pits amateurs against pros for six figure cash prizes.

Unibet allows deposits using about six popular methods. These of course include credit cards and debits cards like those from Visa and Mastercard, but also includes bank transfers, prepaid cards like Paysafecard, and ewallet services like Skrill and Neteller. If you are budget-minded, you can even set a limit to how much real money you can deposit within a set time frame.

For withdrawals, you can pull your winnings back into most of the methods available for deposit. Neteller and Skrill users typically receive their funds within 12 hours, while bank transfers take around 1-3 business days and debit/credit cards can take 3-5.

Because Unibet is geared toward more casual players (or at least they say there are), more diehard players used to innumerable amount of game options might be a little turned off that they can only play No-Limit Hold'em and PLO.

Due to this, your chances of finding a seat in a specific tournament type can be difficult, especially during peak hours. Finally, although it wasn't an issue during our Unibet poker review, if you aren't from a select few European countries, there is no customer support via phone for you (granted there is still live chat and email support).

New players are welcomed to the platform with several distinct Unibet Poker bonuses. The first is a free €20 credited just for creating an account and logging in. Most welcome bonuses require a deposit, so that Unibet does this for free is a nice touch.

Also doled out upon logging in for the first time is a free €4 tournament ticket you can use toward entry in qualifying events for live events like the UK Poker Tour. Finally, new players also receive four €500 tickets to use one freeroll tournament per week during their first month at the site.

Unibet has lots of special promotions for its more veteran players, too, some of which are always available as well as others that are one-time exclusives.

Some of these specials tie into Unibet's other platforms. For instance, placing a bet at their sportsbook on certain days of the week earns a ticket into freeroll tournaments every Monday and Thursday that pay out up to €1,000.

Every month at Unibet there are also special 'missions' or achievements you can go after to earn even more real money while you play. Sometimes these missions require you to do things like eliminate X number of players in a given game type, reach the flop 10 times in an Omaha cash game, and even just change your avatar's appearance, doing all of which can reward you with €3,000+ in tournament entry tickets and ample bonus points.

Those Unibet poker bonus points can be redeemed for money and prizes in Unibet's Poker Club, which runs similarly to most other online poker rooms' loyalty clubs.

Our Unibet review checks all the boxes of what you want in an online poker platform and even goes the extra mile in several instances. While it's definitely geared toward more casual players that don't care about bells and whistles, more and more serious players are migrating over to the platform for its fun features and promotions. For its ease of play on any platform (especially Unibet mobile poker), smooth gameplay, and special features that keep things fresh, Unibet Poker remains a shining example of what poker online should be.