Review of Sky Poker

Sky Poker is another of the leading brand online poker rooms in the UK; again, not as big as the top 4 sites, but certainly sufficiently large to accommodate relatively high liquidity. Being part of the British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY), they are also large enough to offer some fabulous prize money as well as very worthwhile promotions. There is more passion and more pleasure when there is money on it, and great value is also one of their more prominent features. They call themselves the “Home” of UK poker, are GamCare accredited, and licensed under the auspice of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

The brand offers a comprehensive online gambling range, through sports-betting, bingo, casino games, Vegas Games, both in download, and no-download versions, and first came live online in 2006. The Brand is an EGR awarded for “Operator Of The Year” 2012.
This is a predominantly British poker site with a number of country restrictions. Players from the USA and Canada are not given access, due to the laws of these countries and the fact that the brand only operated in legal and regulated market-places. They do target European poker players however, and the site has been translated into various languages to facilitate this.

 

Sky Poker Software

Proprietary software (operator commissioned) was designed by Orbis Technology which basically means this is a stand-alone site. In other words they do not draw players from a network pool.  Beside a wide choice of games, probably one of the more important aspects of BSkyB poker software is the wide range of self-help tools.

No need to worry for people just learning to play poker online, the software caters to all levels of expertise, and also offers a poker school. Games may be played “instantly” through the browser, but an online poker game is often better when the software is downloaded. However, it is nice to have a choice, and either way offers seamless play. Download software is quick and easy to install.
The poker lobby is well designed, where players are be able to choose a 3D avatar to represent them seated at a table. This gives and value-added dimension to the website, and an exclusive “hot-o-meter” helps newbies to decide if their hole cards are worthy of play.

 

Traffic and Popularity

The fact that this poker website is not on a network should not put a potential player off. The ability to tie into virtually unlimited media coverage, ensures that the brand is well-known. Low player liquidity can be a put-off for seasoned players. Hands can be reviewed on Sky Poker TV (Sky Channel 865*), and this is a thrill in itself – watching yourself playing on the Satellite TV channel. During peak hours we generally see around 5000 players seated at the felt.

There is a motivated and active community where players participate in forums and blogs, and this also facilitates chat. Team Sky Poker consists of some well-known players, and Charlotte Jackson from Sky Sports News s their new Poker Ambassador.

 

Games on offer

There are three main games on offer at this site, these are Holdem, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo, together with the all-new 50/50 poker available in the sit ‘n go lobby. There are a wide range of exciting tournaments, as well as cash games, and they are home to the UK Online Poker Series. A daily tournament is broadcast on the TV channel daily, and this is one of their more exciting features.  This is something that does not take place in any other poker room.

Games start from mere pennies where tons of action is found, and go right up to the €10/€20 level. Players are kept motivated with good rewards, such as bonuses, and a 100% cash match for first depositors is the order of the day. Every new depositor also earns a token to play in a €10 tournament, and there is a good deal of freerolls on offer too. We also made note of the fact that a loyalty programme is in place.

 

Customer Service

Good customer support is essential to the success of any online poker site. This is available 24/7, every day of the year at Sky. This service may be contacted online, by email and live chat, as well as by phone. There is a comprehensive complaints procedure in place, which is basically in place to offer more peace of mind to members.

 

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods

Games are only on offer in the GBP as far as currency goes, however a variety of payment options are available for making deposits. It is free to open a new account, and this is the time to register an e-wallet, debit card, or credit card; deposit methods, and withdrawal methods include: MasterCard, Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro, Visa Debit, Lazer, Neteller, Moneybookers (Skrill), and PayPal.

Why Sky Poker is featured on Online-poker.uk.com...

Sky Poker hit the market running with lots of cash behind their operations and a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve. Looking at their progression over the past 36 months, they have made a real impact in the market. The British Sky Broadcasting Group is massive and there is plenty of cash behind this room. Whilst the site isn't the biggest online, they offer players the chance to play live on Sky TV (well nearly live - obviously there is a slight delay). With a no download option, the incentives are big and the rewards are also there for players at small to mid stakes. Admittedly there isn't the traffic to attract the big cash game players but up to $5-$10 stakes, there is solid traffic. A great opening incentive and a free $10 for all new players sees Skypoker.com remain in our favored few.