The Quick Summary
Pokerview is a member of the Everleaf Gaming Network, one of the smaller online poker networks in the industry. Everleaf does still accept U.S. customers, however, so it may see some growth as exiles from the formerly largest U.S.-facing sites look for new places to play after “Black Friday.” Pokerview differentiates itself from the rest of its competition by offering players the ability to see each other via webcam at specially marked tables.
Popularity: 3 of 10 – Below Average
There is no getting around the fact that as this review is being written, Pokerview’s network, Everleaf, is one of the lower trafficked online poker networks. The vast majority of the activity as at No-Limit Hold’em tables of stakes $0.25/$0.50 and lower. There is virtually no action at any other game. Similarly, most tournaments are low stakes – $10 and down. Pokerview could be a solid choice for recreational, low-stakes players who are content with just playing at a single table. Look for possible growth out of the Everleaf Gaming Network, however, since it is one of the few networks players at which players from the United States can still play. Pokerview will likely pick up ex-customers of the big boys searching out new homes for their poker bankroll.
Security: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Pokerview has strict rules against collusion and all other forms of cheating and expressly warns its players not to try anything shady, including money laundering. It proactively monitors its tables for signs of inpropriety and encourages customers to report anything that is not on the up-and-up. The poker room employs top of the line systems to guarantee a fair shuffle as well as the safety of player funds. Neither Pokerview nor the Everleaf Gaming Network have been involved in any sort of security or financial breach.
Player Competition: 9 of 10 – Excellent
As there are not many players currently on the network, thus making multi-tabling difficult, the competition tends to be quite soft at Pokerview. Those who populate the tables are typically low- stakes, casual players, not regular grinders. On top of that, the novelty of the webcam tables has the added bonus of attracting more recreational players.
Site Software: 7 of 10 – Good
Pokerview uses a Java-base no-download software client, so it can be played from any computer. While this is great, the downside is that it is not as robust as a typical downloadable software package. For example, while four-color decks and player notes are mentioned on the website, we could not find these options in the software.
But what the software does, it does just fine. The graphics are clean and the betting controls are user- friendly. The table windows scale very nicely, so even when you have several tables on the screen (multi-tabling is allowed), the cards and bets are easy to read. If a table is maximized, the graphics still stay sharp. Additionally, even though no software is installed on the computer, hand histories are still saved to the player’s local hard drive.
Of course, perhaps the biggest draw of Pokerview is the ability to see your opponents in real-time via webcam. We were a bit skeptical of this feature at first, but as it turns out, it works great. Rather than seeing an avatar at each player’s seat, you see a live stream of the actual player. So now rather than jumping around the room when you hit your hand on the river, you need to try to maintain a poker face just like if you were at a live casino. There is no audio to go along with the video, so any conversation must still take place in the chat box. In our experience, even at a full table with nine webcams going, everything ran very quickly and smoothly with no hiccups. There are strict rules in regards to webcam usage so as to prevent abuse. Everyone must show their live, unobscured faces (hats and sunglasses are allowed), and nudity is prohibited.
For those with no webcam or those who do not wish to use one, regular tables are available, as well. Webcams are only required at specially marked tables. Because of the quality of the webcam implementation, we bumped what is otherwise average (though perfectly adequate) software up a couple points.
Customer Support: 8 of 10 – Very Good
Pokerview offers the usual e-mail support, with timely and accurate responses. There is no support-by- phone option, but Pokerview does have a live chat option, which is a great feature.
Company Ethics: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Pokerview doesn’t just put up the usual “Responsible Gaming” page on its website; it actually uses that page to explain what responsible gaming is and engages the reader in a sort of one-sided dialogue. For example, when explaining to children why it cannot allow anyone under the age of 18 to play, it encourages them to concentrate on their math homework so that when they are of age, they will be better players. There is also a problem gambling section, with a brief explanation of what that is, along with links to organizations where problem gamblers can get help. As mentioned earlier, there have been no indications of security or financial issues at Pokerview or the Everleaf network.
Site Promotions: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Pokerview has active several promotions for both real money and practice money players. For real money players, there is a generous 100% up to $600 signup bonus with a generous four month duration. There is also a rake race for anyone who plays for real money, with stats updated on the Pokerview website every minute.
In addition to the deposit bonus, every player who deposits real money will have the option to receive a t-shirt or a free webcam.
One promotion that really stands out, however, is the one for play money players, something you rarely, if ever see at other poker rooms. Through July 31, 2011, Pokerview is offering prizes to players who both play a lot of hands and build up their play money bankrolls. Prizes start at a poker strategy e- book, but escalate to Sony headphones, an iPod, and even an iPad, all just for playing with play money.
Overall Review: 7.7 of 10 – Very Good
Final Result: We give Pokerview a final overall score of 7.7 out of 10. The only thing bringing the
score down is the traffic on the network, so as more people find Pokerview and the Everleaf Gaming Network, that score should rise.
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