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Independent
888 Poker Logo
4.4
Bonus100% up to $1,000
Rakebackup to 12,5%
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Characteristics
Room typeLicensed
LicenseMalta
Payments
  • Visa
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • ecoPayz
  • MasterCard
Platforms
  • mac OS
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Web
  • IOS
Key facts
  • The most famous poker room
  • HUD support
  • Decent traffic in cash games
  • Fast Poker formats: Snap and Blast
  • Rakeback deal for pro-players
  • No Deposit Bonus
Our ratings
Reliability5.0
Game selection4.3
Bonuses and promotions4.1
Casual players4.5
Deposits and withdrawals4.5
Convenience of the software4.1
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888 Poker screenshots
888poker Table 6 Max Nlh EnBlast Poker 888poker En888poker Main Lobby Lat888poker Table 6 Max Plo Lat

888 Poker Rakeback and Review

Author
Rodion Longa
Updated
6/9/2023

888Poker is one of the oldest brands in the gambling industry, which started working under the Pacific Poker brand in 2002. During this time, 888 Poker has managed to preserve the unique charisma of "old-school" online poker and harmoniously integrate it into modern times.

For casual players, 888 Poker offers two daily giveaways with cash, tickets, and free spins of the Wheel of Fortune, a 200-level club based rewards program, several daily freerolls, satellites for live events via the 888Poker Live brand. They try to separate regs rather than displacing them.

In this review, we have compiled the most exciting and essential things you need to know about the site:

  • What should "regs" expect at the "Eights."
  • How much do you get in real life from the loyalty and rakeback programs?
  • Does 888 poker have rakeback?
  • Is it worth playing on 888Poker?

888 Poker rakeback

The 888Poker rakeback is based on two principles: mutual integration of poker players with slots and casinos and creating exciting games for casual players.

Hence, the return is indirect and consists of bonuses from the Wheel of Fortune, temporary promotions, and the 888Club loyalty program. It's almost impossible to give exact figures, but it ranges from 4% to 10%.

VIP Club

888Club is a VIP program based on rewarding players for completing different tasks. This can be an activity during a timeframe, pay certain rake in some poker variants, casinos, slots, or the 888 bookmakers.

In some cases, there is no alternative to perform non-poker tasks, for which the Eights are heavily criticized by regs.

The user gets points that allow him to climb to the next level of the VIP program and get gold tokens for completing tasks.

Such tokens can be exchanged for cash, bonuses, tournament tickets, casino free plays, and free bets. Also, each level gives an entry to the 250 Level Up Freeroll, and every fifth level comes with a scratch card with random rewards. Levels 20, 40, 60, 80, give access to other freerolls with guaranteed prize pools from $640 to $25,000.

There are over 2,000 levels in total in the 888 Poker Club, each with a fixed timeframe of 7 days. Although the last level can give up to 12.5% rakeback, it will take about 30 years to reach it!

Summary

The 888Poker rakeback program is a long and unpredictable path, clearly not designed for pro players. Roughly we can talk about 3-5% rakeback with an increase of up to 10% for participating in other promotions. If transparent and stable rakeback is crucial for you, you should check out other sites.

Do you need more information about our rakeback deal at this poker room? Reach our manager to get more information:

Got a question?
Let's chat:
Anton Manager Wpd
Anton
online
Head of Support

888Poker rake structure

888Poker has adopted the "weighted contributed" method to calculate the rake, considering the number of players, the stake, and the "engagement." In other words, a rake is only charged after reaching the flop and depends on the action at the tables.

The rake on no-limit (and limit) Hold'em tables ranges from 5% to 6.25%:

StakeRakeCap (2 players)Cap (3+ players)
$0.01/$0.026.25%$0.5$0.5
$0.02/$0.055.88%$1$1
$0.05/$0.105%$1$2
$0.10/$0.205%$1$2.5
$0.10/$0.25 - $1/$25%$1$4
$2/$55%$1$4
$5/$10 - $25/$505%$2.5$5
$50/$100 - $100/$2005%$5$5

In 888 Poker tournaments, it is easier to find out the operator's share: just open the lobby and check for the buy-in line in which it is indicated. Usually, the fees are linked to the entry cost.

The 888 Poker version of spins has a rake scheme related to the buy-in. The higher the entry, the lower the percentage taken by the operator. Fees range from 6.13% to 10%.

888 Poker bonuses and promotions

The 888Poker bonus policy is varied with a pronounced bias towards casual players. It includes instant bonuses for mini-deposits, probably the largest freeroll offer among major poker rooms, rewards for being active on social networks, daily spins of the Wheel of Fortune — recreational players will definitely not get bored in the room.

We recommend following 888 Poker on social networks. You will find out new promotions and events promptly in them than by email:

  • Instagram:
  • Twitter:
  • Facebook:

Welcome bonus

888Poker gives a generous 100% first deposit bonus up to $1,000, paid in small chunks of $10 for every 100 points ($50 rake). The 888poker bonus code is WELCOME100.

Players depositing via Skrill or Neteller don't qualify for a first deposit bonus. The wagering time is 90 days. The first deposit bonus at 888Poker gives 20% rakeback.

$88 no-deposit bonus

888Poker has a signature promotion for its new players: a no-deposit bonus of $88, which is considered as the highest on the market. However, all that glitters is not gold, and it must be released.

There are two requirements to request the bonus: only new 888 Poker players are eligible; and you will need to fill in all your personal information and verify your email address.

The administration takes up to 72 hours to review the application, although the decision is often made within two days.
The bonus itself is divided into two parts:

  • $1 is added directly to the account.
  • $7 are issued with $0.5 tickets for two tournaments for a week.
  • $80 is paid in $8 increments when paying out $125 in rake (or 250 club points).

Despite the appealing $88 promotion, we do not advise you to count on a profit from no deposit. It is almost impossible to win it back without risking your money, and it would be more logical to start your trip on the "Eights" by depositing at least $10.

Games and traffic

Without considering reservations (European shared liquidity, for example), in 2023, 888 Poker lies behind PokerStars, GGPoker, Winamax, and  clashes with partypoker, or Unibet. On average, 600 grinders play at the cash tables, and during the peak time, this number boosts to 1,500.

888Poker has been steadily declining over the past few years, usually attributed to low rakeback. 

Cash games

No-Limit Texas Hold'em, perhaps the most popular discipline at 888Poker. On average, a little less than a thousand people are online in the evening: about 30-40 tables at micro and low-stakes, 5-7 at medium and high from NL100.

It is worth noting that this site gathers full-ring tables, while competitors cannot boast any 9-max activity.

Omaha

Pot-Limit Omaha despite a large offer, this format is unpopular at 888. Maximum 5-6 tables up to PLO100 can be spotted. This can be explained by the lack of Omaha in the mobile app and the non-friendly professional field.

Snap

Fast-fold poker presented at 888Poker as Snap. During peak hours, action can be spotted here up to NL500 with about 20-100 connections per stake.

Tournaments MTT at 888 Poker

Multi-table tournaments — the main reason to register at 888Poker. The Eights' MTT grid combines buy-ins from $0.01, guarantees up to $1 million, not the strongest field, and a relatively small number of participants compared to similar events at PokerStars.

In the grid, pay attention to the series:

  • Big Shot (buy-in from $1 to $525). The Main Daily MTTs, including the Autumn Sunday Big Shot Main Event with $150k GTD for $109
  • Voyage (buy-in from $5.50 to $55), deepstacks
  • Mayhem (buy-in from $11 to $55), 6-max
  • Rumble (buy-in from $2.20 to $215), PKO
  • Classic (buy-in from $5.50 to $215), freezeouts
  • Dash (buy-in from $5.50 to $109), turbo

Mystery Bounty (buy-in from $1 to $250) with random rewards. 888Pokers holds the most advanced tournament grid of events in this format.

Also, 888 regularly hosts MTTs events, Snap tournaments, and several Omaha variations. Most of those can be played via satellites.

BLAST Spins

Similar to a spin&go (a fast-paced 3-max SnG tournament), but the 888 way — a higher rake, a blind raise of two minutes, and an automatic all-in if the winner is not determined in a certain time. There are 6 buy-ins: $0.10, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. Each features a multiplier system from x2 to x10,000; that is, the maximum possible prize can be one million.

It's impossible to accurately determine the traffic in Blast, but you can find a game in three tables at any time during the day at $0.10, $1, and $5, and during the prime time higher games at $15, $30, and $100.

To summarize, 888Poker is a top poker room with many low and mid-stakes games but a limited number of tables with bets above $100. This applies to both regular tables and fast-fold poker. Some of the traffic corresponds to 9-max games, a format unlikely to find outside US-friendly sites.

Omaha and Spins won't attract a regular player. The first is due to the low traffic, the second one because its structure turns Blast into a kind of casino.

Softness of the field

The main field of 888 micro and low-stakes poker is casual players attracted by daily bonuses, low-cost tournaments with overlays and freerolls. Many users play from Europe, South America, Canada, and even Africa. To expand it, the room relies on its ambassadors.

888Poker Ambassadors

888 Poker has managed to attract bright stars to its team. What catches the eye, each player has his own history. Among the 888 female ambassadors are Kara Scott, Sophie Lovgren, and Vivian Saliba. There are also some poker geniuses:

  • Dominique Nietzche, winner of four WSOP bracelets.

Attitude towards pro players

  • Trackers
  • Auto-seating scripts
  • Datamining
  • Bumhunt
  • Preflop charts

The high concentration of regulars repels amateur players, which forces poker rooms to actively fight them. Regular should keep in mind:

  • Notes, waiting lists, and the use of HUD: Hold'em Manager (HM3), PokerTracker (PT4), Hand2Note (H2N), DriveHUD, for cash games and SNAP are allowed.
  • Any violation of the rules (VPN, bumhunting, collusion, scripts, and prohibited software) is punishable; accounts will be blocked and funds seized. 99% of the decisions are final.
  • Accounts can be banned even in cases where the player's behavior only resembles cheating.

We strongly advise you to use only approved software and observe terms and conditions as carefully as possible. 888 Poker carefully protects its ecosystem.

888Poker software review

The desktop client runs on its own Poker8 engine and is available on Windows and macOS. It feels confident when running 5-6 tables, and it does not lag during the peak time. The combination of black and blue does not overload the eyes, the default layout is convenient, and it can be customized.

Highlights:

  • Quick table/tournament selection with filters.
  • Multi-tabling in cash up to 6 tables.
  • 888Caption, HUD compatible.
  • Friendly hand replayer.

To improve: somewhat updated design and usability. That's probably all. After updating a client, it's challenging to find errors.

We suggest using our free layout for those who don't like the standard look of the table.

Mobile app

The app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices. In November 2020, 888Poker fully updated the mobile client. These changes affected the visual, which was noticeably refreshed, and significantly expanded functionality.

A short list of changes: the app has become faster; each discipline has its own tab; multi-tabling is now possible. Also chat has been updated, including emojis and avatars.

Web-browser client

For those who can't install a desktop client or a mobile app, 888 offers simplified access to the room via the web browser. Externally and functionally, the in-browser version is well-developed.

The game experience is almost the same compared to the full-fledged client, except for a different color scheme and a slightly changed structure of the lobby of some tournaments — some are combined into one tab.

Reliability and trustworthiness

  • Established — 2002.
  • License — Maltese.
  • RNG certificate — iTech Labs.
  • Identity verification — necessary.

888 has been on the online poker market and gambling services for almost two decades, and the company has managed to maintain and even develop a positive reputation. The company Virtual Digital Services Limited, regulated by the Maltese license MGA/CRP/543/2018, is related to 888Poker services.

Since Malta is a member of the European Union, its permission is valid across the continent, which makes 888Poker legal around the world.

For countries where gambling is regulated by domestic law, for example, Ireland, United Kingdom, and the United States, the holding is similar in the legal field — it has a license for remote gambling 112 and 113 for Gibraltar, as well as permission from the Irish Tax Authority. They also operate legally in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

Also, 888Holdings cooperates with independent gambling regulators such as eCOGRAs, Gamcare, Gambling Commission.

We consider 888Poker a very reliable site.

Banking options

The operator offers all popular payment methods for worldwide players:

PaymentsDepositwithdrawal
Skrill$10-$15,000$10-$15,000
Neteller$10-$18,000$10-$18,000
Visa$10-$15,000$10-$15,000
ecoPayz$10-$18,000$10-$18,000
Webmoney$10-$9,000$10-$9,000

Please note that you can withdraw money from the room only by the same method as it was funded. If you need to request a cashout, you need to make a dep before.

Withdrawals at 888Poker cannot be called functional. It takes about 3-8 business days.

Verification in the room is similar to competitors — documents confirming the identity and address, such as a passport, driving license, bank statement, utility bill. Accounts are verified within 5-7 days.

Summary: Pros and cons to play at 888 poker

It's not easy to give an unambiguous assessment to 888Poker. As much as the room has a positive side, it is just frustrating at others:

  • Almost two decades of experience.
  • HUD compatible.
  • Top MTT grid with Mystery Bounty
  • Many events and bonuses.
  • Reliable and functional software.
  • Active global field.

The dark side of 888 poker:

  • Low and non-transparent rakeback.
  • Poor customer service.

We would like to recommend 888 Poker to beginners due to the massive freerolls in the lobby, no deposit bonus, and fair rake schedule at micro-stakes, as well as to high rollers up to NL5k.

Advantages of playing with us

Worldpokerdeals has been a leader on the market of quality affiliate services for poker players for many years. We always grant the best conditions and help our grinders with any problem.

Our 888 poker players get:

  • VIP rakeback deal;
  • Free data mining;
  • Professional customer service seven days a week.

Please contact our team to get a deal and start playing now.

Got a question?
Let's chat:
Anton Manager Wpd
Anton
online
Head of Support
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