bwin Review and Bonus Code
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Overview
bwin is a well known online gaming outfit. Their poker room is on the Ongame network which is quite large. Their software comes in both downloadable and Java formats, thus making this an attractive site for players using a Mac or those who wish to avoid downloading software. Players can choose one of 18 currencies to maintain in their account, which is unrivaled in the industry.
Note that the rake structure on this site is a bit higher than most other online poker rooms. This is especially evident in heads-up cash games, where the rake is capped at $1 as opposed to the customary $.50.
Bonus
bwin offers a first-time deposit bonus of $500 regardless of deposit-size when you use bonus code STAN500.
Players have 90 days to work off this bonus which is awarded at a rate of $1 for every 8 Poker Points. So if a player earns 320 Poker Points in the 90 days following their deposit, they will receive a bonus of $40.
Promotions
bwin runs a few pretty cool promotions. Right now, they are sending players to a WPT event and holding promotions for the Grand Series of Poker (GSOP) 7, a $5,000 buy-in event with a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool. Their multi-table tournament schedule is pretty good; most events draw between 100-500 players.
Tournaments
Weak competition and a wide selection of events make this site one of the best places to enjoy online tournaments. Scheduled multi-table tournaments launch constantly and offer a nice blend of different variants and buy-in levels. Most of their tournaments attract between 100 and 500 participants.
bwin holds a $190+$10 event every Sunday with a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool. This is pretty good value since the entry fee is very low relative to the buy-in.
Software
The Ongame software is sleek and efficient. However, the bwin skin itself leaves a little something to be desired. There's too many shades of black and gray which makes it seem kind of like a depressing place to be at. However, the software is translated into all major languages which is nice.
Table Statistics
The site displays the flop percentage, average pot size, and hands per hour for each table. This allows users to make a good estimation of how loose and aggressive a table is.
Competition Level
The competition at bwin is pretty representative of an average online cardroom. Players tend to be fairly loose and passive. The small-stakes games are very beatable, but as you move up the ladder, the games become tougher. Many of the cash games are played short-handed (usually with 5 players).
Customer Service
Most of bwin's customer service is conducted through email. There are a few hours per day where they are unavailable to help, which is pretty amateur for an outfit of this size. Phone support is offered, but most people will incur long distance charges to use it.
Ring Games Offered
Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Omaha, 7-Stud, 7-Stud Hi-Lo, 5-Card Draw
Fixed Limits: $.05-$.10 to $500-$1000
NL & PL Blinds: $.05-$.10 to $50-$100
Tournaments Offered
Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw
Single-Table: $1 to $500
Multi-Table: $1 to $1,000
Minimum Deposit
$10
