PKR Review and Bonus Code
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Overview
PKR offers real-money online poker with video-game 3-D graphics. Gameplay efficiency is sacrificed to allow for state-of-the-art graphics, so the hands-per-hour rate at this room is small. PKR's video-game graphics can take up a lot of your computer's memory. I do not recommend you play at this online poker room if your computer is not equipped to support 3-D video games.
Generally speaking, PKR is not an online poker room for those who like to log hundreds of hands per hour. PKR is a great choice for anyone who enjoys poker video games but has wished they could be played for real money. That's basically what PKR is: a poker video game where you play for real money.
Bonus
PKR offers a special bonus for PokerTips.org readers that is a 100% up to $800 bonus. To claim this bonus, use bonus code PTIPS100. It takes 225 PKR points per $1 in bonus money to work off this bonus.
More information about PKR's bonus can be made in our PKR Bonus Review.
Promotions
Players accumulate PKR Points through participation in real-money games at PKR. These points can be used for upgrading your character by giving them the ability to do chip tricks, freeroll tournaments, or real-life merchandise like hoodies or USB storage devices.
Each Monday players have "missions" assigned to their account as part of PKR's "Mission: Possible" promotion. These poker-related challenges allow players to earn tournament tickets and merchandise.
Currently, PKR is sending players to various European Poker Tour events through satellite tournaments with guaranteed prize pools.
Tournaments
Since PKR is a new poker room, its player base is fairly small. Most of their tournaments have low buy-ins and small fields. The sit-'n'-gos take a while to fill up and really aren't popular above $10.
Software
This poker room has, by far, the most complicated software. However, that's to be expected since the room is built on its visual appeal. It is hard to judge PKR's software in relation to other online poker rooms since they are two entirely different entities. The easiest thing to compare PKR to is mainstream poker video games. Judged from that basis, PKR's software is outstanding.
Before diving in the games, players can customize their character from a number of modifiers such as facial structure, hair, eyes, clothing, skin color, etc. Characters can also be accessorized with tattoos, jewelry, and headphones. Your character expresses physical reactions to the play at the table based on five mood options: neutral, angry, happy, casual, sad.
Given its complexity, the gameplay at PKR runs smoothly. A series of camera options allows the visuals to be fixed or dynamic. The game can also be viewed in the first person through your character's eyes. When the "orbit" view is selected, the table can be rotated manually using a mouse. Perhaps my favorite way in which PKR's graphics effect the gameplay is that it allows you to show the table just one of your cards (rather than both or none) upon mucking.
One thing I don't like about their software is a feature called "PKR Pal". It is a tool meant to alert players through their system tray about upcoming freerolls and other items of interest. While some people may find this handy, it can also be really annoying. Thankfully it is fully customizable and easy to disable.
Rake
Overall, PKR's rake structure is very good. However, for micro-stakes games ($.10-$.20 limit and below and $.05-$.10 no-limit and below) the cap is reached quicker since the rake is charged at 10% (as opposed to the customary 5%).
Competition Level
PKR's state-of-the-art graphics directly result in softer games for a couple reasons. Since the hands per hour rate is slow, players looking to grind out a profit realize their money is best employed elsewhere. Also, the realistic graphics might cause players to focus less on the poker and more on the video-game atmosphere. Since the main reason to play at PKR is for its visuals, players seem less likely to fold.
You're likely to find the games at PKR not only resemble live-action games from a visual standpoint, but also from an ease of competition standpoint.
Customer Service
PKR offers e-mail and 24 hour live chat customer service.
Ring Games Offered
Texas Hold'em, Omaha
Fixed Limits: $.05-$.10 to $10-$20
NL & PL Blinds: $.02-$.04 to $5-$10
Tournaments Offered
Hold'em (fixed-limit, PL and NL), Omaha (fixed-limit, PL)
Heads-Up: $1 to $200
Single-Table: $1 to $200
Multi-Table: $1 to $250
Minimum Deposit
$50
