CD Poker

• NOTE: This poker room does not take US players
• Advanced graphics and software features
• Very weak level of play thanks to soft opposition flocking in from online casinos
• Fantastic promotions with good odds of winning
• Good level of player volume ensures that you will find a game at your level

CD Poker is arguably the best online poker room in the entire iPoker Network, all of which run off Playtech software and attract a lot of onine casino players to the world of poker (Playtech is one of the largest software providers for online casinos). This is good news for you as a poker player for a couple of reasons. First, it means you`re up against very loose poker players who treat the game as another gamble. Second, the standard of graphics, software, and general administration is all very high. CDPoker.com knows how to retain players and keep them happy, and they are also safe and reliable.

CDPoker.com also knows how hard it is to get those poker players in a saturated market, and that means excellent promotions, guaranteed tournaments, and rewards for loyal players. Right now (May 30, 2006) they are giving away 50 seats for a poker cruise in the Caribbean, and the final-round satellites cost you only $40 + $4. Best of all, they guarantee 1 seat for every 18 entrants, so the odds of going on that cruise are some of the best in the industry.

CD Poker recently revamped their software and the relaunch shows a lot of improved features. Overall the site remains very easy to use and scores well for functionality. They also have lots of extra "bells and whistles" like background music and different camera angles for viewing the table, presumably to keep those casino players preoccupied while they call off all their chips to good poker players! The customer service is very solid with quick responses to any issues, equally swift payouts, and lots of banking options for deposits. It`s a slick operation, and the user-experience is smooth and rather effortless.

I would also recommend CD Poker to poker players that are just starting out. There are an abundance of ring games at the lower cash levels, and plenty of tournaments that range from very small stakes up to the higher levels. If you`re looking for constant high-stakes cash games there are better poker rooms out there right now (just being honest), but as the site continues to grow that will certainly change. You can make money at CD Poker because the play is so loose, with view-flop percentages often exceeding 50%!

Some additional cool features include:

• Listen to Virgin Radio Live while you play
• A full online casino with slots, blackjack and more (great to have a go between tournaments if you want a break). The games are surprisingly good for a "non"-casino operation.
• A great poker school with video.

• 50% bonus up to $200 for initial deposits

• Free entry into a $2,000 freeroll tournament

• Win 1 of 50 seats on a Caribbean poker cruise

• World Series Of Poker Qualifiers

• $1 Million guaranteed tournament

• Earn CD Points (loyalty program) when you play for real money and qualify for special reload bonuses and exclusive freeroll tournaments

Rake at CD Poker:
Another strong feature of this online poker room is that their rake is significantly lower than the industry standard for certain cash games. At the higher levels they employ the same formula that all the top poker rooms use, namely 5% of the pot up to a max of $3, but when you play short-handed the max drops to $2 and in some cases $1, which makes a big difference to serious poker players.

Traffic:
July 2006 at peak hours - Real money ring games saw 1800 players, tournament players numbers were higher at 3,200, with most of the action taking place at SNG tournaments.

Game Limits and Games that you can play at CD Poker
They have very good tournament variety at CD Poker, but the cash games focus mostly on Hold`em and some Omaha. All limits are catered for but at the very high end you might face a wait for your game to get underway. A lot of Sit And Go`s run on this network, which is good news for professional online tournament players.

Deposits / Withdrawals:
All the usual suspects are catered for here including Money bookers, PrepaidATM, Firepay, Neteller, Click2Pay, Delta, Solo, Switch, Visa, Mastercard and more

Competition:
This is the best reason to play here. CD Poker gets a lot of new blood in from the online casinos thanks to cross-marketing across the Playtech network and these newbies are like lambs to the slaughter for the most part. Soft players with loose betting styles make for a genuinely enjoyable online poker experience.

Cons:
Traffic is still not at the level of the bigger poker rooms, but it is growing. Consequently, the number of guaranteed tournaments and their size are reasonable, but can`t compare to the big rooms.The lobby can at times be cluttered. Game variety is still limited, but if you are a Hold`em player this is no issue.

Player Service:
Customer service 24/7 and although there is no FAQ on the website they are very helpful and solid if you have a problem or question. The cashouts are handled without delay, in my experience.