Rating

Background

PKR launched in 2006, and although it started off as a bit of a novelty, it has taken big strides (mainly due to heavy advertising) and is now quite a big player in online poker. If you are into video games as well as poker, it can be quite a cool experience. The concept of combining live and online poker is great. But if you’re a serious poker player, playing mid to high stakes, or like multi-tabling, other rooms might be the way to go.

Game Variety & Traffic

There isn't HUGE amounts of traffic, but you will find most players tend to flock to the low to mid stakes tables, both cash and tournaments. So at these lower stakes there will be a lot of traffic, and it can take a while to get on a table. As for the games on offer, you will only find Limit, Pot-limit, and No-limit Hold’em, and Limit and Pot-limit Omaha. So if you're looking at playing only the most common poker games, and at lower stakes, PKR is a good option. Otherwise, you may have trouble finding a game.

Competition

At the end of the day, PKR is pretty gimmicky, playing up the "cool" side of poker. As a result, you will get lots of new and inexperienced players at PKR. The whole idea of PKR is the immersive and social aspect of the game, so players probably think about their cards less and just want to play. Overall, it"s pretty loose at PKR.

Software

Obviously, the software is what differentiates PKR from everyone else. Although having a crap computer may make things a bit difficult, you can still customize to your machine's performance. The 3D graphics are quite cool.Players can choose their facial structure, hair style, clothing, and other external visuals of their avatar. At the table, you can clap your hands, cry over a bad beat, or egg your opponents into a call.

The software also incorporates a strong community aspect to the game,with player blogs, and a profile page that looks like a cheap rip-off of Myspace. The site also features a player forum that is quite active.

Promotions & bonuses

PKR's sign-up bonus is pretty good at 100% up to $800.

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 PKR merchandise like hoodies or USB storage devices.

Support

There is no telephone support, but the live chat is quite good, don't have to wait long at all.