SkillBet Poker
SkillBet Poker Room is a very unique type of online poker. It is the first to claim that it is 100% legal and its focus is on the American market. With recent government actions in the states to shut out online gambling sites and the argument that poker is a game of a skill thus should be allowed, SkillBet uses that skill argument to offer games to American players. The site is fairly new having only been in operation for under a year, but it has been gaining some buzz as of late.
The game play itself is different than playing at a regular poker room. At SkillBet, you buy tokens and use them to compete against other players. There are two ways to play at SkillBet.
SkillBet Challenge
In this mode, you challenge another player for a specific amount of tokens. You are both dealt 30 hands that are exactly the same. You face the same computer players and play out the 30 hands. The winner is determined by who wins the most chips in the 30 hands.
You do not have to be playing at the same time which makes this feature convenient. You simply challenge a player, and then play your 30 hands and the site tracks your performance and issues a challenge to your opponent. Once the player receives their challenge, they will have a time limit to complete their 30 hands. They can play it a few hours later if they so choose. Once complete and a winner is determined, the player is credited with their tokens.
SkillBet Live
This way of playing acts much the same as the challenge mode with a few differences. You select a table from the lobby and sit in. You don't sit at the same table as the other players, but you will all be playing the same hands against the same computer players.
Each player will play their hand to completion before moving on to the next. While you are playing your hand you can look at the other player's tables. After it is finished, if other players have yet to complete their hands, you can click on the tabs at the top of the screen to view their hands or even chat with them.
To win money, the same concept as in challenge mode is used. If you win more chips on a hand than your opponents, you are awarded with the difference. For example: The first hand everyone gets pocket eights. You manage to win $5 while your opponent folds and stays even. You would be awarded with $5 from his buy in for making $5 more on the hand. After each hand your stack sizes are reset as well. Your actually money does not change, but the chips used to play are made even to make the game fair.
After the 30 hands, you can either quit playing or continue to play. You can play however long you wish, but after the 30 hands are up, you can play for more money than the initial buy in.
Promotions
You can get free money at SkillBet Poker without even making a deposit. By challenging a friend, SkillBet will put up the buy in and reward the winner of your challenge with $10. If the friend you challenge happens to make a deposit, you will get an additional $15.
There is a deposit bonus of 200%, up to $600 as well. For some reason this is not advertised on site and can only be found once you create an account and visit the cashier.
SkillBet Games
Only Texas Hold Em is offered at the moment at SkillBet. There are no SNG or MTT type games that you would find in a regular poker room either.
Traffic
The site is new and very different from what most are used to. This will take some time to build up a payer base. But, the fact that you can invite players to a challenge means you can always find a game with someone you know.
Software
The software reminds us of what the old PokerRoom.com site looked like. It's clean and fresh and rather easy to use. Navigating is simple with plenty of tabs that instruct you what to do. The game play uses a flash version which requires no download and works on both Windows and Mac computers.
Support
Support is very helpful at SkillBet. There is always someone waiting to assist you with the live chat feature. You can also find tutorials on how to play the games and how everything works on site. Many of the guides are videos which make for easy viewing.
Banking
The cashier only accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PayPal. These options are limited, but the PayPal feature makes it convenient for those without credit cards. Since the site is geared towards Americans, the cashier focuses on payment options for this part of the world.
Withdrawing and depositing is fast and simple. Your winnings will be credited right back to your card or PayPal account in a very short time. Unlike other sites who take a few days to process cash outs, SkillBet stands out and does a fast job in processing all banking queries.
Overall SkillBet is a very unique and interesting site. The concept is great and this makes an excellent choice for those who are unable to play on traditional sites. You can challenge your friends directly from Facebook and not only share bragging rights, but win some cash as well.