I always pick up the poker magazines when I play at the card room,  and have seen ads for UltimateBet.  At this point,  I as just looking to play for fun.  The software looked solid from the screenshots,  and there was a  "high hand of the hour"  jackpot that even the free players could partake of.  That was the clincher for me.  After a minute or two,  I was up and playing at the stud and hold 'em play money tables.

HOURLY JACKPOT FOR THE HIGH HAND

Maybe you are looking for another online card room,  or a first. UltimateBet is a solid selection.  That being said,  what should you expect if you make your way to a table at this online poker room?

Graphics:  Most online poker rooms feature computer-generated images from which you can choose a character (avatar).  PokerStars offers you the ability to have pretty much any image you want.  UltimateBet offers neither.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  The trade-off is the view.  When you take a seat at a table on UltimateBet,  you are seated directly in front of the  “dealer.”  Your hole cards are also very large.  Other player’s hands in stud games are also easy to see.  These factors make UltimateBet unique:  At most other online card rooms,  you take a seat and your position does not move  --  if you are next to the dealer,  that is where you stay.  Here,  even if your seat is next to the dealer,  you are seated as if you are facing the dealer,  always getting a great view of the table.

You are also able to change the background.  The standard is a black background,  although you can change it and have your table be in Aruba,  Red Rock,  Las Vegas,  London,  or underwater.  Other options for graphics include having a four-color deck if you want;  changing the color of the lobby;  and changing the way chat text appears.

Finally,  most players don’t want to admit it,  but it is easy to misread a hand.  By dragging your mouse’s pointer over your hand,  the software tells you your hand’s rank.

Games Offered: UltimateBet offers Stud,  Stud 8-or-Better,  Texas Hold 'em,  Omaha,  Omaha 8-or-Better,  Crazy Pineapple  (both a hi and hi/lo version),  and Triple Draw  (deuce-to-seven and ace-to-five).  In holdem,  blinds range from $.01/$.02 to $40/$80;  in limit games,  the stakes range from $.25/$.50 up to an $80/$160 game.  Pineapple stakes range from $.25/$.50 up to $5/$10;  Omaha and Omaha 8 games have stakes ranging from $.01/$.02 limits to $80/$160,  with both limit and pot-limit games spread.  7 Card Stud and Stud 8 games range from $.25/$.50 on up to $200/$400 games.  Note,  however,  just because all games are offered does not mean they are being played;  at the time of this writing there were just over 10,000 players online but only two stud games were being played.  Obviously,  if holdem is your game,  you can find your limit going at all hours of the day  --  but for other games,  you may have to wait a bit.

UltimateBet also offers some unique twists on Texas Holdem.  Besides the standard games,  there are also kill and half-kill games offered.  There is also what UltimateBet refers to as a  “MiniBlind”  game,  in which the betting limits double each round.  There are also  “double flop”  variants of hold 'em,  in which there are six cards on the flop as opposed to three  (along with double turn and river cards).  Sound confusing?  It is,  and to explain these games would require several thousand more words.  But once learned,  the games make for fun twists to poker.  The rules for all of these games can be found on the website, under poker rules.

The Rake:  Rakes are competitive with other online poker rooms,  and increase based on how many players are involved in a pot.  The rake ranges from 0% to 5%,  and no rake is taken if the hand ends prior to the flop.  The maximum rake for any limit game is $3 for $2/$4 games and higher;  for smaller stakes games,  and games with fewer players the rake goes down.  In no-limit and pot-limit games,  the rake is a maximum of $3 as well.  The rakes are broken down in-depth in their rules and strategy pages.

Tournaments:  UltimateBet offers a variety of tournaments each day,  with buy-ins ranging from  “freerolls”  on up to $100.  While the tournament action is nice,  you will be hard-pressed to find anything other than a hold 'em or Omaha tournament.  When I checked at different times,  no Stud,  Stud 8,  Pineapple or Triple Draw tournaments were offered.*  It may be that if interest increases in these games,  tournaments will be played  --  but just be aware that if you are looking for a stud tourney,  it will be difficult to find.

As with most of the big-name online poker rooms,  “sit and go”  tournaments are offered,  where you pick your game,  and wait for other players to show up.  You can even play  “heads-up”  if you so desire.

Software:  The software is very easy to use.  Upon downloading,  you will choose a name and password,  enter the standard information,  and are up and running.  You can use Visa,  MasterCard,  or other online services to fund your account.  There is a 40% deposit bonus the first time you deposit funds,  but this must be earned by getting points for play.  The  “lobby” is filled with loads of information.  This includes facts on the games that are going on,  such as:  Who is playing at what table;  how many people are seeing the flop in holdem  (or fourth street in stud games);  how big the average pot is;  and how many hands per hour are being dealt at the table.  Tabs make it very easy to sort out the information as you desire.  For instance,  if you want to arrange all of the holdem games based on how many players see the flop,  just click on the tab and it’s done.  Another nice feature of the software is the ability to filter real-money and play-money games,  and the fact that you can get information on support or game rules quickly by clicking one of the buttons in the left-hand column.

Support:  Support is done via e-mail,  and issues are resolved quickly;  emails are responded to in order of priority.  There is also a handy FAQ page where common technical issues can be resolved without having to go to a technician.

Cashin’ In:  UltimateBet has a variety of cash-out options.  If you choose to have a check sent,  it takes about 14 days.  If you use direct deposit,  that number is 4 days.  You can also have the money sent to the account you used to electronically fund your UltimateBet account.  One very nice feature for high-stakes players:  If you have more than $2000,  the check is sent via a courier.

UltimatePoints:  This is the name that UltimateBet gives to the points awarded for playing on the site.  These are earned based on how much you contribute to the rake,  for how long you play,  and for tournaments you play in.  Double points are given for joining a game with five or more open seats.  You can save these points up for tournaments or prizes such as books and shirts. Check the Players Club page for a complete run-down.

Love That Jackpot:  UltimateBet awards an hourly jackpot to the high hand.  The amount awarded will vary;  it’s typically around $100.  Granted,  with so many players the odds of hitting it are small  --  but anything can happen.  I hit it once when I made a straight flush on the turn.  I was playing a play-chip table at the time,  so I did not get the entire jackpot,  just 10%, but that's better than nothing.

Website:  UltimateBet’s website is arguably the best of any for online poker.  You’ll find a handy site-map to find the topic you want easily,  whether it's rules about a game,  news on upcoming events,  or how to cash in your points.  Another nice feature are articles on poker written by the pros affiliated with UltimateBet.

The Bottom Line:  UltimateBet has been around since 2000,  and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.  The player base is large,  and there is a good selection of hold 'em games and tournaments to be found.  Notice,  though,  I said “hold 'em.” It isn't UltimateBet’s fault that the vast majority of people online play only traditional Texas hold 'em.  Other games can be more difficult to get going. For Crazy Pineapple or Triple Draw,  it’s not uncommon for there not to be a single active table,  even with more than 10,000 active players!  Even at times of day when more people are online,  you are not going to find a large number of Stud,  Stud 8,  Triple Draw,  or Crazy Pineapple games going. So if you want some stud action,  you’re best going elsewhere.

UltimateBet is a great place for Texas Hold 'em.  The graphics are sharp,  the website is the best there is,  the lobby is easy to navigate,  and plenty of hold 'em action is always found.

Overall Rating:  **** out of five stars.