PKR Review

Software & Graphics

The PKR software took online poker to the next generation with the first 3D software client which really took off.

The 3D PKR software felt more like a video game than the traditional 2D poker software that we’re used to from other online poker sites. The reason for this is that PKR succeeded where others have failed by delivering this 3D “video game” experience at the same time as delivering a stable piece of software and user experience.

The trade off for this was slightly slower game play as it takes a little longer while players check their cards just like in a live game etc, but the delay is minimal.

The graphics on the PKR software were quite outstanding and the fun animations at the tables really add an extra dimension by allowing you to taunt your opponents, do chip tricks while you are waiting for your turn to act and many other things.

You also built up your online persona, by dressing your character and you could use the player points you earned through playing to buy additional clothes, accessories, and fun chip tricks to expand your online character over time.

It’s really hard to explain just how impressive the PKR software was and it was incredible to experience this new type of online poker.

PKR was available both Windows and Apple Mac platforms, and was also available for mobile and tablet platforms on iOS (iPad / iPhone) and Android.

Game Availability

Player Traffic

The traffic at PKR was fast growing and in it’s time the room was heavily marketed, attracting lots of new players and growing the traffic.

The traffic never was able to rival the bigger poker sites, but PKR offered something different and this slowly but surely attracted more and more players.

During peak times you found on average 805 players online — not a large number compared to the biggest poker rooms, but sufficient given PKR’s niche focus and remember you were only ever playing with a few people at once. Since games only required a few players, traffic levels were generally enough to ensure games were available, even if the overall variety was limited.

Game Variety

Sensibly, PKR limited its game offering to just Texas Holdem and Omaha (including Omaha Hi Lo). This strategy helped direct its modest player base to just two variants, ensuring more active tables and tournaments.

Although this meant players had to look elsewhere for games like 7 Card Stud, most of PKR’s audience were primarily Texas Holdem players, so this focus made sense.

Player Toughness

This was one of the major benefits to PKR. The truth is that the 3D video game software attracted a whole new type of player to online poker and the good news for experienced players was that this new type were inexperienced casual players, which means that PKR provided some of the softest competition available.

Professional players were not attracted to PKR as it was slower than other online poker sites due to the animated actions and this meant that less hands are played per hour which for a professional player is an important metric as the more hands they play the more money in theory they should win.

This was great in that it cleared all the professional players out of the way and just left inexperienced players for us players who have a little knowledge about poker to go and clean up at the tables!

Always Gamble Responsibly

Take regular breaks

Bet what you can afford

Always set limits

Never chase losses

Customer Friendliness

Customer Support

The PKR customer support was excellent. I found their telephone support to be friendly and helpful and also had a very quick response to my email enquiry. Their UK based support staff appear to be very helpful and knowledgeable.

Deposit / Withdrawal Options

PKR offered a number of the most common forms of deposit, including credit cards and online wallets, which are detailed in the data section of this review.

There was no delay with most types of deposit and I had funds instantly in my player account ready to use within seconds of making a deposit.

Withdrawals could also be made via all the usual methods and processing times  I found to be very fast.

Rake

The rake is the commission charged by the poker room and was in line with the industry norms at the time.

On the low stakes tables (5c/10c) the rake was really low at 1 cent per 10 cents in the pot with a maximum of $2 each hand.

For stakes up to 25c/50c this changed to 1 cent per 20 cents in the pot and a maximum of $3.

For all higher stakes the rake was fixed at 5 cents per $1 with a $3 maximum.

Bonus / Promotions

We had a good relationship with PKR and any Player from the Poker Professor Community who signed up to PKR got a welcome package which included perks like a free entry to the $20,000 Mini Masters tournament, Club PKR membership, and 1,000 free PKR points to customise their avatars.

First Deposit Bonus

First you got to choose from a choice of First Deposit Bonuses:

• Starter – $5 Free – Bonus Code: welcome5
  Just deposit $10 or more and earn 1 single PKR point and $5 was instantly credited to your player account.
• Intermediate – 100% up to $150 – Bonus Code: welcome150
  Just deposit $25 or more and PKR matched your deposit up to $150 which was credited to your player account in 5% chunks as you reached specific player points targets
• Advanced – 125% up to $500 – Bonus Code: welcome500
  Deposit $150 or more and PKR gave you a bonus of 125% of your deposit up to $500 which was credited to your player account in 10% chunks as you reached player points targets

Free Gift Package

On top of this for those players from Poker Professor who took up the Intermediate or Advanced offers also got a free gift package to get you started on PKR.

This included a free ticket to the $20,000 Mini Masters tournament, an automatic upgrade to Club PKR, 1000 free PKR points to spend on customising your player avatar and a range of other freeroll tickets – quite amazing value and a big thanks to PKR for offering this to Poker Professor players.

Player Loyalty Scheme

Each time you played on PKR you were rewarded with PKR points and you could use them to cash in on lots of goodies.

You could use them to improve your online character by buying in-game items such as clothing, accessories and chip tricks, to create just the right table image that you want for your character.

You could also use your player points to buy a ticket into one of PKR’s premium freerolls. Finally if you’d had enough of dressing up your online persona, you could take care of your real life one by using your player points to buy a range of cool PKR gear.

Security

PKR was the only online poker software developer to be licensed by the UK Government and was also regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, so you could be assured that in order to achieve these accreditations they had to pass the most stringent of security and integrity tests.

PKR had this to say about their software security:

“It is a requirement of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission that an independent testing house evaluates a licensee’s RNG, operating procedures, systems architecture, technical infrastructure, site security and the veracity of the games themselves. PKR Ltd has been evaluated by Gaming Associates, an Australian based testing company and we have met their requirements.”