Winner Poker Review
iPoker is a popular choice for online poker grinders thanks to high value affiliate rakeback deals, reasonable player traffic and support for tracking software. Rakeback players can earn up to 75% flat rakeback monthly at Winner Poker.
Why Winner?
The iPoker network has dozens of active ‘skins’, all sharing the same Playtech software. Winner Poker – while not as well known as flagship skins like Titan, PaddyPower or William Hill – has developed a solid reputation since 2009, running a major casino, mobile platform, sportsbook and even sponsoring a premiership league football team. No issues with cashouts or support have been reported on the Winner skin.
Rakeback is able to offer all its Winner Poker tagged players a 65% iPoker rakeback deal, rising to 70% ongoing for players who rakeR$500+ in any one month (regardless of future months’ rake), and 75% ongoing if you rakeR$2000+ in any one month.
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Why iPoker Rakeback?
Most major rooms today – e.g. PokerStars, Full Tilt, PartyPoker – offer volume based VIP rewards. While equivalent to rakeback in terms of getting cash back from the site, the percentage rebate is based on your MGR (monthly gross rake), and typically as low as 27 – 40%.
Flat rakeback on the other hand is a set percentage even if you play low volume or microstakes. Winner Poker players earn a 75% rake rebate on every hand or tournament buy-in, with no need to build up player points towards some distant milestone reward. Read more about how iPoker rakeback deals work.
Player Traffic
iPoker is the third largest online poker network by PokerScout rankings, currently placed behind PokerStars and 888 and above Full Tilt, PartyPoker and US facing Bovada. 24 hour peak traffic approaches 4,000 players, in cash games. Figures in the Winner client exceed 17,000 when including MTT/SNGs and play chip tables.
The screenshot above was taken at 21:00 CET on a weekday, with three tables of €5/€10 NL running, two €3/€6, six €2/€4, ten €1/€2, sixteen €0.50/€1, over forty of €0.25/€0.50 and over twenty of €0.10/€0.20.
What about High Rake on Euro Tables?
In April 2014 iPoker controversially converted all tables and the rake structure to EUR currency. USD tables were removed. The idea was to attract more recreational players who tended to gravitate to the Euro currency tables anyway (US players are not accepted at iPoker).
Many players on forums complained at the effective rake increase, as now playing e.g. 100nl in Euros with a €3 rake cap became equivalent to 135nl with aR$4 rake cap.
Fortunately at the time of writing the Euro has moved closer to parity with the US Dollar, and the above example would be closer now to 116nl with aR$3.50 cap. See the full iPoker rake structure.
75% rakeback helps to alleviate iPoker’s high rake. 5% rake with a €3 cap is still lower than some major networks e.g. Merge with 5.56% rake and a cap ofR$5 atR$3/$6.
iPoker Rakeback vs PokerStars VIP
Exact comparisons between rooms are difficult as rake paid – and therefore rakeback/rewards – varies depending on your playing style and the table VPIP. However most grinders would historically approximate 50% iPoker under the table rakeback to Supernova VIP status on PokerStars. This was prior to all tables being EUR.
On EUR tables the value of rakeback is lower although fortunately today 50% iPoker rakeback has become 65-75%, which should make up for the additional rake. Having an iPoker rakeback deal is still therefore like being a Supernova on PS from your first hand, if not more valuable.
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Both PokerStars and Winner use the weighted contributed rake method. Calculate your yearly projected VIP rewards at PokerStars with our exclusive rakeback calculator.
Games
Winner Poker has under 30bb, 30-50bb, 50-100bb, deep, and ante tables. The max stakes are €5/€10 – in June 2014 iPoker removed nosebleed stakes in an effort to improve player ecology (make recreationals last longer) and removed all full ring tables. Heads up was not removed.
Anonymous tables were also removed. Beginners tables were not – new players to the site can play against other new players for their first 90 days.
As well as NLHE Winner offers PLO, and Fixed Limit game types (LHE, 5 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud, Razz). iPoker also has a fast fold poker format, Speed Holdem, supported on the Winner skin.
Promotions
As well as 70% rakeback Winner Poker grinders can look forward to €275,000 in tournament guarantees every Sunday, daily freerolls, occasional larger depositor freerolls, a daily ‘top hand’ bonus of up toR$200, and a ‘bad beat’ bonus ofR$250 freerolled by the network.
Fans of satellites also have chances to qualify for major land-based tournaments such as the Irish Open.
