Online Poker Reviews

SUN POKER REVIEWS

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Overall:  4/5

Sun Poker is yet another previously independent poker room that has been seduced by the draw of the now-dominant iPoker network. Previously residing on the old Cryptologic network, this poker room now offers the same shared promotions, ring games, and tournaments of other iPoker skins. While it may be a bit redundant for me to post numerous reviews of rooms on the same network, the fact remains that Sun Poker is in the top tier of rooms on iPoker and continues its history of strong customer service and an above-average loyalty program. Even if players already have an account at other rooms on the network they're able to create a new account at each one to take advantage of individual deposit bonuses and promotions.

In terms of the best features of Sun Poker, the stellar ring game traffic, tournament schedule, and the VIP system. With so many poker rooms sending players to this network this is now one of the busiest places for non-US players to find ring games. Lower limits will have 40 or more active tables during peak European hours and up to about the $5/10 level you'll still encounter about half that. The Sun Poker VIP system is also one of the better cash rewards systems with average middle-stakes gameplay generating about $1-2 per hour per table. Overall, this is a very well-rounded poker room that offers one of the better experiences on iPoker, a network that excels in the most important areas: ring game traffic, guaranteed tournaments, and playable software.

Bonus (100% up to $500) and Promotions:   4/5           

The initial deposit bonus offered to our players at Sun Poker is a 100% bonus, good up to $500. Depending on your usual level of play this can either be an excellent deal or essentially impossible to earn. The bonus dispersal is dependent on earning VIP points, with 1,000 required for every $1 of bonus. The number of points earned per hand is tiered based on the rake collected from each hand.

For example, at the $1/2NL level the average rake per hand will be about $1. At 15 VIP points per hand at that rake level it will take between 60-70 hands to earn 1,000 points and $1 of bonus. At the $5/10NL level you'll probably earn $3-5 of bonus per hour. At the Sun Poker microstakes tables, you'll be playing several hundred hands just to earn that same dollar. Basically, this can be a great bonus for middle-stakes and higher players but mostly irrelevant for beginners.

One big silver lining in the convoluted Sun Poker bonus system is the fact that you can earn regular bonus cash even after your initial deposit bonus expires. The VIP Poker Club allows you to convert points to cash at any time. If you regularly multitable as I do with 3 or 4 active windows you can easily earn $8-10 per hour at the $1/2NL level or above. Players can earn more points per hand by raising their VIP level, which is done by earning certain milestones of total points in a month. Players should be sure to keep track of their monthly points as, unfortunately, you must e-mail support to have your level upgraded when you reach each point requirement.

Sun Poker offers few extra promotions besides the standard iPoker tournaments and the above 2 bonuses but the VIP program certainly makes up for it. Most poker rooms now offer some sort of player loyalty program but few allow you to cash in your points for real money at any time. The fact that players can earn several dollars per hour really should make regular players consider Sun Poker as one of the top iPoker skins for player rewards.

Fish:   3/5

The Sun Poker network has traditionally been a smaller niche with extremely loose tables that deserved one of our top Fish Ratings. With the large influx of players from other skins joining iPoker the general level of play has increased but still remains below-average. The percentage of players seeing the flop is about average for 10-seated tables at 15-20%. As the network traffic now allows dozens of active tables at each limit I recommend that you use the lobby stats to seek out the inevitable wild table with the 30+% flop percentage.

The standout aspect of Sun Poker is player aggressiveness, which is indicated by the large average pots. With the overall tightening of online poker, most full tables at the larger sites feature cautious players with 5-10x the big blind being the norm for no-limit pots. Sun Poker features mostly European players that tend to be more aggressive than their North American counterparts.

With most pots growing quickly to 20-30x the big blind you should stay on your toes. I recommend playing even tighter than normal since you won't be getting to see many cheap flops. If an aggressive player is sitting to your left, you should be slowplaying if you limp in since he's likely to raise you if he senses weakness. A higher average pot also means that you can mostly play smaller stakes than you normally would but expect the same hourly win rate.

Tournaments:   4/5

The tournament traffic at Sun Poker has really increased due to heavy international marketing and with so other many skins joining the network. They've started to offer both more larger guaranteed events and lower buy-in tournaments for those on a limited bankroll. During peak hours there are about 8-10 tournament offered per hour. The weeknight schedule offers mostly guarantees between $2,000 and $20,000 for under a $30 buy-in. These usually draw more than 500 players each. Sun Poker also hosts a large amount of rebuy events.

The largest Sun Poker tournaments take place Friday-Sunday with a $100,000 guaranteed rebuy event every Friday for $50. Saturdays bring a $100 buy-in $50,000 guarantee and the Sunday big tournament is a $250,000 guarantee with a $200 buy-in. While these are not in the upper echelon of offerings in terms of prize pool the buy-ins are reasonable and the total field is manageable. Overall, Sun Poker has really made improvements to their tournament offerings and has one of the busier schedules during European peak hours.    

Software:   4/5

As a member of the iPoker network, Sun Poker utilizes the standard Playtech software with little alterations besides changing the virtual felt and carpet colors. The antiquated stiff avatars are overdue for an update and the overall visuals certainly don't stand out but the actual playability remains a strong point. Most 10-handed tables run at about 55-65 hands per hours, which is at least average speed. Betting options are also user-friendly with pot-sized bets and other increments easy to select. I've also always preferred the Sun Poker hand history format, which eschews tens of lines of text for a large graphical overview.

In terms of graphics Sun Poker uses a red and black theme, which tends to be easier on the eyes than brighter choices. Players aren't able to upload custom photos but can select from a handful of the aforementioned inanimate 3D avatars. I also appreciate that the chat window can easily be removed to avoid distractions. While tables can't be resized they can be expanded to either a full-screen mode or a surprisingly well-done miniature mode. The Sun Poker software provides the essentials at an above-average level despite not offering much in terms of advanced features or customizable graphics.

Payouts:   4/5

The actual cashout process at Sun Poker is streamlined and I've always received my NETeller cashouts within about 24-36 hours. This brand has been around for several years and has never had a poor reputation for player issues.

Customer Service:   4.5/5

The only complaint I have about the Sun Poker customer service is that they've recently removed my preferred method of live chat. Despite this, I've still had positive experiences the few times I've required support. They do offer telephone support for North America, the UK, and a third phone number for all other countries. Generally, I've received e-mail support responses within an hour.

Player Traffic

While the Sun Poker overnight traffic is only about average the European afternoon and evening hours bring incredible traffic. I would estimate that at least 50 or so tables are active at each limit up to the $1/2NL level and at least 10 or 20 for each level above that. Tournament traffic has also greatly improved with at least 1,000 players attending the top guarantees and 5 or 6 events per hour.

Best Features

Extremely popular network. One of the biggest advantages of iPoker is the large number of both cash games and tournaments.

Above-average fish level. Most 10-seated tables exceed the 20-25% flop percentage, which is high by today's standards.

Strong VIP program. Regular mid-stakes players can easily earn about $50-100 per month in point redemption.

Game Selection: Hold'em, Omaha, Stud

Limits: Limit: 2c/4c up to $300/$600    No-Limit: 1c/2c up to $200/$400

Deposit Methods: NETeller, Moneybookers, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, Intercash, Ukash, PaySafeCard, Entropay, major credit cards, and wire transfers.

Tips: Since the players at Sun Poker tend to be overly aggressive, let them do your bidding for you when you have a real monster hand. If you hit something like the nut straight, nut flush, or a full house on the flop, slow down a little bit. If you just called preflop with a raise out, let the preflop raiser keep control of the hand on the flop. If you're first to act, just check to him and let him try to bluff you off.

When the action gets back around to you, just take your time and casually call his bet. Keep this up on the turn, and hopefully he will improve his hand. Just meekly call again on the turn. On the river, you can consider check-raising this time if you're sure he will bet, or just time your time and bet out if you think he's been bluffing. The point is that you can use player's aggression against them, especially when you have a big hand.

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