Ultimate Bet

Ultimate Bet is one of the world’s leading poker rooms and one of the few sites that has evolved almost directly along with the online poker industry itself. Originally known as Ultimate Bet (now UB.com), the site’s software has changed considerably over the years but is now looking better than ever with a slick dark theme and numerous customization options.

The graphics are also crisp and clean and offer a great playing experience with the added bonus of now being able to upload your own personal image for your avatar – a nice feature. Traffic-wise, in 2008 Ultimate Bet merged with Absolute Poker to form the powerful CEREUS poker network which increased traffic and made regular games more consistent. Very quickly after the merge with Absolute, Ultimate Bet’s traffic catapulted to the top of the industry and the combined CEREUS network consistently ranks in the top 10.

In 2009 Ultimate Bet completed the revamping of its website and branding by relaunching as UB.com. and giving users the final new touches including a more streamlined experience with a new lobby and new table set-up and all new tournament structures designed to give more play.

UB is also still the home of several famous poker pro endorsers – most notably 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke and new addition Joe Sebok – who can be found at the tables occasionally to square off against.

The game variety on Ultimate Bet is fantastic and the room is one of the few to offer a mixed games like H.O.R.S.E. plus non-poker extras like Blackjack. Ultimate Bet has always featured massive promotions and a great frequent player program, and they can only be expected to get better over the years to come.

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Bonus Code and Promotions (7)

All players who sign up via Pokerlistings link are eligible for an exclusive $$1,100.00 sign-up bonus at 200% match.

Exclusive UltimateBet bonus code for PokerListings players: PLISTUB

Bonus payout: $1 for every 20 UltimateBet points, released in $5 increments.

Loyalty Program/Promotions

UltimateBet's player appreciation program is called RAI$E and is definitely striving to be one of the best in the industry. As you climb the RAI$E ladder, you gain better and better perks including everything from faster points accumulation, private tourney invites and cash to playing poker with Phil Hellmuth and getting to fly a fighter plane.

There are five RAI$E status levels: Ultimate Member, Player, Contender, Legend and Icon. If you have an UltimateBet account and have made a deposit, you're already enrolled in RAI$E as an Ultimate Member.

Add in the UltimatePoints Store and the UltimateAuctions site (where you can bid on travel packages, tourney entries and tons more), and RAI$E is clearly one of the top reward programs in online poker.

Exclusive Offers for PokerListings players:

Monthly $5k freerolls For all PL players at UB. Just 100 raked hands in previous month to play. Dates: Jan 10, Feb 14, Mar 14.

> Sign up through a PokerListings link and receive a $1100 bonus at 200% deposit match

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Tournaments and Freerolls (5)

Ultimate Bet is a premier destination for tournament players. Ultimate Bet hosts dozens of daily tournaments with buy-ins as small as $1 ranging all the way to several thousands of dollars. Play at any level is competitive and the bigger buy-in tournaments offer really strong competition - you're likely to meet the world's top pros at the final table.

Ultimate Bet also offers regular qualifiers to big live events all over the world like the World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, Aussie Millions, World Series of Poker and the Aruba Poker Classic. Ultimate Bet also runs some of the biggest guaranteed events online and seems to be adding new tournaments with big guaranteed prizes as fast as they can. Most popular is its $200,000 guaranteed tournament that runs every Sunday.

Of particular note at UB is the player-friendly tournament structures - especially at the higher buy-in levels. Deeper stacks and longer levels make for a more true test of poker skill - which is much appreciated by the better players.

Freerolls for the most part are large multi-table events and are more often than not No-Limit Texas Hold’em. One unique thing is there are freerolls with a lot of different prizes - not just cash, but WPT Boot camp entries, Ultimate Bet Points and more.

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Software and Graphics (8)

Ultimate Bet's software is privately developed and one of the best in the industry. It had a rep for being a bit plain in the past, with few fancy graphics, but that's not the case anymore. Tiling and stacking buttons for multi-tabling, resizable tables, hot keys and options are all great, as is the Buddy list function. Layout and design overall is also a big thumbs-up - literally, as it leaves little in the way of sore-thumb-inducing flaws.

Ultimate Bet offers completely re-sizable tables that, when combined with the speed, graphics and ease of use, make it very well-suited for multi-table play and the latest version of the Ultimate Bet software supports limitless multi-table play that runs very smoothly.

UB Poker is also one of the only online poker rooms to offer a rabbit cam in some No-Limit Hold'em games. That means players can see what the turn and the river would have been if they had not folded. It can be infuriating but it's also one of the most entertaining and unique features of the software.

For a direct and free Ultimate Bet download, click the download link above.

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Soft Competition (7)

Competition at Ultimate Bet ranges from relatively loose at the micro- and low-limits to outright scary at the high and ultra-high stakes. In general, the competition is tougher than standard and the high-stakes Hold'em and Omaha games are the toughest.

No-Limit games aren't as tough, but still a bit more difficult than an average online poker room. Players looking for softer games should consider lower-stakes Omaha and No-Limit Hold'em games where many players start out.

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Support (9)

Ultimate Bet offers support only via e-mail, but the quality and speed are very good and support staff are friendly and helpful.

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Deposit Withdrawal Options (8)

Deposit options: VISA, MasterCard, ukash, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, bank wire, check by mail, Moneybookers, Paysafe card, Neteller, U.K. debit cards and e-checks.

Withdrawal options: VISA, MasterCard, ukash, Click2Pay, ClickandBuy, bank wire, check by mail, Moneybookers, Paysafe card, Neteller, U.K. debit cards and e-checks.

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