Based in the EU, 888 is among the most popular online gaming brands in the UK, and throughout Europe. The online poker room has a long history of reliable service, as well as juicy games, and enticing promotions. Recent upgrades to the 888 Poker software rival the top poker rooms in the online poker industry, and the 888 Poker flash poker client allows no-download access to Mac and Linux users.

An extensive online poker tournament schedule, as well as numerous freerolls and a constant stream of sit and gos offer plenty of opportunities for tournament lovers, while the No Limit Texas Hold'em cash games run at all stake levels, day and night. 888 Poker's customer service is available via email 24 hours a day, and there are more than enough ways to deposit and withdraw funds. At this time, players living in Israel, Turkey and the US are not accepted at 888 Poker.

The 100%, up to $800, first deposit bonus at 888 Poker instantly issues 25% of the players bonus into their cash account. The remaining 75% of the 888 Poker bonus is released from the player's pending bonus account once they have earned the required Bonus Points. Ten 888 Poker Bonus Points are required for each $1 of the second portion of the welcome bonus. Players earn two 888 Poker Bonus Points for every $1 paid in rake or tournaments fees. The remaining 75% of the bonus must be released within 30 days, or it will expire.

The 888 Poker loyalty reward program offers benefits to all players that increase relative to the player's Status level. The Status levels are achieved by earning Status Points, which are reset at the beginning of each month. As a player attains a new status level, the new status and benefits are immediately applied.

The highest level the player attains in the course of a month will be carried over to the following calendar month when the status points are reset to zero. If the player does not earn enough status points to maintain their current Status level, they will drop back to the Status level they have qualified for at the beginning of the next month. However, if the player earns enough Status Points to reach a higher Status level, they will automatically be promoted to the next level, which will carry over to the next month.

In addition to Status Points, players also receive Reward Points. The number of Reward Points a player gains for participation in real money online poker games is determined by their Status level; the higher the Status, the greater the Reward Points. Reward Points can be used to purchase merchandise from the 888 Poker rewards store, or exchanged for cash to play more online poker with.

Along with the welcome bonus and rewards program, 888 Poker offers many more online poker promotions to entice player participation. The $50K First Depositors Challenge allows new real money players free entry into Friday's online poker competition, which awards 20 seats to the Sunday Challenge. New depositors are also invited to play in the $1,000 Depositors Freeroll, and seven entries to $500 First Depositors Freerolls. Other ongoing 888 Poker promotions include the $10,000 Monday Twins Challenge, and the $2,000 Free Casino Mix-up.

Every Thursday, 888 Poker players can attempt to earn a $250 bounty by knocking Spanish female poker pro Leo Margets (screen name: LEO) out of the $10+$1 'A Por Ella' multi-table tournament. On the first Thursday of the month, the bounty is increased to $1,000. Online poker players will also find satellites to select major poker tournaments, as well as the ability to create private online poker tournaments.

The online poker software used by 888 Poker is developed and maintained by owner / operator 888 Holdings. Fully stocked with all of the features that have become industry standards in online poker, the 888 Poker software also provides players with some rather unique functions. An Open Identical button in the table view allows players to open a table of the same game and stakes in another window.

A status progress bar shows players a real-time meter displaying how close they are to attaining the next status level, and how many points are required. If there is a pending bonus, a bonus status bar is displayed instead. 888 Poker also reveals the player's current best possible hand in the lower left corner of the table, for those who want to make doubly-sure that they are reading their hand correctly before they act.

888 Poker has also improved the multi-tabling functionality to make playing up to 16 tables at once easier with a new queuing mechanism that places the next table requiring an action directly beneath the currently active table, and sends the last table acted upon to the end of the line. For Mac and Linux users who cannot reliably download and install the 888 Poker software client, there is an instant-play flash poker version available through the 888 Poker website.

With a long history of providing reliable and exciting online poker cash games and tournaments, 888 Poker and the Pacific Poker Network have accumulated a sizable, steady following of patrons. The majority of activity at 888 Poker surrounds the No Limit Texas Hold'em tables, though Omaha fans can usually find some action, particularly at peak hours.

Competition at 888 Poker has always been notoriously soft, due in part to the casino and other gambling options available from the 888 gaming brand. Casino and sportsbook players tend to play much more loosely, taking greater risks than those who spend time studying poker strategy guides. Such is the case at 888 Poker, however, the excellent promotions and opportunities do draw a number of more experienced poker players to the tables.

A searchable index of answers to frequently asked questions on the 888 Poker website provides players with detailed solutions for the most common issues players may encounter. If players cannot find the answer to their question there, they may email 888 Poker's 24 hour customer support team by clicking the Contact Us tab in the help window.