In April of 2011 Absolute Poker and their sister room UB Poker were shutdown by the U.S. government for a variety of banking violations. They didn't even try to resolve the issues and pay back players like Pokerstars did. They virtually went out of business and kept millions of dollars. There has been little Absolute Poker news since their closure in April. The CEREUS Poker Network has simply ceased to exist and thousands of poker players have been waiting to have their bankrolls refunded. When online poker is regulated in the USA I sincerely hope that Absolute Poker comes back and refunds every player. After we have been paid it will bring me pleasure to do everything I can to ensure that no one ever plays at this room again. There is no reason to suspect that Absolute Poker will be back in 2012, even under a different name. If there are any updates on Absolute Poker and the money they stole I will post it here. The best Razz poker sites are listed below.
| Poker Room | U.S. ? | Deposit Bonus | Code? | Poker Site Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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3, 100% Bonuses, $600 Max | PSP11820 | Pokerstars Review |
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25% Unlimited Bonus | Use Link | BetOnline Poker Review |
Absolute Poker Review
Since 2003, Absolute Poker has steadily risen into the top 10 list of highest rated online poker rooms. The recent integration of the Cereus Poker Network, combining the player traffic of both Tokwiro owned poker rooms, Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, further escalated Absolute’s quality software, tournament schedule and overall appeal. Absolute Poker has a great selection of poker games, including the highly sought Razz Poker game and a few mixed games as well. In 2012 Full Tilt Poker is also shut down and they have followed Absolute Poker's lead and have not paid any of their players. This was one of the best Razz poker sites until they were shut down.
Absolute Poker Review – Razz Poker
Absolute Poker is one of the few online poker rooms that chose to integrate Razz into its generous game selection. Depending on when you visit, the Razz Poker tables may be very active in a wide range of stakes. During off hours, only the lower stakes are generally active. However, the viewed-flop percentages can reach as high as 80%, giving experienced Razz players a quick shot at easy money.
Unfortunately, Razz Poker is not offered in Multi-Table or Sit’n’Go Tournaments at this time. Hopefully, as traffic continues to flock to Razz at Absolute Poker, it will begin to appear in the tournament line-up.
Absolute Poker News by month:
- Absolute Poker, January 2012
- Absolute Poker, February 2012
- Absolute Poker, March 2012
- Absolute Poker, April 2012
- Absolute Poker, May 2012
- Absolute Poker, June 2012
- Absolute Poker, July 2012
- Absolute Poker, August 2012
- Absolute Poker, September 2012
- Absolute Poker, October 2012
- Absolute Poker, November 2012
- Absolute Poker, December 2012
2012 Absolute Poker Review – Bonuses & Promotions
If it’s a large sign-up bonus you’re looking for, top in at Absolute Poker. The online poker room is handing out 100% up to $500 bonuses to first time depositors that enter the referral code BIG2008 (yes, this code is valid in 2009) during signup. Be sure to use Absolute Poker Bonus Code “AP500” when depositing, then earn credits (poker points) to release the bonus in $10 increments. The more credits you earn, the higher your VIP level becomes – the higher your VIP level is, the faster you’ll earn credits! In addition, players are offered 6 to 7 reload bonuses each month worth anywhere from 15% to 100%.
Absolute Poker presents a lot of valuable promotions to its existing members. Enticing vacation packages are always on the roster. For example, at the start of 2009, Absolute Poker proposed ‘Play To Party’, where members can win a trip to the Playboy Mansion, and ‘Poker in the Alps’, where 7 players will win an $8k prize package to play in the Alpine Cup poker tournament.
Other promos include a rapidly growing Bad Beat Jackpot, and a Refer a Friend program worth a $75 bonus per successful referral and another $50 bonus to the friend. The credits you earn playing online poker at Absolute Poker can also be used to purchase unique items from the AP Store.
Absolute Poker Review in 2012 – Software
Absolute Poker joined the CEREUS Poker Network in November of 2008. The brainchild of parent company Tokwiro Enterprises, developers spent 12 months constructing a sophisticated poker client that could outshine the rest of the market. Like any brand new program, there have been a few glitches reported, like pots being awarded to the wrong player, but the online poker room corrected the issue immediately, refunding the correct players and updating the software accordingly. Overall, CEREUS has added a lot of exceptional new features and mind-blowing graphics to Absolute Poker. A download and Flash version are available.
The Absolute Poker Lobby offers average pot size, viewed-flop percentage and hands per hour – all of the vital stats often used to select the right table. Some of the more impressive additions to the poker client include a rabbit cam, deal making, time bank and the ability to see your cards after folding them. Players can customize their experience with new table views and downloadable skins. Avatars have become more customizable as well. If you’ve played at Absolute Poker in the past, the new poker client from the CEREUS Poker Network is well worth another look.
Absolute Poker Review – Ring Games & Traffic in 2012
Absolute Poker presents a better game variety than most online poker rooms, supplying more than just the ‘most popular’ games. Razz is steadily gaining a regular populace, as are the mixed game options. A list of all Absolute Poker games, along with available limits and stakes, are shown below:
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi/Lo
- 7 Card Stud
- 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
- Razz
- H.O.R.S.E. (plus several other mixed games)
Peak hour traffic surpasses the 10,000 mark, with nearly 2,000 in ring games and 9,000 in tournaments. Texas Hold’em draws the most attention, but in general, all variants have some level of action ongoing. Razz and H.O.R.S.E. continue to gain a steady following, though H.O.S.E. seems to be in life-support mode. We’ve yet to see a single player seated at real money tables.
Juicy competition runs rampant at Absolute Poker. Glancing at the poker lobby just now revealed a full 9-seater Holdem table with $.25/$.50 stakes and a 70% viewed-flop. Another full-table game depicts $5/$10 stakes with a 54% viewed-flop. (Honestly, I’m looking at the lobby as I type!) Those are amazing numbers for serious poker players seeking to reel in a few fish. The Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo tables are just as good, with frequent viewed-flops ranging as high as 70% and 80% at 6-seaters.
2012 Absolute Poker Review – Tournaments
Absolute Poker has always hosted a variety of valuable tournaments, but the recent integration of CEREUS jumped the tournament roster substantially. With more players in the mix, Absolute Poker is offering a few million more in guarantees every month. The weekend tournaments have jumped from the original $150k and $75k Guarantees to a whopping $500,000 GTD every Sunday.
The Freeroll department is pretty active too, offering small to medium prizes on a regular basis. Other Freerolls, like the ‘Absolute Swag’, award cool merchandise like AP apparel, poker books and other cool prizes. The largest Freerolls are held seasonally, with prize pools of $10k or more.
Absolute Poker hosts a good number of satellite competitions, not just to the online poker room’s larger events, but to live poker tournaments as well.
Blackjack fans will find the recent addition of Multi-Player Blackjack tables, available in MTTs and SNGs, plus the heart-pounding Elimination Blackjack. More and more players are flocking to the Blackjack tables at Absolute Poker.
2012 Absolute Poker Review – Payment Methods
Absolute Poker and the CEREUS Network are currently ranked as the 3rd largest US-face online poker sites. As such, you can expect to find a large variety of secure payment methods to choose from:
Visa, MasterCard, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, Solo, Maestro, Laser, PostePay, Euro6000, PaySafeCard, ClickandBuy, Click2Pay, Moneybookers, NETeller, Ukash, CartaSi, GiroPay, EPS, POLi, Telepago 4B, iDeal, Przelewy24, Nordea, Sofortüberweisung, Fast Bank Transfer, Bank Wire and Check by Mail.