PKR.com Poker Room Review

In August of 2006, PKR Poker was released to the public and become the first interactive, 3D real-money poker site in the world. The game was warmly accepted by the online poker community and new players joined in droves.

Jez San, the original PKR founder, has been involved in the 3D technology industry for a long time. He started his first computer company by the age of 16 and then went on to develop the world's first 3D graphics accelerator chip which he sold to Nintendo in the 90s. Jez had always been an avid poker player and in the back of his mind he dreamed of one day using his expertise to create the world's most interactive computer poker game.

When online poker exploded in the early 2000s, Jez finally saw the perfect opportunity to put his experience to work. He gathered a solid team of like-minded people and go to work on making his dream come to life.

Now PKR has thousands of loyal players and Jez has reached new levels of success. Players can create custom 3D avatars that can cry, clap, taunt each other and show a whole range of emotions. Hardcore multi-tablers probably won't find PKR.com the best fit for their needs but anyone looking for an immersive poker experience without having to drive to the casino can find it at PKR.

PKR Bonus and Rewards System

As is obvious by the customizable player avatars and emotions, PKR values variety. And luckily for you, this is also the case when it comes to PKR Bonuses. New players can choose between 4 different bonuses, each of which rewards you with cash AND merchandise.

$50 Free

This bonus is open to all new players and all you have to do is earn 7,500 PKR points. After clearing the bonus, you get to keep your PKR points and use them at the PKR points store. Use bonus code IPB50 when depositing.

$250 Free

If you earn 50,000 PKR points after signing up, you'll get an extra $250 dropped straight into your account. You still get to keep all your PKR points and use them for even more merchandise at the store. Make sure you use the bonus code IPB250 when depositing.

100% Match up to $600

PKR will match your first deposit dollar-for-dollar up to $600 with this bonus. If you deposit the full amount you'll have to earn 135,000 PKR points so be ready to play some serious poker! After clearing the bonus, you can keep saving your 135,000 PKR points or spend them however you want. Use the bonus code IPB600 when depositing to ensure bonus.

100% Match up to $2,000

This bonus is massive but it doesn't come easily. Only the most serious poker players need apply - the minimum deposit for this bonus is $1,000.

To get this bonus, you have to e-mail PKR.com and tell them to increase your daily deposit limit from $800 to at least $1,000. To do this they'll need a photocopy of your driver's license or passport, a copy of the card you use to fund your account and a copy of a recent bill sent to your address. Make sure to enter the PKR bonus code IPB2000 when depositing.

After you get that all knocked out of the way the serious work begins. You have 60 days to clear this bonus and must earn 250 PKR points per $1 before it's released. If you deposit $2,000 and get the full bonus, you'll need to earn 500,000 PKR points. Use the bonus code PKR2K to get this bonus. And finally, make sure you clear the WHOLE thing because no partial bonuses will be awarded! Get the full bonus details from our PKR bonus codes page.

Club PKR Rewards System

As you earn PKR points, you can work your way up through the various membership levels at Club PKR. Each level unlocks special rewards and privileges that become increasingly valuable. What I like the most about their VIP system is that it follows an "always up - never down" policy so that you never have to worry about dropping down in levels.

PKR.com Software

The PKR software is can be viewed as either the best in the industry or severely limited depending on your own perspective. Graphics-wise, the software is unrivaled by any other poker site on the internet but it's realistic nature limits players who want to play lots of tables at a time.

Players can customize their avatars from the bottom up, including facial features, hair-style, clothing, tattoos, piercings and accessories. You have free reign to create anyone you want from a long-haired hippy to a buxom babe. PKR points can even be used to learn new chip tricks that serve no purpose other than to increase realism and show off your experience.

Attention to detail is the name of the game here. Players view their hole cards using a peak-cam much like the one you see at big tournaments on TV. You can even move the camera around to see the table from all angles. And no, don't even ask - you can NOT use the camera to peak at other players' cards!

Recent software updates have made the game more friendly to multi-tablers but it's still not quite the same as playing 16 tables at other poker sites that use less memory-intensive software.

Game Variety and Traffic

Player traffic is still in its growing phase so PKR has decided to concentrate on just the most popular poker variants: Texas Holdem and Omaha. Both games are available in ring game format, sit-n-gos and multi table tournaments. Tables can be found in a wide range of stakes at both 6-man and 9-man tables.

Limit stakes range from 1c/2c up to $100/$200.

No-Limit stakes range from 1c/2c ($2.00 buyin) up to $5/$10 ($1,000 buyin).

Traffic is limited at the moment but PKR grows more popular every day as the word spreads. Right now you'll find plenty of low stakes games but the games above $1/$2 no-limit can get pretty sparse at non-peak hours.

PKR Tournaments

With the free-roaming camera and hole card rabbit-cam view, you'll really feel like you're playing on one of the tournaments on TV here. PKR hosts a range of tournament types including freezeouts, sit-n-go's, turbos, satellites and bounties.

At PKR you can play for over $2,500,000 in guaranteed prize pools every month. PKR hosts a $100,000 guaranteed tournament on the last Saturday of every month in addition to weekly $20,000 guarantees. Players can also use satellite tournaments to win seats at major events like the World Series of Poker.

Competition

PKR's unique style naturally attracts more players looking for the live poker experience more than it does players looking to grind away all day. This is good news for everyone because most of the players here are casual poker players and won't be hell-bent on taking all your money.

I'd also like to go out on a limb and say that a part of the reason behind PKR's game traffic numbers is that there simply aren't as many hardcore multi-tablers here playing 12 tables at a time. If you're looking for a fun time, you'll find it here. If you're looking for easy prey, well, you'll also find it here!

Support and Security

Customer support is available 24/7 via e-mail and live chat. Unfortunately they don't have a direct phone line so you'll need to make your first contact with support using one of the above methods. The live chat feature is nice but live phone support would be better.

PKR.com is a member of several gaming integrity organizations including the Gaming Associates, the Family Online Safety Institute, the Alderny Gaming Control Commission and Gamble Aware. These sites restrict membership to ethical and secure poker sites only.

PKR.com Deposit Options

PKR does not currently accept players from the US but everyone else can deposit using any of the following methods: NETeller, Click2Pay, Visa, MasterCard, pre-paid MasterCard gift cards, Maestro, Switch, Solo, Moneybookers, iDEAL, bank transfer and Entropay.

Withdrawal Options

Players can withdraw via NETeller, Visa, Click2Pay, Moneybookers and paper check.