One of the most significant new developments regarding Bet365 Poker in recent times hasn’t been the introduction of a big new tournament, or even the development of a fabulous new introductory offer, but instead has been the beginning of the companies first steps into mobile poker.
Earlier in 2013, the Bet365 Mobile Poker site was launched offering players the chance to play some of the games available on Bet365 Poker direct from their iPhone or iPad.
In this article, we’ll examine how the mobile site is shaping up, what it contains, how easy it is to use via iPad and iPhone and also what items we’d like to see included on future versions of the site, which we think will make it all the more appealing to poker players of all abilities and tastes.
Finding, registering and logging in to Bet365 Poker’s mobile site
Given that the Bet365 Mobile Poker site is only for iPhone and iPad, it is somewhat unusual that the company hasn’t simply designed an App for the site. Instead, you access the site via your device’s browser. Once here you can then create an icon on your device which will allow you to click on it and will take you to the site in the same was as clicking on an app icon will start that software.
The good news is that if you visit the Bet365 Poker site on your mobile, the website software will detect you are on a mobile device and will automatically load up the mobile site. As part of the Bet365 family of sites (several of which have their own mobile version – which you can access from your single registration) it is very easy to locate the site through a browser.
The registration process is as quick and easy to complete via iPhone or iPad as it is online and once you have received your email confirmation and confirmed this, you will be ready to log into the site and play for real.
Logging in is very simple, just open up the Bet365 Poker browser and click on the log in button. Enter your username and password and you’ll be on the site in no time.
Before you join, you will want to get a Bet365 Poker no deposit bonus code, which you can read more about in the next section.
New player promotion
It is worth noting at this point that as a brand new player to the Bet365 Mobile site (or website for that matter) you are eligible for a number of different bonuses when you sign up and make a deposit.
Firstly, simply for registering you will receive a completely free gift of $5 from Bet365 Poker to allow you to taste what play is like on some of the Bet365 Poker tables without risking a single penny of your own money.
Then, once you make a deposit, you are then eligible for a New Player Bonus of 200% of your first deposit, up to a maximum bonus of $1,000 (for a $500 deposit). You can then release your bonus over your first 30 days play on the site as you play real cash games.
Finally, as a third incentive to join, new players will receive a free tournament token which allows them free entry into a weekly New Depositor Freeroll event which is worth €100 guaranteed and offers new players a great free chance to boost their bankroll.
However, it is worth noting at this point that if you are a mobile player, while you still receive the free tournament token, you will not be able to play in the tournament via your mobile device (see Point 4 below for more information why). To use the token, you will need to log in via a PC to register and compete in the tournament.
Site design
Once you have logged in, made a deposit and have some cash to spend you will then be taken to the home screen of the Bet365 Mobile Poker site.
The site has been designed to be very user-friendly and intuitive. The menu-driven site allows players to click which type of game they want to play and then set the criteria for the tables and games that they want to play. This is all achieved by clicking on the appropriate box and then selecting from the list of options that appears.
Once you have selected your parameters for play you can either click on the big yellow Take Seat button, which will seat you at a table based on your selections immediately, or you can browse a list of tables that match your selections and decide which one to play at yourself.
Once you have found a table you like, you can then add it to your list of favourites so you can quickly revisit that table again when you log on in future.
The site design is simple and easy to use and allows players to quickly find the tables and games they want to play so less time is spent browsing and more time is spent playing.
Game options
Currently, the Bet365 Mobile Poker site offers two different gaming options for poker players.
There are a large number of Cash Tables available on the site, which includes the Premium Tables that are amongst the most popular cash tables on the original website. You can select which table you want to play at using the options in the second column, including deciding by the size of stakes, number of players, currency used and more.
The second type of game available on the mobile site is Speed Games. These are poker games where as soon as a player folds one hand, they are dealt immediately into another hand against potentially different players at a different table.
This is an ideal form of the game for players who only have a limited amount of time to play and want to play as many hands as they can in that time as possible.
There are five different types of speed games available, sorted by the stakes played for on each table, ranging from $0.02/$0.05 up to $0.50/$1 per hand.
The poker software – design, graphics, ease of play
Once you have selected your game the table will load up. Your cards are clearly displayed as are your opponents and the community cards (when revealed). You can customise your cards so they are a four coloured deck, which does make tracking flush draws easier. You can also personalise the screen to your taste by selecting your own avatar from a long list of predefined options.
The actual representation of the hands and animations are quick and smooth. The graphics are quick and the games progress at a generally fast pace, unless you have one player who suffers with a poor connection, in which case waiting for the timer for them can be a nuisance.
The game is easy to play and once you have the table set up as you like, which just takes a few seconds, you can immerse yourself in the game quickly and easily, regardless of whether you are playing Cash Games or Speed Games.
Financial infrastructure
The other key aspect of the site alongside the poker is of course, how Bet365 Mobile Poker handles your financial requirements. The good news here is that the mobile site is equally as accommodating and as easy to use as the original website.
Players have a vast range of options to choose from when it comes to making a deposit on site or making a withdrawal. You can also easily transfer money from your Bet365 Poker account for example, into your Bet365 Sports Betting or Bet365 Casino account and vice versa.
Deductions to your account balance and any additions to the balance in the form of tournament winnings are updated almost instantaneously, meaning that your balance is always exactly as it should be. If it isn’t at any time, then you can contact Bet365 Poker’s dedicated team of customer services who will endeavour to help you with your enquiry.
Positive points of the Bet365 Poker mobile site
To summarise, there are plenty of positive points about the Bet365 Mobile site:
- The site is ideally suited for beginner players right through to those who have vast experience of the game.
- It is a great site for fans of cash table poker play, or for players who enjoy speed poker.
- Easy, quick and simple to use, even if you are a novice to playing poker via mobile.
- Simple access to the sister Bet365 betting and gambling sites.
- Excellent introductory offer, including $5 free, no deposit necessary.
Where Bet365 Poker Mobile needs to improve
Despite these positive points, there are several areas of the site that would need to be addressed if it is to enjoy more widespread and long-term appeal in the future:
- The lack of Sit & Go and Multi Table Tournament games is a big omission and we think including these in the future would significantly improve the sites appeal.
- Having the site available as a downloadable app would also help attract players who do not like navigating to sites through a browser when accessing by an iPhone or iPad.
- Support for Android mobile devices would also vastly increase the number of players the site would appeal to.
- By introducing Sit & Go and MTTs, the site would avoid the annoying situation where as a new player you register and receive a free tournament token via mobile, but you can’t then use that token from your mobile device and instead have to log in from a PC.
- Linking the useful PokerPal software to the mobile site would also be a real benefit to novice players who want to play via mobile.
- Extending the length of time you can earn your New Player Bonus would also help. 30 days is not long to try and earn the requisite amount of points to earn the full bonus without spending beyond your means.
Conclusion
Bet365 Mobile Poker is a solid site, though it would benefit from a few significant enhancements that have been missed from the original. It is an ideal site for a beginner player, or someone new to playing via a mobile device as it works perfectly well, it just doesn’t have some of the options of a couple of longer standing sites.
The site plays equally well from iPhone or iPad, though smaller writing and boxes are easier to see on the larger iPad device.
Interested in tournament play at Bet365 Poker? Read our guide to Steps Tournaments at Bet365 Poker.
