Paradise Poker


About Paradise Poker

Opened in 1999, Paradise Poker has a special place in the history of online poker. They were the first company to come out with really nice software. Before Paradise opened, Planet Poker was the market leader. But Paradise's software was very smooth and had great graphics. The software also had catchy welcome music, animation when you won a big hand, chat bubbles inside the room as opposed to the chat box, and the ability to order fake food and drinks. They offered some unconventional games, including Pineapple and "raise/fold hold 'em where you cold only raise of fold. The only downside was that their software didn't offer multi-table tournaments until 2004.

Sportingbet, a large European company listed in the London Stock Exchange, acquired Paradise in 2004. After the UIGEA, Paradise pulled out of the US in 2006 because Paradise's owner, SportingBet (like all public gaming companies) got scared about legal liability. In 2007, they switched to the Boss Media Network. In 2010, they also moved all of the Canadian players to the Entraction network.

Paradise Poker is not the same as it used to be back in the day. Many of the veteran online poker players who were around before the poker boom get nostalgic and talk about how they miss the old Paradise Poker. Today, Paradise offers a €500 sign-up bonus, tournament leaderboard, and a new player club. One advantage of Paradise is that it has an integrated sportsbook.

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Imagine an employee of one of these poker sites came out and said it was rigged! Almost every and all poker sites would lose instant traffic, the pros that support them would take a big hit to their credibility, and the industry would fall apart. You never hear about the people who make money saying that the sites are rigged. Online play is a lot more loose. you see a hell of a lot more flops in a much shorter period of time. Those 2 items combined equal a lot more bad beats than you would see in a live game. you wanna see some crazy hands people call with goto highstakespokerreport.com or something like that. its a fulltilt site that tells you about money won and lost at the high stakes tables. crazy

opeboy on March 6, 2007

Ok.
Let’s look at how a poker site should work. Random cards turned over to random players, whatever the level of the players. If this was the case, most good players would play multi tables and clean up, so like the Irish waters and Spanish fishermen, all the fish would dry up. How long would it last? So a set of prot ocols are set in place, thus preventing players robbing the fish. We have all seen players calling anything with anything and hitting every time, I would guess he is on the lowest proto col. I’m sure we played the odds, 22 outs before the river and the one cards Mr X needs hits. Poker is about the player not the cards, online poker is much the same it’s about betting patterns, but even this, you will be stung, most poker games are monitored, so no cheating or collusion can take place. So I would image they can change your proto col very quickly giving the impression of a staff member sitting at a table. In saying that, I have played on tables were I am in the last 4 and 3 players soft play but attack every move I make, and it paying off all the time. (Its like they knew what cards I had).
What I would like to know is if a rich man plays $100 games like I play $1 games, but he is really bad and I can hold my own, what happens to the prot ocol level when I work my way up to that level.

Nemo

GoneBond07 on March 5, 2007

okey dokey. first...I do not believe in poker scamming even though I know there are poker odds calculator software out there and I get really really heated when the odds land absolutely ridiculously. It happens...I know...astronomical odds....but over and over and over...that is astronomical in itself. At paradise poker I played a simple 5-1 sit down. I don't expect pros at this table nor to a claim to be one. However, this situation just drew its wild attention to me. latter in the tourney about the 50 100 level I got pocket 5s mid posit....I called and it went round to the small blind.. I was sitting at about 1300 and he at 400. He went all in as most people do so i figured him on ak, aq, aj, or some combo of ace something. so i raised. I do admit this was a bad move...he happened to have kk and took the pot. I accepted my loss. however, my very last hand was at the 250-500 level, 4 people left. I got 55 again. so I took my chances and called hoping the others would too. nope...the guy in early raised me all in. i thought a second and said...well should I make the same mistake and call all in 55...well I made that same mistake and called thinking the same ace something. guess what he had? kk. those odds are so laughable. need I say more?

Unregistered on August 12, 2006

<< We will never be able to prove that the sights are "cheating" >>

Of course we will. Do a statistical analysis of millions of hands looking at all possible variables (pre-flop/flop/turn/river,chip stacks,age of accounts, etc). Why do you phrase your opinions as if they are facts - "You have to admit online poker is fixed . . " "We will never be able to prove it . . " Do you really think that ALL online poker is fixed? there are like 50 decent poker sites out there now. How do you explain that one? Let me guess - the online losers who never make money just happen to pick the only sites that are fixed. What a coincidence.

Unregistered on August 5, 2006

Look kkeily I know that some people win money time after time online. As I have seen the vast majority of these players are nothing short of terrible and will get killed in brick and mortar card games. I myself can never seem to get over the "hump" online. I win for a time and then I lose it all in one night to stupid bad beats. I will tell you I have never lost money in a no limit holdem cash game in a casino, so I have some idea how to play which is tight as hell. I don't play any different online than in a casino and rarelly see over 20% of flops and hardely ever limp into a pot and yet I can't seem to win online. That being said I don't know if the websites are cheating are not. They will get the money through the rake regardless of who wins the pot, but you have to admit that bad players do seem to win more online than they do at a live game. I don't think that it is out of the question to think that these sights reward terrible play to keep the bad players around. We will never be able to prove that the sights are "cheating" if that is what you want to call it. They will however stop at nothing to maximize their profits by any means. If that means "helping" terrible players win so they stick around I don't think that is unthinkable.

Unregistered on August 5, 2006

No one will prove it - all that will do is just prove to the 70% of poker players that lose money that they are losers and not being scammed. Those 70% would rather live in their comfortable world of excuses and be portrayed as victims. And the 30% who are winners don't want to scare thr fish away by opening the losers' eyes to their own incompetence.

HPG ADMIN on August 1, 2006

Well is anyone going to actually go and offically prove it? Possibility is all we got. Proving the possibility is enough for most people to be cautious.

Unregistered on July 31, 2006

Those areguments prove the POSSIBILITY of cheating on poker sites and not cheating itself. I don't think there is anyone out there arguing that cheating isn't possible so those reasons don't add anything constructive to the argument.

HPG ADMIN on July 30, 2006

Forget statistics, and how many hands youve played here or there. There are exactly 2 questions to ask yourself:

1: Is it possible to write code that can scam people on the poker sites?

Yes it is definetly possible.

2: Is it human nature to try and gain an advantgae by cheating other people?

Absolutey. Empires were built on that premise. Countries founded and funded.

Do you think that becasue a company is big and making money anyway they wont try and steal more money? Human greed is the most powerful force on the planet. It has been for centuries.

Unregistered on July 30, 2006

I am not refuting your B&M profit claims but I am curious if: 1. you keep detailed records of all your sessions and 2. are the games different (looser/tighter/aggressive/passive) online?

HPG ADMIN on July 17, 2006

Folks,
I have logged more brick and mortar time in Vegas than most if not all of you in here. I have been trying to win at online poker now @
Pokerstars, Fulltiltpoker, Paradisepoker, empire, and a few others for 2 years.

I have won several Vegas tourneys and turned good profits in limit games 4-8, 5-10.

I have never ever turned a profit after 1 month with a $100 buyin. I only play sit-n-go's and limit games.

The hands are absolutely crazy how they land online. I am no longer an online player only brick and mortar.

It will be revealed in the near future how the sites spike deals to gain everyones money over time. You may strike it quick but will give it all back. NOT SO IN PERSON!!!

Enjoy playing the software I am going to stick with the real thing People I can see.

Unregistered on July 17, 2006

But assuming people made abnormally stupid bets, say ,2% of the time gives you only 100 hands. You would ned a sample at least 100 times that for to start to mean something.

HPG ADMIN on July 17, 2006

I have studied over 5,000 hands at Paradise. The only time I noticed abnormal results, were after abnormally stupid bets.

The incredible growth on these sites leave more than a few players that do not have clue.

Learn to play against them, or quit.

Either way, please accept some cheese with your WHINE!

Zenplayer on July 16, 2006

Its is a scam. Obviously there are people who win money, but if you really pay attention to how the cards fall and who is winning the money, you will notice some strange patterns. I have won 2, tournaments for over $1500 each time. But, I still think its a scam. You are nieve to think its 100% legit. I have watched certain people win thousands of dollars over a couple hours. Staying in with big bets and sh*t cards, only to win on the river...over and over again. I have seen people bet huge with a low pair and A-K on the flop. Almost like they can see what everyone else is holding. And it happens over...and over again. Amazingly, they continue to rack up hundreds of dollars, while other people at the table continue to get smoked. I cant even count how many times I've seen someone stay in with 2-8 OS on a big bet only to catch a full house and take a huge pot. I know this happens from time to time, but when its the same person catching the hand, over and over....you have to be a moron to think you arent getting scammed.

Just open your eyes, and pay attention.....you will see!

If you end up on a table with one of these people......do yourself a favor, and find a new table. Money can be made, but you have to be smart. You might be a good poker player, but no matter how good you are, its impossible to win of someone can see your cards!

And what makes you think that some employees dont want to make some extra money??

Heres an idea....when you see some catching river, after river...and winning hand after hand. Put them in your "friends" section. And every time you log on, check to see if they are playing. And if so, just watch them play....you might be surprised to see them catching the river, day after day.

Dont be a fool. Protect your money, and find a table that looks legit.

Unregistered on April 16, 2006

please no one ever play on this site its terrible u never win two sit n gos twice in a row its impossible i went all big blind with aj small blind called me with 38 off and catches straight there was olny 200 in the pot he calls my allin for 700 more,then i get aa lose to 10 10 then i have qq vs kk i hit a queen then he hits running flush cards,then i have nut straight he calls my allin with one card to more with ace high he catches flush cost him half of his stack he call what a donk too many donks never play omaha on this site the worst omaha players in the world and catch everything i have aakq allin he calls with 23910 and catches straight too many donks on this site.

chelsearule1 on April 11, 2006

dont play a multi table tourney on this site i had kk flop was k67 i checked he bet i went allin he called with aj clubs one club on board then two more clubs come out,if u dont double your chip in the first ten hands u have no chance of winning impossible.

chelsearule1 on April 7, 2006

I've lost 10 of my last 14 all ins on the river on Paradise, having had the better pocket cards and indeed the best hand all the way to the river card. Maybe I am just unlucky, but I don't think so. Recent examples of defeats are me going all in after the flop with pocket Kings, only to be beaten by pocket queens when a Q came out on the river. Having pocket 5's, 5 on the flop...all in. Only to be beat by a flush when clubs came out on the turn and river and the best of all. Pocket Aces, ace on flop...all in, end up losing to pocket Jacks when Jacks came out on turn and river to give him 4 of a kind. Those were my last three defeats!!! I've also sat back and witnessed amazing defeats to other players on there and it seems almost all all ins end up being won or lost on the river card. I appreciate they may do this on purpose for dramatic effect but all I want to do is play poker, with equal odds to everyone else on the table. I am no Shark but nor am I a fish, and there are some extremely unlikely things that occur on Paradise far too often.

annoyed on October 2, 2005

Rigged ? Cheating ? Shills ? Listen - All online poker... A-L-L of them, use juiced flops to induce action. Therefore, its not random and is rigged. This makes GOOD players lose more, and BAD players will lose anyway. See that ??? Very simple. The good players still can turn a profit, but a small one. ONLY because they are good enough to adapt to the software, and play "it" instead of the players. And finally, yes there are Shills. Thats the one most people dont understand. Thats the "bot" or "employee", that takes your stack all at once. You think bad beat, and keep playing. NOT.Do yourself a favor. Analyze your bad beats for a few days. Find the ones that take Astronomical odds to beat you after the flop, that call your all-in with NOTHING, and then catch runner runner to win. Not the hands where they had something to chase, but the hands that not even a blind Donkey would call a penny with.... and youll find your own proof.

here you go on September 28, 2005

Conspiracy theorists (inre online poker)are afflicted with low self-esteem and sublimated rage, and 1. generally don't understand odds; 2. play by "feel"; 3. want to "win" rather than looking at long-haul results; and 4. don't seem to grasp that it isn't in online poker sites best interest to rig their software. I find Paradise Poker very easy to deal with, and feel that they have the best software out there. Most of those complaining about all the bad beats going on seem to forget that the large majority of the players online at any given time will be in the low stakes games, and are much more apt to stay in with a marginal hand. If you want to play with more knowledgable (read predictable) players, go up to at least $3-$6 Limit or $200 No Limit. And I just gotta say, You gotta be much more knowledgable to paly No Limit online.

samalyzer on September 20, 2005

This sight seems to be decent other than it is just slower than hell.

Unregistered on August 26, 2005

Only played in one $30 tourney there. Saw AA, KK(twice), and QQ all lose to total garbage that went all in before the flop. Everyone of these hands lost!! No single premium pair held up!! Not a conspiracy nut, but that was enough to make me not want to play there.

Stay_in_the_casino on August 14, 2005

paradise is one of the best sites. More like real poker. I just wish they had more freerolls. In the top two of my poker sites.

sharonlee on August 1, 2005

8 because bonuses aren't many, and aren't so appealing or competitive. 8 because of SO MANY FISH!!!!! especially at 1/2. Never played tournies, don't know why.

flippo on July 14, 2005

Guys, please stop this nonsense about rigged sites. The only (proven) way sites stole player's money is much simpler than making biased shuffle - PokerSpot was the most prominent example. I'm 100% sure that _none_ of the big rooms is intentionally rigged; as for Stars' - I had doubts about them at some point (after a bad beat streak obviously) and asked them to send me the whole history of my play there; when I've got it, I made all kinds of statistical analysis with it (and I have a degree in maths) - and came up with nothing beyond statistical expectations. So until somebody will provide a mathematical proof (rather than emotional "he got one-outer, it should NEVER happen, at least not to me") - I won't even consider such a possibility. Face it, guys - bad beats is an integral part of poker. And those who cannot deal with it, just should not play poker, ever - there are other ways to have fun in life.

Nobody on June 12, 2005

Anyone who says that poker is rigged is nothing but a bad player and a fool. I bet alot of the times people catch on the river, they bet big, and YOU stupidly call. YOU. Like someone once said, people can't blame themselves for their crappy play, so they blame the site to cover up for their sheer suckness. Great, fun site. Good play money games for those interested. Easy to win if you're good - easy to derive false rigged allegations from if your a crap player.

the real truth about you fools on May 19, 2005

Hi Guys Paul Again, As a gambler we all no doubt recognize and accept the "laws of average" factor. It cannot and will not be denied. I play Blackjack at a local casino. I usually play at the $25 minimum table for hours at a time. I have seen dealers go on fantastic streaks of luck as well as players. Suddenly a reversal of fortunes surfaces and it goes vice versa. The same trends occur when I play in the casino's poker room, I can go an hour, sometimes more without getting involved in a hand, no viable pockets to even play loose with. While online I experience the same trends. I go bad and then suddenly I get a rush of winning pockets. As for the droughts occurring after money withdrawals from online poker rooms, it's just a coincidence. I would love to blame my droughts on rigged software. The other night there were over 80,000 players online at one time. Now just how in the world do you figure they singled you out? Out of the entire population of "players currently online" do you suppose any software can do that?!!! They can deliver weak pockets which I refer to as a "lags" because they delay your game as any good poker player will bide his time and wait, wait, wait and wait some more if need be for a viable hand. The community board may be a tad juiced as well, but then again it is going to lose for you and win for you in turn, as the "laws of average" kicks in again! Same thing at a Blackjack table when a player does the opposite move with his/her hand as he should and then the dealer instead of making a solid hand, BUSTS! Nobody wants to kick the lame player unless the dealer makes a 21. Same thing in online poker rooms. You seem to remember the "bad beats" more predominantly than the hands you committed the bad beat on yourself. Human nature, we are basically negative creatures. Some more than others, thus the constant complaining and finger pointing. A decent comparison for the online community boards would be looking back to when you were learning poker as a kid, remember when deuces were wild? That creates excitement and more possibilities for everyone's hand involved. Again, it works for you and against you within the guidelines of the "laws of average". It's how you play the winning hands that differs the winners from losers. Maximize your wins and minimize your losses. It's just that simple. Rigging? Yes. But not individual conspiracies! Well guys/gals that's the way I see it.

PaulsGTO on April 12, 2005

I transfered 75.00 and 20.00 from Ima Pigon to Riddler33. Only 20.00 showed up where's the other $75.00

Unregistered on March 29, 2005

I don't have many hours to play poker, so I love playing here. They have always treated me well, and I love their support and tourney schedule.

Blackjack777 on March 26, 2005

I wont even think about going to another site. Paradise is the best.

charlie fu on March 19, 2005

I began playing online poker about 14 months ago and one of the first sites I joined was Paradise. I have been pretty much a regular at this site. I only learned recently that this site has some of the toughest players on the net. Maybe that is why I find it difficult to win a lot of money consistantly. I have enjoyed playing this site more than any of the other three I have played, (Party, Empire, Pacific). I am very pleased with their software, have very few server problems, much less than with the other three. For some unknown reason I just enjoy the atmosphere the board gives. You have pretty much "regulars" that play and they do know how to play the game. I enjoy the consistancy of the games I play in. You can predict much better your opponents hands etc. than at sites in which 60% see the flop and go to the river. It is more difficult to make money here but a much more pleasing "poker" experience. I know I can make more money playing other sites but for some reason I just enjoy this place and continue to play here. Of course, I am not playing poker to "make a living", I already have a job, I just want consistantly win a few dollars, ($100 a month). Is that too much to ask? You must play solid poker to make money here but that is the joy of this place. I have never had trouble cashing out and have not experienced the "bad beat" syndrome as much at this site. But maybe the reason for this is I am a tight player not going to show down as much as other players. The cards never seem to vary, good/bad one way or the other. There is consistancy in the cards you are dealt. No long periods of bad cards and no long periods of good cards. Just a good mix of the two. It has always seemed like a "normal" holdem game to me. I simply enjoy playing at this site! I have never felt like I was getting a "raw deal" or being cheated at this site and I have played this site for over a year.

CayceKY on February 23, 2005

Seems to me there are far too many bad beats on 2 pairs and sets getting challenged by connectors and drawing to a straight. Has happened far too often to be random. I started out winning regularly and little by little the bad beats increased the more I played.... I for one won't go back.

guscrew on January 27, 2005

According to some reviews here, I must be a bad player, because I win regularly at Paradise. I also win at Prima and Empire, so I must really suck. It is funny to hear losers complain about the fact that relatively low probability advantages don't hold every hand. Paradise is a fun place to play, they cash out fairly quickly (though Prima is faster), the breadth of their games is unmatched and I love their blind structure on the pot limit and no limit games. Sometimes a bit slow.

ChLafite on January 7, 2005

It is not the place for a free roll junkie.But it is the best site for real money games/tournaments. Great software,customer support, and most important great online players that know how to play!!!!

Speedy on January 4, 2005

Paradise is a top-notch site, with great tournaments. I especially like the blind structure that increases more slowly and and gives solid players more time to eliminate the luck factor. In response to NYclub and Dime, I have been playing at Paradise for about 8 months and have won money steadily, as have a couple of my friends, simply by playing solid, patient, tight, aggressive poker. A good player can win anywhere. The lousy ones simply lose their money and complain that the sites are rigged.

harry on December 31, 2004

nyclub knows whats really going on. they are all a scam, just play to have fun and not to make money cause the better of a poker player u are the more your gonna get fckd.

dime on December 27, 2004

I played in this site once lost all my money the first night ,,,they never gave me my bonus and I I will never play there again

Beverly on December 18, 2004

love the tournements for freerolls could improve on loosing up on winning real money

imasmokie on October 13, 2004

No question there is hack software out there, plus the bad sub programming in "shuffling" programs. As most on the net know, the aggressive better gets more hands given to him. First one to all in usually wins. So the fools go all in preflop and win. I have seen 12 preflops all in win 12 times in a row by the same guy. His best hand was a pair of 5's. All others were low cards offsuit. The heavy better is NOT winning because of all the folding. They are actually being fed the cards on the turn and river. Always bad feeling when pockets aces lose to a small straight that was Flopped A-K-9, turn 3 river - 5, Idiot stayed agaist HEAVY bets with a 4-2 and won. Bad enough it happend once. But same guy in 5 hands won an all in against 3 kings with small straight 3-7. Some sites are just fun to play. But for real money NONE are honest. You have to treat it simply as a software game and NOT a real poker hand. Look at Paradise Poker and all the Prima poker sites for their "auditted" guarantee from PriceCoopersWaterhouse. The paper is a fake. Not accepted in any court of law or contract. WHY? Because it is signed "PriceCoopersWaterhouse, Inc". --NO AUTHORIZED representative. No person held to account. No such thing as a company signing a document, some real human must sign their own name on BEHALF of the company.

NYClub on October 8, 2004

By far a top shelf poker room. Great support, bunus, and great players.

lawsan on September 16, 2004

I love paradise would get a 10 if it would let you play in more then 1 sit and go at a time

the snack on August 31, 2004

Great site, BUT they limit you to playing 3 tables max. I now play at Party and make 25% more an hour by playing 4 tables.

Daithi on August 22, 2004

Is it just my computer or are the graphics on this site too much for others computers to handle?

lovetopolka on July 14, 2004

Without a doubt, the best place around. Best software, best support and tons of people so there's always a good game to be found.

lester on July 13, 2004

- Best customer service - Best graphics - Best interaction (gameplay and otherwise) - Best tournaments There's no two ways about it.. Paradise is the best online poker room .

Onyx_Hokie on July 13, 2004

one of the few sites with good customer service, good traffic, the games are looshish and they give decent reloads

kk. on July 7, 2004

Nice site, although graphics can be intense. Tons of multitable and single table tourneys. Great for starting out. Although, not many freerolls. They used to have several each week. Now they just have one, and the winner gets a poker chip set.

PokerFoos on May 27, 2004

Excellent site

pokerguy11 on May 17, 2004