If you look up survivor in the dictionary then you will most certainly find the Absolute Poker logo in the image next to the text. Launched in 2003, Absolute Poker was plagued with scandal and breaches of security. Every expert in the industry predicted that Absolute Poker would disappear into the ether; however, this was not to be. Instead of imploding, Absolute Poker hoisted themselves up by their boot straps and joined forces with the online poker giant UB Poker in 2008 forming the CEREUS poker network. Absolute Poker now ranks in the top 10 of online poker rooms with regards to player traffic. Absolute Poker and UB Poker are both owned by Bianca Games Inc. and are licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
The motto of the CEREUS poker network is “Bigger.Badder.Better” which is certainly relevant as regards Absolute Poker. Absolute Poker offers their members a top-tier online poker room with simple to use and powerful software, a huge selection of games, great bonuses and non-stop promotions - a truly superior playing experience. Players have a choice of a downloadable version of their software as well as a No Download/Flash version.
Absolute Poker enjoys as many as 25,000 players online at peak hours with between 1,500 and 2,000 players participating in real money ring games and as many as 10,000 players participating in Absolute Poker’s many tournaments.
Players will find a very good selection of different poker variants available at Absolute Poker at the full range of game limits. They host No Limit Texas Hold’em cash game tables with stakes ranging from as low as $0.50/$0.10 up to $25/$50, No Limit Omaha tables with stakes ranging from $5/$10 up to $50/$100 and No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tables with stakes ranging from $0.05$0/10 up to $1/$2.
Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo tables are available as Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit games with the rest of their poker variants available with fixed limits.
Absolute Poker hosts a massive number of tournaments so players are sure to find exactly what they are looking for without any problem whatsoever. Their tournaments are available in a range of buy-ins from $1 all the way up to $5,000 and they tend to be pretty loose. They offer a number of different tournament structures including multi-table, single table and heads-up. The greatest concentration of tournaments can be found in the Heads-Up Sit & Go tournaments.
Players will be most happy to find not only a big selection of Texas Hold’em tournaments but Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo and even the occasional H.O.R.S.E. tournament.
Absolute Poker’s reputation for tournaments was already established with their weekly $150,000 and $75,000 Guaranteed tournaments. With their move to CEREUS, they bumped up their weekend guaranteed tournament offerings all the way up to an incredible $500,000.
Absolute Poker hosts a whole boat load of freerolls offering a variety of prizes. The majority of the freerolls on offer are Multi Table Limit and No Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments and provide beginners with an excellent opportunity to pad their burgeoning bankrolls. Players looking to win themselves some Absolute Poker gear should check out the “Poker Aces” and “Absolute Swag” freerolls.
Players will find no shortage of freerolls and satellite tournaments to all of the big live poker events such as the World Series of Poker, Irish Poker Open, the Aussie Millions and more.
Poker is unlike any other game that one will find at the casino. While the randomness of the cards dealt to the player certainly plays a part in the game; psychological warfare and knowledge of the rules play an even more important part. Absolute Poker understands this and while you will not find any lessons, podcasts or video clips in their online poker school, you will find all of the rules regarding the various games on offer in their online poker room, rake charts and strategy articles geared towards all levels of play from the beginner to the experienced player.
The first steps that a new player should take after reading up on the rules is participating in play money games and freerolls. Absolute Poker hosts plenty of both. Freerolls are particularly useful to the new player as they give them the opportunity to get some experience playing for real prizes without taking any risk.
Once new players have had their fill of play money games and freerolls, it’s time for the real deal. Absolute Poker has tons of micro limit games and tournaments from which to choose. These games provide the new player with the ideal environment with which to gain the knowledge and experience required to really get down.
The Absolute Poker online poker platform provided by the CEREUS network offers players a no-nonsense straight-up poker experience. Both the Absolute Poker lobby and their game tables are simple and without all of the clutter that you might find at other online poker rooms.
While graphically simple, the software platform has all of the features that you would expect from an industry leader. Players enjoy hand history stats, four colored deck, multi-tabling, player notes, instant hand replay, hand history and their find user function which allows users to find their friends online.
In addition to the standard features, Absolute Poker also offers some newer features such as a rabbit cam, pot and half pot buttons and final-table deal-making.
With Absolute Poker’s First Deposit Bonus, players find themselves winning even before playing a single hand. Players making their first deposit enjoy a 150% match bonus up to $500, amongst the most favorable in the industry. What this means is that if you make a first deposit of $300, Absolute Poker will award you with almost $500 in Bonus Dollars.
The Absolute Poker VIP Club is called Fame and is one of the more evolved and rewarding in the industry. Fame is made up of 5 Status levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond Elite. Players make their way up the different Status levels by earning Status Point, the more Status points a player earns each month, the higher their Status level and the better the rewards. Fame offers players cash back, freerolls, personalized customer support, incredible freerolls and much more.
•	45 Seat SnG Weekly Races- Participate in Absolute Poker’s $5 and $11 45 Seat Sit & Go tournaments and win seats to the Sunday $200K and Sniper $80 Guaranteed tournaments.
•	CEREUS Network Promotions- As a member of the CEREUS poker network, Absolute Poker members have access to some of the best tournaments and promotions online.
•	Royal Flush Jackpot- Hit a Royal Flush at the Royal Flush Jackpot tables and win yourself a huge payday.
•	Toe-to-Toe With Our Pros- Target your favorite Absolute Poker pro and collect big bounties.
•	Power Hour- Play at selected hours and earn yourself twice the AbsolutePoints.
•	Tournament Leaderboard- Prove that you are a top tournament player and claim your share in over $1,000,000 in prizes weekly, monthly and yearly.
•	Steps @ AP- Start with as little as $0.10 and work your way up Absolute Poker’s Steps to incredible tournament entries.
•	Bad Beat Jackpot- Turn a bad beat into big money with Absolute Poker’s Bad Beat Jackpot.
•	Refer A Friend- Refer a friend to Absolute Poker and earn a $75 bonus for yourself and a $50 bonus for your friend.
Customer support is a bit of a weak spot as regards Absolute Poker. They do not offer telephone, fax or live support. They do provide players with a fairly thorough FAQ section in their web site and email.