Action Poker and their skins do not accept U.S. Players but players outside the U.S. Could log into Action Poker or a skin and sit at the same online poker table as their username at BetOnline. This is a recipe for collusion. Action Poker has been plagued with problems ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act came into law in. Jun 11, 2012 Re: BetOnline Poker a scam? I just got a reply from CS saying 'We are experiencing a Technical Problem with the Poker Network Provider.' Calling it a poker network provider suggests to me that they have in some way farmed out their poker business, which would explain why you have to shuffle your money back and forth between sports gambling. Big Pairs are the best starting hands in Texas Holdem. They are strongest heads up so raising to narrow the field is often the best option. AA and KK are good hands to call an all in bet pre-flop but caution is advised for QQ and JJ. If their is more than one player all-in, it is likely best to fold all but AA and KK.
Top 5 (Previous) Reasons To Avoid BetOnline Poker
BetOnline is a large international sportsbook and poker room that accepts players from all around the world. The book also accepts US players, with poker players and sports bettors alike heading to the room because of their positive ratings by SportsbookReview.com and other review websites.
While BetOnline seems to have a lot to offer online gamblers, a nice deposit bonus, 24/7 support and a user friendly interface, the room fell flat in many areas.
Latest Updates at BetOnline
December 6, 2013: We recently sat down with a representative from BetOnline, and he answered 10 tough questions. It sure looks like they are turning things around.
June 24, 2013: After significant arbitration between old and new management at the Chico Network (BetOnline’s parent network), a new management team took control of the Chico Poker Network. We are in “wait and see” mode regarding a recommendation to play at BetOnline.
Below is a history of what happened at BetOnline. While we believe these issues are behind them, with new management they have turned a new leaf. We don’t ever want to forget history so we plan on keeping this page live:
BetOnline Poker Network Had Rampant Collusion
BetOnline offers a poker room that is on the Chico Network, but were once claiming to be part of the non-existent Hero Poker Network. BetOnline Poker has neither confirmed nor denied publicly that they made up the network, but players could easily tell that BetOnline Poker was on the Chico Network by comparing tables and software.
Players were able to play both on the BetOnline and Action Poker software (both Chico Network Skins) at the same time on the same tables from the same computer. Collusion was extremely simple and very frequent.
BetOnline Attempted to Steal Successful Poker Bankrolls
In November of 2011, a 2+2 user had his 65,000 dollars in winnings confiscated off him for collusion play. As we mentioned previously, this is devilishly easy given the network setup, but this player vehemently denied this accusation. Furthermore, BetOnline did not produce any evidence to the player that he was guilty of player collusion. The player finally received his funds months later, after SportsBookReview.com filled a claim on his behalf and his play was deemed lawful.
Soon, the thread was filled with other players saying the same thing. BetOnline was simply accusing players of collusion if they seemed to run up their balance in the poker room. Though, many of these players did receive their funds back, after going to SportsBookReview.com for help, BetOnline was consistently attempting to seize poker bankrolls from players without producing any evidence!
BetOnline Did Not Honor Promotions
BetOnline offers some great deposit promotions, but asks that players email support within 24 hours of depositing to receive their free plays or deposit bonus. Even after emailing, and hounding live chat support, players still may not receive their bonus offers. Management will use any technicality they can to avoid giving players their bonuses and will do anything to not honor their promotions. They seem to make up the rules as they go along, and will do anything to defraud their own player base.
BetOnline Has Terrible Customer Support
BetOnline has a support staff that is renowned by sports bettors for all the wrong reasons. Even though they are available 24 hours a day, live chat representatives have many documented instances of being rude to customers and calling them names. Emails are rarely answered quickly and often times the question or issue is not resolved.
Payouts Were Not As Advertised
Online Poker Scam
Due to the crackdown on online gambling in the US some sites have had delays in payouts, which is understandable. However, BetOnline over-promises and under delivers by claiming checks will arrive within a week, and often has customers waiting much longer and going through hell to get their money.
Poker Pairs
When a player normally requests a payout, the sports book or poker room will approve the request and inform the bettor that it is processing once it has been approved. Apparently, BetOnline is not interested in proper business practices as only rarely will players receive their payouts by just requesting it from their available balance; they will have to call, email, and live chat their way to get their withdrawals processed. On top of that, some of the cashiers’ checks they do finally send out bounced once they hit players!
Low Poker Pair
We recommend all US players to avoid BetOnline Poker at all costs and don’t trust any person or site that recommends BetOnline as a quality alternative. Get out while you still can and head over to the most reputable poker room still available to US players: Americas Cardroom.