If you rank a poker site according to player traffic, there’s no doubt that you’ll play at Pokerstars instead of 888 oker. According to statistics, 888 Poker is currently ranked in the fifth position relative to player traffic, while Pokerstars has been at the top of the leaderboard for several years now. In this video ill explain if 888 poker is better than PokerStars.I hope you learned about 888 poker and PokerStars. Re: Poker & 888 poker vs Pokerstars Originally Posted by Senneville love way more PS.,more tourney best tourney, tourney to your country, freeroll, a bunch of game with cash, star, or ticket. Pokerstars is the largest poker site in the world and it’s though comparing in to another poker site. The only poker rooms that can hold the candle to Pokerstars are Party Poker and 888 Poker (and maybe Everest Poker). 888 Poker is also known as Pacific Poker and it’s a very unique poker site with some great tournaments.

• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Poker
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Championship
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Tournaments
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Cash
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Play
• 888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Reddit

Winrates

Let’s recap on the results of both grinds.

PokerStars

888

Profits from 888 were around double over this 12,000 hand sample. We took around $50 from the PokerStars tables for a winrate around 4b/100 and around $100 from the 888 tables for a winrate around 8bb/100 hands.

Population Tendencies

There were certain lines that happened frequently at 888 which occurred with a much lower frequency at the PokerStars network. For example, min-bets and donk-bets were common place. We even considered hands in the 888 grind log where our opponent flops top set and proceeds to min-bet.

While min-betting is not always a completely incorrect part of poker strategy, a large amount of min-betting is general a strong indication of soft games. The same can be said of donk-betting (betting OOP on any street into to preflop aggressor). It’s not always incorrect, and does have a place in good poker strategy. It’s not used super frequently in tough games however, so a high frequency of donk-bets is a good general indication of weaker games.

We noticed in general our opponents were more inclined to call overbets with worse hands, re-raise for value with overly weak hands, and randomly overbet shove all-in at 888. This could of course be a product of variance, but when we put everything together, the overwhelming likelihood is simply that 888 is a much softer network than PokerStars.

The Experience

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars

Winning felt reasonably straight-forward at 888, but difficult at PokerStars. There were times during the PokerStars grind where it looked as if we were not going to make any profit at all. It could be to do with the fact that we appeared to hit some negative variance (downswing) at PokerStars, but it’s also true that we ran bad in some spots at 888 poker. We lost a 270bb pot at 888 at one point which is a significant loss over a 12k hand sample, but we recovered quickly as a result of bad players donating their stacks to us. So it seems we maybe had an equal share of bad luck at both sites; it’s simply that there were far less donations at PokerStars making it harder to recover.

The original plan for the challenge was to play 4 tables of fast poker on each site. This is not possible on the 888 network. At least, it is not possible to play 4 Snap tables of the same stake, but it is possible to 4 table if one of the snap tables is of a different stake. For some reason it takes longer to transition between hands after fast folding at the Snap tables in comparison to fast folding at the PokerStars Zoom tables. The decreased volume capabilities at 888 may result in our potential hourly winnings taking a hit.

PokerStars Zoom supports use of tracking software and a HUD, while 888 allows use for tracking software but not the use of a HUD. This may either be an advantage or a disadvantage. For recreational players it can easily serve as an advantage since it diminishes the amount of predatory behavior that they may be subject to. (Good players having access to all of their statistics and information and using it to formulate exploitative tactics). It’s well known that large amounts of PokerStars hand-histories are available for sale meaning that a complete unknown can potentially have a large amount of information on us.

Rake Analysis

We’ll use a slightly augmented sample for this since a few hands were played as a warm up. We have 16,091 hands on 888, profit of $154.79 and total rake paid of $106.35

Rake is often measured in amount of bb paid per 100 hands, similar to winrate.

So on 888 we paid 1063 big-blinds in rake over a 16,091 hand sample.

This works out at around 6.6bb/100 paid in rake on 888. This is actually extremely competitive. It’s worth keeping in mind that some of the more expensive networks can easily charge over 10bb/100 in rake.

PokerStars is typically known for its low rake, although there have been some rake changes recently. We have a slightly augmented sample here also. We have 16,000 hands on stars with a total rake paid of $86.15.

So we have paid 861bb over a 16,000 hand sample which works out to around 5.38bb/100 paid on PokerStars. So PokerStars is still slightly more competitive in terms of rake but only slightly. Given that we would expect our winrate to potentially be double on 888, the slightly better rake is not going to make enough of a difference.

Conclusion

PokerStars offers lower rake and a better VIP system. It also offers faster paced games and less table caps making it easier to play a larger number of hands per hour. However, there is no comparison between the softness of PokerStars and the softness of the 888 network. It’s estimated that winrates of double or more may be achieved at the 888 network, which greatly outweigh any of the other benefits offered by PokerStars.

This is not to say that we will necessary make twice as much money at 888, because profits should be measured in terms of hourly-rate, not winrate. Our hourly rate will typically not be double, but it should be significantly high enough over the returns offered by PokerStars that the correct decision is somewhat straight-forward.

There is a reason why PokerStars still has much more traffic than 888, despite many players being at least vaguely aware of the above idea that other sites are significantly more profitable. Here are two possible reasons.

1. PokerStars is considered more fashionable. Players like to player there because “everybody else does”. If they have poker friends, they probably play at PokerStars, and it’s nice to play at the same room. Maybe for some of us, these are actually valid reasons. It’s not really up to us to comment on this, we are purely interested in the financial aspects to this investigation. If you want to make the most money, 888 is a better choice.
   
2. Huge Stars advertising campaign. 888 are huge on advertising, but the chances are that most of us have seen more PokerStars adverts than 888 adverts. It basically means that the average person might be aware of PokerStars products but not aware of 888 products.
   

This was by no means a perfect experiment, but should serve as a very good rough guide for where it makes the most sense to play. A perfect experiment would involve having 300k+ hands on each site so we can gauge more accurately what exact winrates look like.

In a highly competitive iGaming industry, the task of deciding the winner in the 888 vs Pokerstars battle has to be carefully chosen. Let us analyse the various factors that come into play when choosing the best poker site.

Welcome Bonus Provided to New Customers – 888poker Wins

The welcome bonus offered by Pokerstars is a healthy £20 for new customers along with the opportunity to pick up $14 in tournament tickets. A player has to come in with a minimum deposit of £10 and a special bonus code for picking up this offer. The £20 in cash will be given in two instalments. Furthermore, the other benefits like free tickets will be placed into the account instantly. 4

888 poker also comes up with rewards for a new player, who is eligible to pick up £20 in a no-deposit bonus. One qualifies for this offer by getting the 888 poker software and opening a verified account on the platform. The bonus is available irrespective of the platform – mobile, desktop, or tablet – through which the player accesses the poker section. There is also in deposit bonus that will provide players with the opportunity to pick up to $400 after matching the first deposit at 100%. A player qualifies for this bonus by making a deposit of $10 or more. This offer is valid only on the first deposit. 5

Gaming Options Open in Different Categories – Pokerstars Wins

The welcome bonus is undoubtedly a major attraction, but the availability of games goes a long way into determining the success of a poker platform. Pokerstars is impressive in almost every type of game that can be found in the poker section. Since its inception, the brand has had enough time to bring in various player profiles and create a strong portfolio. Some of the different variants that players can come across at Pokerstars are:

• Texas Hold’em
• Omaha 8
• 5 Card Draw
• 6+ Hold’em
• Razz

888poker is not different compared to Pokerstars, but one can come across a sizeable reduction in the number of options. Still, many of the new users to the world of online poker will not find reasons to complain, as 888poker still manages to come up with options like:

• Omaha
• Texas hold’em
• 7 Card Stud

Cash Games

There is a decent selection of cash games on both platforms, but there is a huge advantage for Pokerstars, which provides betting limits that start very low at $0.01. The high stakes games are able to accept even $200 blinds. One could miss the ultra-high stakes games on this platform. 4

For those concerned with cash games at 888poker, the range is quite decent with limits available from as low as $0.01 and going to even $50 on titles like the No-Limit Hold’em. There is a greater focus on the mid and low stakes, as the frequency of higher stakes titles being used by players is not very often. 4

Tournaments

The area where 888poker lags behind Pokerstars is in the tournament sector. Any player who wants to get into a decent prize pool may certainly have something to benefit from this sector. As a result of 888poker being a partner of the World Series of Poker, many online titles can be found. In fact, 888poker might just be the best option for starting with a small bankroll and trying to succeed at Las Vegas online. 4

Pokerstars is one of the best destinations for tournament players. One can come across an extensive list of tournaments at different levels. A player will be able to find freerolls or buy-ins for the high-stakes events. Apart from the daily tournament, Pokerstars is also a great place for receiving many weekly events. 5

Bonuses that Existing Players can Claim: 888poker Wins

Pokerstars is rich in terms of the special offers that are handed out to existing customers. The range of options can be chosen based on a player’s interest and bankroll. The Sunday Billion is a bonus offer that is available exclusively for the No Limit Hold’em tournament. All players will be competing for the opportunity to pick their share of 1 billion chips. The buy-in for this tournament requires 1 million chips and it can be quite competitive. This is an offer that is suitable for high rollers. Since Pokerstars is very big on cash games, it is followed up with an equally great offer in terms of these categories. A player will be able to put themselves in the frame for weekly prizes that range from just 50 million to even a billion chips. 5

888poker is big when it comes to bonus offers which can range from a simple refer-a-friend offer to a gigantic package that will reward users with substantial bonus amount. For example, the Millions Superstorm is an offer that will give access to a prize pool that goes in excess of $ 1 million. Crucially, the buy-in required for the offer is not very huge at just $1. A member on the platform will also be able to come across giveaways that provide seats, tickets, and bonuses to the main event. 5

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Poker

Additional Features Available on the Platforms

User Experience – Pokerstars wins

Pokerstars and 888poker both manage to offer a ton of customisation options. These are also running the latest versions of graphics that look good on any device. Many online poker rooms will struggle to compete with the kind of customisation options provided by Pokerstars and 888poker. Another crucial parameter for players would be the game speed and the presence of any loading issues. Both these platforms excel in these two categories, as games load fast without any hassle. There is little to separate these two in terms of user experience, as they are similarly matched but Pokerstars would get the slight edge.

Mobile App – Pokerstars wins

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Championship

888poker has a mobile app that has been around since 2012. Over the years, it has undergone significant revisions to its design, features, and gaming options. The app is capable of functioning on Apple or Android devices. Apart from the availability of most games on the platform, 888poker mobile app also offers the banking options that can be used comfortably without having to visit the desktop. 4

Pokerstars is an excellent option for those who want to access the platform from a mobile device, which can be an Android or iOS device. The mobile poker client from Pokerstars manages to fit all the requirements expected by gamers with different levels of experience. It manages to a comprehensive gaming experience which has been designed in such a way that it looks similar to the desktop. The app also comes with a whole lot of functionalities that allow players to adjust gameplay and several other parameters. The customisation options provided on the Pokerstars mobile app make it slightly better than the competition. 5

Banking and Withdrawal Options – Tie

Pokerstars and 888poker are almost similar when it comes to the banking options. There is little to separate the two, as options like credit cards, debit cards, NETELLER, Skrill, PayPal, and others are supported by both platforms. All of these choices provide a fast and secure way of making or withdrawing payments.

Customer Support – 888poker wins

Pokerstars has a serious disadvantage in this regard since the only option available to get in touch with the support team would be through email. It is a major disappointment that even live chat is not available as part of the options to contact support. 2

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Tournaments

888poker, meanwhile, comes with the three major verticals that are very crucial for iGaming users – email, live chat, and telephone. Even if one of the options is down due to one reason or the other, 888poker will be able to offer assistance through other options. 5

Pros & Cons

Pros:

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Cash

Cons:

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Play

888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Reddit

Summary and Verdict of the Epic Clash

There is a lot of competition that exists between Pokerstars and 888poker. Both these platforms occupy the upper echelons of the online poker segment. However, the comparison clash between these two giants will provide a lot of lessons for online poker players. Even though 888poker shines in a number of areas like brand image, welcome bonus offer, and more, it loses out to Pokerstars on a number of fronts. 888poker is more of a platform that is suitable for casual players. If the player is more concerned about satisfying the need for excitement, both are able to offer a similar experience. However, Pokerstars is easily the best platform when the player is more serious about their gaming options, stability of the software, and other parameters.