Intertops Poker operates on the Revolution Poker Network, previously known as the Cake Poker Network. The site has a long history in online gambling, with Intertops first taking online bets back in 1996. While the company continued to accept US customers after the passing of UIGEA in 2006, it saw its growth significantly cut. Intertops operates under an e-gaming license issued to Cyberluck Curacao NV, by the Government of Netherlands Antilles.
When you first land on Intertops homepage it does feel dated compared to many sites, although you do have the option of playing on the Instant Play casino as well as downloading the Windows software onto your computer. Unfortunately Intertops Poker does not provide a mobile option.
This detailed review covers all you need to know about Intertops Poker. Firstly the cash games and tournaments are looked at, before information on the poker bonuses on offer. The important subject of payment methods is covered next, with a summary of the pros and cons of Intertops at the end of the page.
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Cash Games on Intertops Poker
On Intertops Poker you can find No Limit Hold’em cash games spread from $0.02/0.04 to $10/20, however most of the action takes place at $2/4 stakes and below. Here you can find a range of 9-man tables, 6-max, Heads-Up and bizarrely 3-handed games, a unique format to the Revolution Network.
Other games on the site include Omaha High, Omaha Hi/Lo and Telesina, an Italian version of 5-Card Stud. You can also find tables providing Pot Limit and Fixed Limit Holdem games. However, due the low traffic which this network experiences, with the exception of micro-limit Omaha High, very few of these games ever run.
The No Limit Hold’em games do pick up during peak US times, with plenty of loose play at the lower levels. During off-peak hours however, it can be hard to find good spots, as the tables consist of mainly regular players and play tends to be a cautious and tight.
Intertops Poker Tournaments
You can find Multi-table tournaments offered on Intertops Poker, with buy-ins ranging from a few cents up to $110, along with a number of Freerolls. You can also find satellites offering packages to live events played in the Caribbean. Guarantees tend to be the low side, with many games only offering $500 or less, even for mid-stakes games and rebuys.
Part of the problem here appears to be the lack of thought put into the scheduling, as when a $1 Bounty only gets 12 runners at 6am ET, it is not surprising to see the $55 tourney with a similar start time is regularly cancelled.
On the plus side, there are plenty of chances to find games here offering overlays, when the guarantees are not met by the fees from the entrants. The small fields also help to reduce variance, as any knowledgeable player should be cashing frequently and be experiencing the thrill of a win more often too.
Sit and Go players can find a mix of games at all levels from $1 up to $200 games. Traffic again is very low here, with only low stakes games really running at peak times. There are full ring, 6-max and Heads Up tables, which are played at regular and turbo speeds. You can also find 3-handed Steps games going from $0.09 up to $342.99 buy-ins, and Omaha SNGs.
Bonuses and Promotions at Intertops Poker
Intertops poker provides new players with a 200% matched bonus on their first deposit, up to $1000. This is paid out into your account in $5 increments. To release each block of $5 you will need to earn 83.335 Frequent Player Points. FPPs can be gained by playing real money games, you’ll also get 7FPPs per $1 of paid tournament fees.
FPPs are also be used as part of Intertops Poker’s loyalty scheme. This is a multi-leveled rewards program, which has different tiers inside each level. As you compete the different tiers and climb the levels, your rate of earning FPPs increase. You will only drop down a level if you fail to make the FPP requirements for two straight months. Points can then be exchanged for Gold Chips, which you can use to spend on cash bonuses and tournament entries.
In addition to the various Freerolls (which can be brought into using FPPs), this site runs an FPP Race. This is a rake race for cash games players, rewarding the top 100 players who play the most with a share of $4000 each week.
A similar promotion is run for SNG players with the weekly $2k SNG Battles. Here the players who rank the highest, by having the best results, get a share of the prize pool. This is split between buy-ins up to $5 and those between $6-$10, and $1000 is divided among the top 30 in each group.
Deposits and Withdrawals at Intertops Poker
US players can get money onto Intertops by making a payment using Money Global (a service which uses retail stores to handle transactions), or with a credit card authorized to make international payments. International players meanwhile can use e-wallets like Neteller or Skill, local payment services such as Sofort, or prepaid options like PaySafeCard.
Those using e-wallets can then cash-out for free, while other services incur fees. Payments back to card for example cost $9 while Checks and Bank Wires can be $50 or more with bank fees, and include minimum withdrawal limits of at least $100.
Intertops Poker Positives
With Intertops Poker you are dealing with a trustworthy operator, with a very long history in the online industry. The 200% bonus awarded to new players is generous, and the FPP Race and SNG Battle gives players a target to aim for.
Intertops Poker Negatives
Intertops Poker really suffers from the lack of traffic on the Revolution Network. This is not helped by a poorly thought out MTT schedule, which does very little to attract new players to the site.
Like many US-facing poker rooms, the site imposes high cash-out fees and minimum limits for many withdrawal methods.
Intertops Poker – Summing It Up
While Intertops accepts players from around the world, including the US, there is a general lack of traffic on the site during off-peak times. In the evening will find an increase in games, with soft cash game action and low stakes SNGs running. The rake race and leaderboard promotions are a good incentive, although the MTT schedule could benefit from significant changes.