UFC Poker: Review

In my initial post about the emergence of UFC Poker, I gave some early thoughts about the service-- noting that it was a little buggy. After playing it more, I can confirm that it runs much smoother now. Don't worry, you don't have to play as a UFC fighter avatar if you don't want to.

Anyway, I know my love of MMA might skew my opinion a bit, but UFC Poker is my new favourite way to play Texas Hold'Em online. Of course, that opinion could also have been affected by the fact that I just finished first in a 99-seat tournament to win $10 at the UFC store, which was awwwww-some.

Here are some details:

• All play takes place in tournament format.
• Every day you log on you receive 1500 points. The standard, ten-player tournaments cost 1000 points to enter with the top-three players in every standard, ten-player tournament winning points.
• There are also five-player, three-player, and two-player tables if you have less time to spare. These cost fewer points to enter, but also pay out less to the winners.
• There is a leader board that shows the players who've amassed the most points.
• Here's where it gets interesting: there are also lots of Prize Tournaments that you use points to enter. These typically have many more players involved. The limit is 2500, but most seem to end up in the 100-300 range. Prizes range from cash money, to UFC gift certificates, TapOut apparel, tickets to UFC shows, and much, much more.
• The prizes in these tournaments are claimed by the winners without their ever having provided banking information or paid a single cent.
• One drawback is that you occasionally have to watch UFC commercials, but they aren't too obnoxious.
  
• I suppose some people could be bothered by the fact that once you're out of points you have to wait until the next day to get your automatic 1500 more, but, in my opinion, it's a good thing because it prevents wild, unskilled players from repeatedly running-a-muck out on the tables. Besides, if you're really desperate you can take surveys to earn more points.
• One last thing, the UFC Poker application isn't available on Mac's yet. Rumour has it this will be remedied soon, but you Mac-owners signed up for your cult knowing this sort of thing could happen.
  

I'm BCMMAFAN on the UFC Poker Site. Let me know if you ever see me there.