Intertops Review
Our Intertops Poker review not only describes the experience players can enjoy at this site, but also explains how to best take advantage of the unique rewards system, bonuses, and promotions. The review comes with a caveat that the majority of action takes place during peak U.S. hours – an important consideration if you play from Europe or the Eastern hemisphere.
Intertops Poker Review: Introduction
Intertops is the grandaddy of online casinos. Currently owned by Thinkquick Ltd, Intertops was established way back in 1983, but became the first ever online sportsbook in 1996. Intertops Sports, Poker And Casino Review 2021 – GamblingBitcoin.com. Intertops Poker Review Intertops Poker wants to make a very good first impression and it starts with a large welcome bonus to help get players in the mood for taking some risks on the tables. This makes for soft competition and plenty of exciting hands in the low and mid ranges where the poker room gets most of its traffic.
The Intertops brand is well-known and well-respected throughout the world. It was the first company ever to operate a UK-licensed telephone betting service for overseas customers (1983), and the first company ever to take an online sports bet (1996). Intertops´ poker platform and online casino arrived soon after; and, for more than twenty years, players have had the opportunity to mix their sports betting action with online poker and a wide range of casino games.
Now based and licensed in Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, Intertops continues to provide an unmatchable service to most jurisdictions throughout the world. Players from some U.S. states are prohibited from playing at the site (DE, KY, NV, WA, and UT), as are players from Australia, Austria, France, Spain, and the UK. If you live in any other jurisdiction, you should definitely give Intertops a try. Our Intertops Poker review explains why.
Rewards, Bonuses, and Promotions at Intertops Poker
One of the primary reasons for recommending Intertops is the site´s rewards, bonuses, and promotions. Not only can they be extremely lucrative, but they are also achievable; thus making Intertops Poker a viable option for new players who may lose some of their bankrolls initially due to enthusiasm and inexperience, but who can make up some of their losses via the rewards system, first deposit and no deposit poker bonuses, and other promotions.
What makes the rewards system unique is that Frequent Player Points (FPPs) – the currency used to earn rewards and clear bonuses – are awarded using the “dealt rake” method rather than the “contributory rake” method. This means that, instead of earning rewards and clearing bonuses based on how much you personally put into the pot and pay in rake, the Frequent Player Points awarded in each hand are distributed evenly between every player dealt into the hand.
Clearly, this is not such a good system for loose, aggressive players who want to bully every pot; so those types of players tend to stay away from Intertops Poker. This means new players can focus on learning to play ABC poker without worrying about being bullied out of pots, reaching the next rewards level, or clearing a bonus within an allotted time scale. It is a shame more rake-hungry poker sites don´t take this approach in order to preserve the online poker ecosystem.
With regards to the rewards, bonuses, and promotions at Intertops Poker, there are too many to include in just one section of our Intertops Poker review. Therefore, we have published a separate page about these benefits. For pragmatic visitors to Texas Hold´em Poker Online who would rather know more about the site before being dazzled by the volume of rewards, bonus, and promotions, here is a brief list of what you can look forward to:
- A 200% poker bonus on first deposits to a maximum bonus of $1,000
- Exchange FPPs for Gold Chips to claim unlimited no deposit poker bonuses
- Weekly FPP races with $4,000 in cash distributed among top 100 players
- Cash awards when you reach new loyalty levels (there are 50 levels!)
- Periodic and player-exclusive poker reload bonuses
- Free-to-enter draws for poker tournaments tickets
- Frequent opportunities to qualify for live poker events
- Free spins in the Intertops Casino when you open a poker account
- Access to Intertops Casino´s rewards, bonuses, and promotions
- Access to sports betting bonuses, free bets, and promotions
Getting Started at Intertops Poker
To get started at Intertops Poker, simply follow our link to the site´s Home Page. You will see three options inviting you to download the free poker software, sign up now, or visit the mobile-friendly Instant Play platform. As you will need an account to play poker for real money on either the Intertops Poker download or Instant Play platform, we´ll start by walking through the process of registering an account. More about the software options can be found below.
When you click on the “Sign Up Now” button, you are taken to a secure web page to register your account. The only information you need to enter at this stage is your county of residence, email address, username, password, and preferred currency (all games at Intertops are played in US dollars, but you can maintain your online account in one of eight currency options including Canadian dollars, Euros, and South African Rand).
The following page requests your name and date of birth, and the final page requests your full address and telephone number. Please enter these details as they appear on any documents you will use to verify your identity – a necessary process when you request your first withdrawal. Once you click on “Sign Up”, your account is registered and you will receive an email welcoming you to Intertops and inviting you to make your first deposit.
Options for Making Your First Deposit
Intertops offers plenty of options for making your first deposit. However, if you live in the U.S. you may find these limited to Visa, Mastercard, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Money Global, and wire transfer. Minimum and maximum deposit limits vary according to the funding source used, and although Intertops won´t charge you for making your first deposit, you might find there are costs attached to funding your account via Money Global or wire transfer.
We recommend using a cryptocurrency wallet to fund your Intertops Poker account. This is because the option doesn´t exist to withdraw to a debit or credit card and – with the exception of cryptocurrency withdrawals – the alternative withdrawal options (money transfer, bank wire, or check) all attract fees. Furthermore, by funding an online account from a cryptocurrency wallet, you are separating your poker bankroll from money you may need for your day-to-day living expenses.
If you have followed our links to visit Intertops Poker and create your account, you are eligible to a 200% bonus on your first deposit and 25 free spins on a selected casino game in the poker platform. To claim your bonus, return to the cashier section after making your deposit and click on the “Redeem Bonus” button. Then enter the Intertops bonus code “THPOBONUS”. The bonus will be credited to your bonus account at once and you can start clearing it as described in our page about the Intertops Poker bonus code.
To claim your free spins, contact Intertops Support. They will direct you to the current month´s options (usually there is a choice of four games to play) and, when you have made your selection, the spins will be credited to your account within 24 hours. Please note that the maximum amount you can win from the free spins offer is $250, and you have to rollover your winnings thirty times before being able to cash them out. This is pretty standard for a free spins promotion.
Options for Playing Poker on Intertops´ Software
Once you have funded your account, it is time to hit the tables and – as mentioned above – there are a couple of different options for playing poker on Intertops´ software. If you prefer to play from a Windows PC, the Intertops download is going to be your best option simply because the interface is slightly better than the Instant Play option. If you prefer to play poker from a Mac or mobile device, the Intertops Instant Play option is the only option available to you at present.
Whichever option you select, the poker platform is easy to navigate. In the left hand navigation bar you can choose to view cash “ring” games, tournaments, or Sit & Go games. Along the top navigation bar there are filter buttons to quickly help you find the type of game, format of game, and stakes you want to play at. If you are in either the tournaments lobby or Sit & Go lobby, you will find a small window and the bottom of the list of games giving you a description of whichever game in the lobby is highlighted.
The Choice of Poker Games at Intertops
The choice of games is similar to what you might have found at a poker site ten years ago inasmuch as there are no fast-fold games of poker or Jackpot Sit & Go games. Nonetheless there is plenty to sink your teeth into. NL and FL Texas Hold´em, NL and PL Omaha, and PL and FL Omaha Hi/Lo are well represented in all three lobbies; plus, in the ring game lobby, you also have the option of PL Telesina – a version of 5 Card Draw.
For most of the day, the majority of cash game action takes place at lower stakes. However, during the evenings and at weekends, you will find cash games running at stakes up to $50/$100, plus Sit & Go games with buy-ins of up to $200 are much quicker to fill. The evenings and weekends are also the times when you will find the most valuable tournaments running at Intertops Poker. The site doesn´t have a particularly valuable tournament schedule, but often the opportunity exists to win packages for live poker events with the chance to win tens of thousands of dollars.
The Intertops Poker Playing Experience
The playing experience is unlike any you might find at other online poker sites. It was mentioned earlier in our Intertops Poker review that loose, aggressive players who want to bully every pot tend to stay away from the site, but that doesn´t necessarily mean the atmosphere is docile. Generally the standard of play is pretty good. Ring game players tend only to play in hands in which they are dealt a premium opening hand, but keep an eye out for opportunistic bluffers – especially in valuable pots.
We also commented earlier that the choice of games is what you might have found ten years ago. This is certainly true in the tournament structures, where the majority of events have ten minute levels – allowing players to play cautiously without getting short-stacked as happens in turbo events. Consequently, and despite having reasonable late registration periods (i.e. not three hours for a $1 buy-in event), tournaments often take a long time to complete.
Intertops Casino
Intertops´ Cool and Uncool Features
Intertops Sportsbook Review
In our online poker site reviews, we often list some of the cooler features of playing at the site. Sadly, Intertops Poker has some uncool features as well – like it´s poker software; which, although perfectly functional and customizable, still looks as if it desperately needs a facelift. A second uncool feature is the lack of traffic during off-peak times which – if you play from Europe or the Eastern hemisphere – is going to make it more difficult to clear the first deposit (unless you play very late at night).
Moving onto the cool features, you just have to look at the depth of rewards, bonuses, and promotions to realize why the site remains popular. It is hard to find such a wide range of achievable poker promotions among US-friendly poker sites, and if you like betting on sports or playing casino games, you will find plenty more reasons to like Intertops Poker. Other cool features that should influence players towards visiting the site include:
- The reliability and trustworthiness of the site
- The dealt rake method of distributing FFPs
- Fee-free deposits and withdrawals
- A good Instant Play option for mobile devices
- A strong schedule of Omaha tournaments
- A better playing experience than most other sites
Intertops Poker Review Conclusion
We like Intertops Poker. The site has always been around all the time we have been playing online poker and it is one we check into from time to time to see what´s going on. However, you are unlikely to get rich playing at Intertops Poker. The volume of traffic doesn´t support million dollar tournaments or whales looking to spend a few minutes (and a few thousand dollars) at the high stakes tables. Nonetheless, it´s a site we think you should check out.
Intertops Review 2020
Intertops Poker is a particularly good learning ground for new players because the atmosphere is a little more relaxed than you will find at other sites, and because the valuable promotions can help to support novices´ bankrolls while they are still learning how to play. Just remember, if you intend taking advantage of the 200% first deposit bonus and the free spins offer, you have to follow our links to the site to be eligible and use the Intertops Poker bonus code “THPOBONUS” after making your first deposit.