Pacific Poker has a reputation for attracting low-limit players who are, generally speaking, very bad. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you look at it. That's why we've rated this site at #3. In general, the stakes are low, the players are clueless, and the software is extremely slow. In other words, if you're a beginner and want to take your time in a setting that will definitely not overwhelm you, Pacific Poker is as good a site as any to start your poker playing. But if you're more advanced or, more importantly, if you're planning to play on higher-limit tables than just $0.25-0.50, you'll probably want to go somewhere else.

That's not to say that Pacific Poker doesn't have high-limit tables. They do exist, some even of the $30-60 variety. It's just that the players at Pacific generally prefer smaller bets. Still, Pacific could be an easy room for the right kind of visitor. . .

The software at Pacific Poker is the site's primary drawback. It is slow, and definitely needs revamping. Especially when the bets are small and the action isn't very intense, slow software can be a big frustration. This is something to bear in mind.

Another disadvantage is the long waiting period for a cashout-sometimes up to four days or more! Compared to other poker rooms, this is almost archaic. And although Pacific Poker has a lot of players, we have to complain about the small number of games: only Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha Hi-Lo and 7-Stud.

Now to the things the site does well... Pacific Poker has made some dramatic improvements recently, which is one of the reasons you should keep this room in mind: positive changes are indeed taking place. The bonuses are attractive, starting with the $100 sign-up bonus (deposit $160 for a bonus of $100). Pacific also offers bonus dollars to the tune of one point for every $10 and, in turn, one bonus dollar for every 100 points. For low-stakes players, of course, this is relatively worthless. But if you're playing at a high-stakes table, the bonus dollars can add up quickly. Another good feature is the generally high volume of players at Pacific. It has the feel of a very lively site, even if it's basically a low-wager "safety zone."