partypoker

Overview

partypoker's story is one of online poker's most dramatic reinventions. Once the world's largest poker site (2001–2006), partypoker fell from dominance before rebuilding under new leadership. The 2019 overhaul — banning HUDs, implementing AI bot detection, and launching the Powerfest series — has restored its reputation as one of poker's premier destinations.

Tournaments: 9/10

Powerfest is partypoker's flagship quarterly series, running with $50M+ in total guaranteed prize pools. Buy-ins span $5.50 to $25,000, with the Main Event guaranteeing $5 million. The MILLIONS series adds live event packages for online winners. Daily volume provides 1,000+ concurrent tournaments.

Player Protection: 10/10

partypoker's ban on all third-party HUD software and investment in AI-driven collusion/bot detection has created the fairest playing environment of any major poker site. Hand histories are anonymised, removing the ability for data mining. These measures disproportionately benefit recreational players and have been independently praised by poker integrity organisations.

Cash Games: 7/10

Cash game traffic peaks at 3,000–4,000 concurrent players — solid but below GGPoker. NL50 through NL200 have consistent action; higher stakes are thinner. The FastForward (fast-fold) format is popular at micro stakes and provides good action density for volume grinders.

Verdict

partypoker is a must-consider for MTT players valuing a fair, HUD-free environment and Powerfest guarantees. For cash game players requiring maximum traffic, GGPoker remains superior. For recreational players, partypoker's protected environment is arguably the safest place to learn poker online.