This was a big thing when first joined the site after sports betting casually on skybet. The forum/continuity/face of site (Tikay/Channing etc) is reassuring. I can trust the staff posts and that things are reasonable here. It was more fun with the channel and mastercash etc but its still good now.
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Couldnt care less!
Third party software not permitted.
Massive for me. I want a level playing field or essentially playing a different game to someone else at the table. Keep this policy going forward PLEASE. Played with suspected bots on other sites and can only help exclude this stuff with a blanket software ban.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Don't care so long as the main schedule fits UK time could have extra tourneys any time.
Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
I like that the scheme is super simple and easy to understand. Would happily drop to monthly rewards.
Decent Customer Care.
Had good experiences and it is definitely reassuring and keeps me here longterm.
Good range of Promos, "always on".
The promos that link into the forum or with the staff involved etc were always the best for me. Top marks for stuff like the HU cup or DYM record attempts. Ive never won on Sky Vegas but I love following the blog posts every year and watching some of the satellites play out.
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
I like this, I dont play enough to make so many suggestions but direct link from respected forum posters/players to forum and staff is evident for long term players like myself.
Site communicates well with the player-base.
Yes. Sky James and Tikay etc on forum really helps to explain the direction of site and smooth changes.
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe.
Big for me.
Sky Poker Tour
Again, this in tandem with forum and whole ethos of site is what enhances the whole Skypoker offer. Attended 2 or 3 times and its the real deal - a big live tournament with a relaxed atmosphere and fuss-free.
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
Massive plus. In the UK, for the UK and just keeps everything simple and approachable.
Extra points:
Simple selection of games and rebuy configurations etc.
Uncluttered lobby means I can recommend and explain the site to my parents/friends etc. Most games that I play run fairly regularly and at convenient Uk times.
Well moderated forum
Good balance struck between allowing debate and criticism then shutting down general abuse and nonsense.
Simple table graphics
No ridiculous avatars swamping the screen, annoying noises,untidy fonts etc. Keep it simple!
Im very satisfied with Skypoker and have been playing for nearly a decade. i have dipped into some of the other sites and prefer the simple but fair offer here. I would be happy with the same set up for the next 50 years so long as they sort out the missing hand when move tables and drop the microcash rake.
Definite plus for me, have made some good pals here, downside, met Percy P the noisy neighbour ;-)
The willingness for good players to help people out with advice on the forum is a massive plus.
"Soft" site.
Suits my rubbish play
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Obviously Haysies doing, keep those Foreign Johnnies out.....
Third party software not permitted.
Quite like this, albeit I would like to be able to track my play a little bit, but on balance its a good thing.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Definite plus and a good reason I don't often lay MTTs on other sites
Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
Very good schemes for low volume recs like me (I'm alright Jack 1 )
Decent Customer Care.
Underatted part of the equation, I have always found CC excellent to deal with and very helpful
Good range of Promos, "always on".
I have won so many things via the promos, from iPhones to £1k UKPC seats, they are fantastic (I'm alright Jack 2)
Freerolls
Enjoy the FRolls and they are much better value than other sites
Sky Poker Social-Media is helpful.
Got a Tuesday night seat via facebook once so IMO its great (I'm alright Jack 3)
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
Very good comms between the site and players, with real interaction and often positive changes
Site communicates well with the player-base.
See above
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe.
Agree
Sky Poker Tour
SPTs are great, glad they are back, hope to play more next year if I can get my sat game in shape
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
Like this also like the speed of withdrawal
There may well be other factors not mentioned, but I cant think of them at the moment, all in all its my favourite site although the introduction of throwing tomatoes would be a massive boost.....
Decent field sizes which lead to good finishing times for those of us that have full time jobs.
Great range of satellites which makes the higher buy in tournaments very affordable.
Fantastic that you get Satellite wins in cash if already bought in (would not mind tournament tickets either as long as they were generic and no expiry, not what party poker have started doing with targeted tournaments only).
Smaller player pool so it’s much easier to know the tendencies of the players you are up against.
Happy that officially you cannot use a HUD. (I love the idea of being able to play around with the stats and math and have one for sites that allow it, however I am no where near knowing how to use it to it’s full potential). I find that the software is actually quite good when you get use to it.
The Vegas promotion is second to none, not just because I was lucky enough to win a package but for the very reason that it’s achievable for the everyday person.
Fridays £22 bh rebut Main and £5.50 mini are the best tournaments by far and really make a difference to me playing on Sky.
Having direct contact with Tikay and the poker team gives me confidence that they listen and make changes to sensible suggestions. With some poker companies I would know who to even talk to let alone know if my opinion makes a difference.
Negatives:
Really wished that when you resized a table that it stayed in the same view, dislike mini view to the extent that I never use it, which in turn limits the amount of tables I will play.
Agree with The Don with regards to rake race promos and the like. However Sky is a business and they need to hit targets and make money to be successful so it’s part of what I accept as one of those things that needs to be done.
Do not like a shared wallet with Skybet but fully understand why it’s like that.
Starting with the "template" from OMT (Old Man Tony):-
Friendly site with a decent Community.
Definite major plus. Yes the Community can be a bit clique-y at times, but it is still a massive reason to play on here
"Soft" site.
Being able to make a (miniscule) profit is important.
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Minor for me, other than how it affects other comments.
Third party software not permitted.
Very, very important. Largescale Multitablers can only play here if they are good, as they cannot "cheat" their way to info that someone truly watching the table has.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Not important for me-relatively easy to learn when MTTs are likely to finish. Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
Decent Customer Care.
General Customer Care is probably above average, but unexceptional. What is trult tremendous are the way Tikay and the dedicated staff strive to provide a tremendous service.
Good range of Promos, "always on".
Sky tries hard to vary the promos. For me, most are industry average. However, there have been glorious exceptions, such as various Vegas promotions and the last gold/silver/bronze job, which were superb.
Freerolls
I think the 6:30/7:30 are pitched perfectly. The rest-not for me
Sky Poker Social-Media is helpful.
Too old to comment
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
Big plus.
Site communicates well with the player-base.
Not always successful, but Sky definitely tries harder than most/all others
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe. The last time I lost a roll (PKR) Stars voluntarily reimbursed me. Thoroughly enjoyed punting that money off at PLO8-thanks Stars
Sky Poker Tour
Great move to reinstate these. Really hope they expand to at least 8 a year. They are SOOOOO much more fun than rival tours.
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
A plus, but not huge for me.
Sheer habit.
Just no.
Other reasons (specify please)
Agree with a lot of other people's comments. I love the field sizes-big enough to matter, but not so big that time loses all meaning. The lobby is simplistic but extremely effective-compare and contrast with the clunker that is Party. Get to know the players, both due to pool size and the forum.
Conclusion
Sky has many things going for it. Its games are more enjoyable than others. It has the Community feel that others are desperate for. It has a small dedicated team that make players feel valued, and feel as though we matter. And it has players that win or lose on their own merits, rather than a computer database.
The main attractions for me are the smaller field sizes, and lack of 3rd party software. Don't mind using a HUD, but would prefer everyone can't and smaller fields mean slightly more consistent results. Most of my volume has always been on sky for these reasons with varying number of tournaments thrown in from other sites depending on whether I feel like playing for bigger prizes or in longer better structured tournaments.
The community surrounding the site is also a major attraction - The forum and live events combined with small player pools all from the UK mean you end up playing the same people day after day, then meet them at live events etc. No other site has this that I'm aware of and I can honestly say I have met 10-20+ people I would now consider to be friends this way.
I have played here pretty much from the start and am still enjoying it today. The main reasons are pretty much as everyone has already mentioned:
6-max tables, with no time banks. Most people are playing for fun at relatively low buy-in's so time banks aren't really necessary (imo). No HUD's. Good range of tournaments to suit all bankrolls with reasonable finish times. Quick withdrawals and can trust the site. Customer care is excellent, I've probably only had cause to contact them less than a dozen times, but after sending an e-mail they have always got back to me quickly and resolved the issue.
One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is the nightly freerolls. Sky have £5K worth of freerolls over 5 nights from a player pool of around 4K per night, whereas stars will occasionally give you access to a £5K freeroll which is only once per week from a player pool of +100K. I know stars have other freerolls, but pound-for-pound in rake I am pretty sure Sky are giving more back, especially to the rec and smaller volume players.
Also very nice that with the freerolls including entries to the bigger buy-in events is an excellent idea giving players the chance to get into a big event that they wouldn't think of buying in to directly.
Hopefully the site continues for many years to come.
P.S. Always great work from Sir Tikay, a thankless task, but always handles every situation professionally and fairly, even when dealing with total donuts on occasions.
Most have been said above, No 3rd party software, 6 max tables with with just the right amount of players, prompt payouts while not being screwed on the exchange rate like other sites, buy in's to suit most players and a great community with good promotions, Is Amaya digging for these responses or is it just my suspicious mind
The overwhelming reason I choose sky is no third party software. If I'm suffering a long period of runbad I'll play on unibet for a change. With unibet I'm not as confident that people aren't getting an edge using third party software plus I dislike all the avatars and anonymous tables. It appears I'm one of the few who like the sky software, for me mini view has everything you need to play this wonderful(sometimes) game. It would be nice to have a 2.5x raise option and a 2/3 pot raise button but it's not essential and at the stakes I play 3x from all positions doesn't really effect win rate.
as i have only played on skypoker, i have no idea what other sites are like, but i agree with all the comments, sorry if i seem a bit naive, but what exactly is third party software? /
as i have only played on skypoker, i have no idea what other sites are like, but i agree with all the comments, sorry if i seem a bit naive, but what exactly is third party software? /
Software provided by someone other than sky which can give people an edge. For example on stars if someone has it installed it will record all play against that player I.e stats, betting patterns etc.
as i have only played on skypoker, i have no idea what other sites are like, but i agree with all the comments, sorry if i seem a bit naive, but what exactly is third party software? /
Software provided by someone other than sky which can give people an edge. For example on stars if someone has it installed it will record all play against that player I.e stats, betting patterns etc.
I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong.
Other (more sinister) examples include things like seat scripts - Stars used to (idk if they still do) displays the colour of your note on a player in the lobby. A seat script will check the lobby for you and sit you down if a particular note colour pops up.
So basically everyone at high stakes has a seat script running to auto seat them 0.00001 seconds after a known whale hits the "Sit here" button.
There's a similar piece of kit for HUSNGs - Hypers vs regs when you're both playing near perfect are unprofitable for both parties, so there's something to let you open sit and avoid a lot of the other regs using the same software (unless they have you tagged as a weaker player ofc).
I guess what really first drew me in to Sky poker was the tv channel. I vividly remember watching Tikay and Orford on the channel dedicated to sky poker and patiently waited till when I turned 18 to make my sky account and hoped to be able to watch myself on tv. It was the first poker site I signed up for legally, after playing on 888 for a good 3 years prior, underage.
The things that kept me around was the fact I loved playing in £'s rather than $'s, I loved playing 6max rather than 9 max, I loved the bounty hunters and getting money straight away for knocking people out. The community aspect of the site was great as was the forum, and even the big shot mtt regs with their fancy sharkscope graphs were nice and helpful in chat, with stayorgo being incredibly so and really helping me advance my game. I still love the fact that all third party software is forbidden, like huds and seat scripts. With sky people are on a level playing field regardless of ability. Even though people misinterpret hud stats and adjust badly to the numbers, in a game of information, having more of it, is very much an advantage. Huds also give you information you would never know even if you paid super close attention, such as exact 3bet frequencies vs different position opens, which I dislike. Third part software makes the game more predatory. Poker for me should be that you get dealt 2 cards and have to pay attention to the players you're against in order to decide how to play them. The SPT's are great. I've met a lot of great people through sky poker, and I don't think that's really a thing on any other site. The software, for all the criticism is gets I've grown to like, its familiar, easy to navigate and quirky and without it's imperfections we wouldn't have threads about people not being dealt cards the first hand of a final table. I like the small fields in tournaments, the variance of the bigger sites is painful. I'd prefer consistent results over waiting months to hit that big score, rinse and repeat. A lot of the reasons I like sky are also reasons I dislike other sites in comparison. Sky also has Tony Kendall whereas other sites do not.
Why sky poker? Most of my reasons have been outlined by others but the main ones for me are:
Trustworthy brand - I know my money is completely safe on sky (I was stung in the past on a different site)
6max - I much prefer 6max to full ring
Forum - the forum is great & pretty unique for an online site. Admittedly, I don't post as much as I should but I do browse through it most days.
SPT's - being able to put a face to the names we regularly play online & have a fun weekend is a big plus point (really hope they continue in the next few years!)
Promotions - always a good variety of promotions on offer
Well at the risk of not brown-nosing enough to get a £11 UKOPS Mini entry prize I'll chip in my two cents.
I joined this site only because it was UK based and came up first in my Google search. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I joined because they are terrible and I wouldn't have known back then that those reviews are mostly written by sore losers who don't seem to understand variance and the meaning of "luck".
I wanted a UK based site to avoid the hassle of an exchange rate "rake" and to have it covered by UK laws and regulations. As for the features, bonuses, promotions etc all very good and a good incentive to keep playing on Sky.
I think the site is somewhat confusing for beginners to get to grips with. Some kind of beginners' tutorial/guide would help point them to the the types of games beginners should play/avoid/enjoy. ( maybe this exists?)
If you want to encourage new players to start playing poker here it may well be worth giving new players some kind of introductory beginners' games, open only to new players until they are "broken in", 3 months-ish?. eg "The Nightly New Player Freeroll". You need to be with Sky poker for less than three months to qualify. I know you get a free£10 token or whatever when you join but it's not much use if you haven't a clue what to do with it.
That's more than two cents worth so when can I expect my UKOPS ticket then?
Why I pick Sky …… No Third party software Customer Care is good and quick in my experience Promo's are the best about Sky Poker Tour no cashes so don't care about that really!! But main reason was pretty much the name being Sky and £'s
Comments
Friendly site with a decent Community.
This was a big thing when first joined the site after sports betting casually on skybet. The forum/continuity/face of site (Tikay/Channing etc) is reassuring. I can trust the staff posts and that things are reasonable here. It was more fun with the channel and mastercash etc but its still good now.
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Couldnt care less!
Third party software not permitted.
Massive for me. I want a level playing field or essentially playing a different game to someone else at the table. Keep this policy going forward PLEASE. Played with suspected bots on other sites and can only help exclude this stuff with a blanket software ban.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Don't care so long as the main schedule fits UK time could have extra tourneys any time.
Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
I like that the scheme is super simple and easy to understand. Would happily drop to monthly rewards.
Decent Customer Care.
Had good experiences and it is definitely reassuring and keeps me here longterm.
Good range of Promos, "always on".
The promos that link into the forum or with the staff involved etc were always the best for me. Top marks for stuff like the HU cup or DYM record attempts. Ive never won on Sky Vegas but I love following the blog posts every year and watching some of the satellites play out.
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
I like this, I dont play enough to make so many suggestions but direct link from respected forum posters/players to forum and staff is evident for long term players like myself.
Site communicates well with the player-base.
Yes. Sky James and Tikay etc on forum really helps to explain the direction of site and smooth changes.
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe.
Big for me.
Sky Poker Tour
Again, this in tandem with forum and whole ethos of site is what enhances the whole Skypoker offer. Attended 2 or 3 times and its the real deal - a big live tournament with a relaxed atmosphere and fuss-free.
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
Massive plus. In the UK, for the UK and just keeps everything simple and approachable.
Extra points:
Simple selection of games and rebuy configurations etc.
Uncluttered lobby means I can recommend and explain the site to my parents/friends etc. Most games that I play run fairly regularly and at convenient Uk times.
Well moderated forum
Good balance struck between allowing debate and criticism then shutting down general abuse and nonsense.
Simple table graphics
No ridiculous avatars swamping the screen, annoying noises,untidy fonts etc. Keep it simple!
Im very satisfied with Skypoker and have been playing for nearly a decade. i have dipped into some of the other sites and prefer the simple but fair offer here. I would be happy with the same set up for the next 50 years so long as they sort out the missing hand when move tables and drop the microcash rake.
Definite plus for me, have made some good pals here, downside, met Percy P the noisy neighbour ;-)
The willingness for good players to help people out with advice on the forum is a massive plus.
"Soft" site.
Suits my rubbish play
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Obviously Haysies doing, keep those Foreign Johnnies out.....
Third party software not permitted.
Quite like this, albeit I would like to be able to track my play a little bit, but on balance its a good thing.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Definite plus and a good reason I don't often lay MTTs on other sites
Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
Very good schemes for low volume recs like me (I'm alright Jack 1 )
Decent Customer Care.
Underatted part of the equation, I have always found CC excellent to deal with and very helpful
Good range of Promos, "always on".
I have won so many things via the promos, from iPhones to £1k UKPC seats, they are fantastic (I'm alright Jack 2)
Freerolls
Enjoy the FRolls and they are much better value than other sites
Sky Poker Social-Media is helpful.
Got a Tuesday night seat via facebook once so IMO its great (I'm alright Jack 3)
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
Very good comms between the site and players, with real interaction and often positive changes
Site communicates well with the player-base.
See above
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe.
Agree
Sky Poker Tour
SPTs are great, glad they are back, hope to play more next year if I can get my sat game in shape
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
Like this also like the speed of withdrawal
There may well be other factors not mentioned, but I cant think of them at the moment, all in all its my favourite site although the introduction of throwing tomatoes would be a massive boost.....
6 max Tables.
Good range of buys in’s.
Decent field sizes which lead to good finishing times for those of us that have full time jobs.
Great range of satellites which makes the higher buy in tournaments very affordable.
Fantastic that you get Satellite wins in cash if already bought in (would not mind tournament tickets either as long as they were generic and no expiry, not what party poker have started doing with targeted tournaments only).
Smaller player pool so it’s much easier to know the tendencies of the players you are up against.
Happy that officially you cannot use a HUD. (I love the idea of being able to play around with the stats and math and have one for sites that allow it, however I am no where near knowing how to use it to it’s full potential).
I find that the software is actually quite good when you get use to it.
The Vegas promotion is second to none, not just because I was lucky enough to win a package but for the very reason that it’s achievable for the everyday person.
Fridays £22 bh rebut Main and £5.50 mini are the best tournaments by far and really make a difference to me playing on Sky.
Having direct contact with Tikay and the poker team gives me confidence that they listen and make changes to sensible suggestions. With some poker companies I would know who to even talk to let alone know if my opinion makes a difference.
Negatives:
Really wished that when you resized a table that it stayed in the same view, dislike mini view to the extent that I never use it, which in turn limits the amount of tables I will play.
Agree with The Don with regards to rake race promos and the like. However Sky is a business and they need to hit targets and make money to be successful so it’s part of what I accept as one of those things that needs to be done.
Do not like a shared wallet with Skybet but fully understand why it’s like that.
Friendly site with a decent Community.
Definite major plus. Yes the Community can be a bit clique-y at times, but it is still a massive reason to play on here
"Soft" site.
Being able to make a (miniscule) profit is important.
Games are against UK & RoI players only.
Minor for me, other than how it affects other comments.
Third party software not permitted.
Very, very important. Largescale Multitablers can only play here if they are good, as they cannot "cheat" their way to info that someone truly watching the table has.
Tournaments with sensible finishing times.
Not important for me-relatively easy to learn when MTTs are likely to finish.
Rewards Scheme, including weekly payments & Freerolls.
Decent Customer Care.
General Customer Care is probably above average, but unexceptional. What is trult tremendous are the way Tikay and the dedicated staff strive to provide a tremendous service.
Good range of Promos, "always on".
Sky tries hard to vary the promos. For me, most are industry average. However, there have been glorious exceptions, such as various Vegas promotions and the last gold/silver/bronze job, which were superb.
Freerolls
I think the 6:30/7:30 are pitched perfectly. The rest-not for me
Sky Poker Social-Media is helpful.
Too old to comment
Site is reactive to requests to change things.
Big plus.
Site communicates well with the player-base.
Not always successful, but Sky definitely tries harder than most/all others
Trustworthy brand, we know our money is safe.
The last time I lost a roll (PKR) Stars voluntarily reimbursed me. Thoroughly enjoyed punting that money off at PLO8-thanks Stars
Sky Poker Tour
Great move to reinstate these. Really hope they expand to at least 8 a year. They are SOOOOO much more fun than rival tours.
Games are in £'s not $'s or €'s.
A plus, but not huge for me.
Sheer habit.
Just no.
Other reasons (specify please)
Agree with a lot of other people's comments. I love the field sizes-big enough to matter, but not so big that time loses all meaning.
The lobby is simplistic but extremely effective-compare and contrast with the clunker that is Party.
Get to know the players, both due to pool size and the forum.
Conclusion
Sky has many things going for it.
Its games are more enjoyable than others.
It has the Community feel that others are desperate for.
It has a small dedicated team that make players feel valued, and feel as though we matter.
And it has players that win or lose on their own merits, rather than a computer database.
The community surrounding the site is also a major attraction - The forum and live events combined with small player pools all from the UK mean you end up playing the same people day after day, then meet them at live events etc. No other site has this that I'm aware of and I can honestly say I have met 10-20+ people I would now consider to be friends this way.
6-max tables, with no time banks. Most people are playing for fun at relatively low buy-in's so time banks aren't really necessary (imo).
No HUD's.
Good range of tournaments to suit all bankrolls with reasonable finish times.
Quick withdrawals and can trust the site.
Customer care is excellent, I've probably only had cause to contact them less than a dozen times, but after sending an e-mail they have always got back to me quickly and resolved the issue.
One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is the nightly freerolls. Sky have £5K worth of freerolls over 5 nights from a player pool of around 4K per night, whereas stars will occasionally give you access to a £5K freeroll which is only once per week from a player pool of +100K. I know stars have other freerolls, but pound-for-pound in rake I am pretty sure Sky are giving more back, especially to the rec and smaller volume players.
Also very nice that with the freerolls including entries to the bigger buy-in events is an excellent idea giving players the chance to get into a big event that they wouldn't think of buying in to directly.
Hopefully the site continues for many years to come.
P.S. Always great work from Sir Tikay, a thankless task, but always handles every situation professionally and fairly, even when dealing with total donuts on occasions.
/
I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong.
So basically everyone at high stakes has a seat script running to auto seat them 0.00001 seconds after a known whale hits the "Sit here" button.
There's a similar piece of kit for HUSNGs - Hypers vs regs when you're both playing near perfect are unprofitable for both parties, so there's something to let you open sit and avoid a lot of the other regs using the same software (unless they have you tagged as a weaker player ofc).
The things that kept me around was the fact I loved playing in £'s rather than $'s, I loved playing 6max rather than 9 max, I loved the bounty hunters and getting money straight away for knocking people out. The community aspect of the site was great as was the forum, and even the big shot mtt regs with their fancy sharkscope graphs were nice and helpful in chat, with stayorgo being incredibly so and really helping me advance my game. I still love the fact that all third party software is forbidden, like huds and seat scripts. With sky people are on a level playing field regardless of ability. Even though people misinterpret hud stats and adjust badly to the numbers, in a game of information, having more of it, is very much an advantage. Huds also give you information you would never know even if you paid super close attention, such as exact 3bet frequencies vs different position opens, which I dislike. Third part software makes the game more predatory. Poker for me should be that you get dealt 2 cards and have to pay attention to the players you're against in order to decide how to play them. The SPT's are great. I've met a lot of great people through sky poker, and I don't think that's really a thing on any other site. The software, for all the criticism is gets I've grown to like, its familiar, easy to navigate and quirky and without it's imperfections we wouldn't have threads about people not being dealt cards the first hand of a final table. I like the small fields in tournaments, the variance of the bigger sites is painful. I'd prefer consistent results over waiting months to hit that big score, rinse and repeat. A lot of the reasons I like sky are also reasons I dislike other sites in comparison. Sky also has Tony Kendall whereas other sites do not.
Trustworthy brand - I know my money is completely safe on sky (I was stung in the past on a different site)
6max - I much prefer 6max to full ring
Forum - the forum is great & pretty unique for an online site. Admittedly, I don't post as much as I should but I do browse through it most days.
SPT's - being able to put a face to the names we regularly play online & have a fun weekend is a big plus point (really hope they continue in the next few years!)
Promotions - always a good variety of promotions on offer
I joined this site only because it was UK based and came up first in my Google search. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I joined because they are terrible and I wouldn't have known back then that those reviews are mostly written by sore losers who don't seem to understand variance and the meaning of "luck".
I wanted a UK based site to avoid the hassle of an exchange rate "rake" and to have it covered by UK laws and regulations. As for the features, bonuses, promotions etc all very good and a good incentive to keep playing on Sky.
I think the site is somewhat confusing for beginners to get to grips with. Some kind of beginners' tutorial/guide would help point them to the the types of games beginners should play/avoid/enjoy. ( maybe this exists?)
If you want to encourage new players to start playing poker here it may well be worth giving new players some kind of introductory beginners' games, open only to new players until they are "broken in", 3 months-ish?. eg "The Nightly New Player Freeroll". You need to be with Sky poker for less than three months to qualify. I know you get a free£10 token or whatever when you join but it's not much use if you haven't a clue what to do with it.
That's more than two cents worth so when can I expect my UKOPS ticket then?
No Third party software
Customer Care is good and quick in my experience
Promo's are the best about
Sky Poker Tour no cashes so don't care about that really!!
But main reason was pretty much the name being Sky and £'s