Ultimate Poker NJ Review

PLEASE NOTE: Ultimate Poker has decided to close their NJ online poker room effective September 19th,.

Several regulated online poker sites remain open in New Jersey. Click on any room in the table below to learn more.

Archive: Review of Ultimate PokerOn April 30, 2013 UltimatePoker.com became the first licensed online poker room in the United States when it launched in Nevada.

Now Ultimate Poker has opened its second online poker site, this time in New Jersey, thanks to a partnership between Ultimate Gaming and the Trump Taj Mahal that oversaw the creation of UCasino.com.

Ultimate Poker NJ: review

Review updated July 9th, 2014.

Ultimate Poker is New Jersey’s perennial basement dweller, and despite some aggressive moves, it has seemingly accepted its fate as a non-player in the state’s nascent iPoker industry.

Players looking for a greater variety of cash games and tournaments will want to consider Party Poker NJ or WSOP.com.

Traffic: What traffic?

As to not insult the efforts of the Ultimate Poker team, which for the most part have been exemplary, I’ll try to keep my comments brief.

At 10:00 PM on a weekday, I couldn’t find a single cash-game running. On weekends, players might find one or two active 6-max tables, but it’s a roll of the dice.

7-day ring game averages hover somewhere between 3 and 4. SNG volume is nonexistent.

And with most of the site’s tournament guarantees drastically reduced,  turnouts for paid entry tournaments are rarely above 20. Even freerolls have trouble breaking the triple-digit turnout marker.

If those numbers don’t spell disaster, then I don’t know what does.

Grade: F (D-)

Value/promotions: More confounding than appealing

I don’t know what UP was thinking when they launched Cash Game Crazy.

On paper, it’s one of the most potentially lucrative cashback deals I’ve ever seen. But upon further examination, it utterly lacks appeal.

Cash Game Crazy awards players who participate in UP’s Winner Take All raked ring games with 100% rakeback. Except that the rakeback is actually paid in the form of U$ – the site’s currency.

What this essentially means is that any rakeback generated can only be put towards tournament buy-ins and for use at UCasino slot machines, and not for reentry into ring games.

If that weren’t confounding enough, shortly after rolling out the promo, UP cut the guarantees for its biggest daily and weekly MTTs by a staggering 80 percent or more.

What we’re left with is no way to earn U$, since the site’s cash game lobby is a barren wasteland, and no real desire to spend them even if we could.

The recently announced The Big 10 tournament series is sort of appealing, if only because the top players will receive a bonus payout, but hardly enough to recoup all the value that was lost.

Now, do I blame UP for taking a more conservative stance – hardly. But is it’s more moderate approach to online poker offer any real value to players? Not especially.

Grade: C- (B-)

Software: Latest patch bolsters UP’s client up to acceptable 

After nearly eight months, UP’s client is approaching a nearly acceptable level of quality.

The geo-location process no longer relies on the use of a mobile device, the network has implemented a pre-paid card as an alternative funding option (particularly useful for Visa credit/debit card users), limited hand histories are finally available and time banks are now operations.

And by implementing wait lists, UP has at least one feature that PartyPoker NJ – which has been in the iGaming business since its infancy – is lacking.

Great stuff, but it comes at a time when online poker traffic in NJ is near its lowest point, and long after most players already gave up on UP. It’s too bad really.

Grade: C (D-)

Customer Service: So long Terrence

Terrence Chan was the driving force behind Ultimate Poker’s Player Care team. With his sudden departure, the stronger facet of UP’s business is now a big question mark.

Thus far, there has been no noticeable falloff in quality. Questions are still answered in a timely matter. And UP’s Aces continue to be courteous, responsive and knowledgeable of the game.

Yet, I have to wonder how much longer players will be able to expect this kind of quality, even if call volume remains low.

Grade: B+ (A-)

Overall: Time to pack it in

As much as I’ve been an advocate of Ultimate Poker’s home-grown approach to online poker, I can’t see it surviving long into the PokerStars era. Its prospects in Nevada, where PokerStars will remain a non-player are better, but even there it trails WSOP.com by a wide margin.

Chan’s departure foreshadows what is probably the departure of Ultimate Poker from NJ’s market. Sorry UP, it’s been a fun ride.

Grade: D+ (C-)

Read Robert's March review of 888 Review from April 23rd, 2014.

Bringing up the rear is Ultimate Poker, a site that has all but fallen off the regulated Internet poker map.

This is too bad, because NJ’s perennial underdog could teach its big brothers a thing or two about how to conduct an operation.

Traffic: Cash-game volume on Ultimate Poker slides into obscurity

7-day average cash-game volume on Ultimate Poker isn’t high enough to reliably fill one 6-max NLHE table. If it’s lucky, UP might get off one SNG per day. That’s bad.

When it comes to tournament volume, the fledgling site is seemingly giving away more money than it’s earning, evidenced by the low turnouts for its daily guarantees and Sunday Majors.

In short, there is no traffic on Ultimate Poker.

However, I will refrain from flunking Ultimate Poker, as month-over-month gross poker revenues were slightly up for March. But I sincerely doubt that upward trend will continue into April.

Grade: D- (D+)

Value/promotions: Ultimate can’t buy customers forever

Last time out, I praised Ultimate Poker for its ambitious NO-verlays promotion, which essentially freerolled players participating in tournaments that met their guarantee.

But as suspected, once the promotion ended, the backlash began.

Turnouts rapidly plummeted back to their pre-promotion levels. And as more and more players cash in the tournament bucks accrued during the promo, I suspect these numbers will dip even faster.

While navigating through the site’s current promotions, I couldn’t help but sense that UP has all but packed it in. Outside of a $25 free play promo targeted towards new players, nothing really stood out.

Here’s the dismal truth: Most players that capitalize on the $25 free play promo are likely going to burn through their gifted money and never play on the site again. It’s just the nature of the beast.

Still, the incredible value to be had by playing on Ultimate Poker simply can’t be ignored. It’s the equivalent of going to the grocery store on a day when everything is half off, or buying a lottery ticket featuring a jackpot twice of that listed.

Case in point: The $20,000 Sundays features a $91.00 + $9.00 buy-in and on average draws 100 to 110 runners. By all accounts, players are participating in a $10k tournament with a $20k prize pool.

It doesn’t really get much better than that. But sadly, it wasn’t enough.

Grade: B- (A)

Software: Ultimate’s software the driving force behind the site’s failure

About two months back, I wrote a piece detailing the problems with UP’s poker client.

Since that time, very little, if anything at all, has been done to improve the UI/UX. I could be wrong, but I don’t recall downloading one patch since before early March.

Slow, ugly, feature-light and marred by location verification and other crippling maladies, UP more closely resembles a second rate skin on an offshore network than something worthy of the regulated market.

There is no integration with PokerTracker or Hold Em Manager, no mobile application, and the last I heard a Mac version was “not too far off.” That was over a month ago.

Grade: D- (D)

Customer service: UP’s small business approach to customer service is a welcoming change

There’s a running joke on the Two Plus Two forums that Ultimate Poker’s customer service department is only as responsive as it is because no one calls in.

Sadly, that may very well be true, but regardless, Chris Danek, Terrance Chan and the rest of the UP crew are outstanding individuals worthy of praise. Better yet, they possess an unparalleled knowledge of the game, and an intimate understanding of player needs.

They’re also adamant about harnessing the newly-minted regulated market to create U.S. jobs.

Sadly it appears that Chief Marketing Officer Joe Versaci is stepping down from his role, another indication that the site may be on the way out.

If only the UP team could translate its ideals into a computer code. I’d bet that UP would be the most heavily trafficked site in the states.

Grade: A- (A)

Overall: Poker’s favorite underdog loses the war

I would really like Ultimate Poker to succeed. Every dealing my colleagues and I have had with the team has been informative, kindhearted and interesting. But the reality is, UP will not be able to sustain its poker operation for much longer unless something cathartic happens.

Another NO-verlay promo is likely out of the question, as is an 888 poker-esque rakeback promotion. And even if the technical team completely overhauls its software, the market is already over saturated with companies that have made their rounds overseas.

So as much as I want to root for the little guy, I’m afraid this war has been lost.

Overall: C- and trending downward (C+)

Read Robert's March review of Ultimate Poker NJReview from March 2, 2014.

From a marketing and customer service standpoint, UltimatePoker.com does just about everything right.

UP’s promos, for lack of a better term, rock. Banking is a breeze and the recently implemented NO-verlays promo is, in terms of player value, the tournament equivalent of 888poker’s 80% rakeback promo – only better.

That, and the customer service team is more than enthusiastic about what they do.

Yet, for all it’s virtues, Ultimate Poker is severely lacking in the technical category, and because of that is barely managing to stay adrift in New Jersey’s densely packed iGaming market.

Traffic: Tournament numbers are up, cash tables remain empty

Ultimate Poker’s traffic numbers are likely a reflection of its crippling software maladies.

At peak weekday hours:

• Expect to see anywhere between 8 and 15 cash games running, all of them NLHE, with stakes ranging from $0.10 / $0.25 up to $2 / $4.
• Sit and Goes rarely get off, and of the ones that do, few are above the $17.77 level.
• Nightly tournaments draw anywhere from 10 to 150 runners, up dramatically from January.
• Ultimate Poker NJ ranks 57th out of 80 worldwide poker networks.
• 7-day cash-game traffic averages are holding steady at approximately 15.

The one statistic that sticks out like a sore thumb is the cash-game averages. On a normal day, UP fills up the equivalent of two full ring or three shorthanded tables.

Tournaments are faring significantly better, especially the site’s Sunday Major, which in recent weeks is coming closer and closer to meeting its guarantee.

MTT buy-ins range from a measly dollar up through $50 on weekdays and $100 on weekends. However, I couldn’t find any tournaments in the $20 – $49 range, which was downright disappointing.

Value: UP’s claim holds weight

Ultimate Poker’s self-proclaimed “Best Value in NJ” marketing angle is more or less a consequence of its poor traffic. But give UP credit, whereas most sites would have lowered their guarantees by now, Ultimate has stayed the course.

As a result, playing on UP is the ROI equivalent of a trip to value town. Honestly, I don’t care if the servers are powered by hamsters running on a wheel and held together by duct tape, in so long as the site keeps pumping out promotions that effectively convert their MTTs into freerolls.

But unfortunately, they probably won’t. It’s just not a sustainable business model.

In the more likely scenario, NO-verlays are a one shot deal designed to get players on the site. So enjoy them while they last.

Other promos include a $500 first-time deposit bonus, a 100% reload bonus ($500) and a rather clever Lucky 7’s SNG-based promo.

On a side, UP’s cash games boast the lowest rake in NJ – another reason why it may have a bright future ahead of it. Read more here.

Service and Software: UP makes up for its technical shortcomings through exemplary customer service

In the latest segment of my weekly iGaming post, I discuss Ultimate Poker’s technical failings at length – in bullet point form no less. You can find them here.

In brief, Ultimate Poker’s software is not in the same league as that created by its more established competitors. Even 888poker’s rather by-the-numbers offering seems feature rich compared to UP.

And then there are the server stability issues. Lag, disconnects and geocomply issues are still widely prevalent.

Although in UP’s defense, a recent patch did address these issues. How well it worked it still yet to be seen.

At the other end of the spectrum, UP’s Player Care team lives up to its namesake as one of the most widely acclaimed customer service teams on the web.

Everyone from UP’s Poker Product Manager Chris Danek and Two Plus Two rep Terrence Chan down to its customer service reps are always on point, answering questions to the best of their ability and making a point to provide each customer with personalized attention.

UP has even gone as far as to recruit members of the Two Plus Two forums. Maybe now, we’ll see just how knowledgeable they really are.

If anything, UP’s recruitment policies are a testament to the quality of their staff, most of whom are at least familiar with the game of poker and what poker players want.

And while I’m of the belief that the tech team’s time is better spent working on technical enhancements like player notes, hand histories and a Mac compatible version of their software, I’ll be first in line to try out Two Street Hold’em.

Consensus

“Ultimately,” poker players care more about stable and feature rich software then they do just about anything else. It’s for this reason that Ultimate Poker currently resides in fourth place.

Yet, should the UI and server stability issues that presently drag down the site drastically improve, Ultimate Poker’s adherence to customer service, myriad depositing options, low rake and stellar promos may be enough to vault it into player status.

Read Robert's January review of Ultimate Poker NJReview last updated January 6th, 2014.

The folks over at Ultimate Gaming are so dedicated to their craft and the betterment of the poker community that I almost feel bad writing that their software is terrible. Unfortunately, it is.

But given that the newly-founded company is the software development equivalent of David in a sea of poker Goliaths, they should be at least partially forgiven. Or even mostly absolved, given their paramount efforts thus far.

So instead of focusing on the negative, I’d rather start off by providing a run down of the good things Ultimate Poker is doing for New Jersey’s iGaming market:

UP excels at customer service and cashout speeds

Ultimate Poker’s customer service team may not always have the answer to a question, but they’re among the most courteous, responsive folks in the online gaming biz. Emails are answered in a timely fashion, and the individuals hired to conduct live support chats are refreshingly easy to correspond with. Ultimate Gaming is an American company that hires American workers, and it shows.

Furthermore, the company’s representatives are very active on the site’s dedicated Two Plus Two forum, going so far as to address nearly every pressing concern. Again, no immediate answers, but one gets the impression that they’re earnestly working towards a solution.

Lastly, UP also offers more deposit options than any other NJ-based site. Better yet, withdrawals are processed quickly and seamlessly – a truly refreshing change for anyone who has tried to withdraw funds from an unregulated, US-facing site.

…but the software stinks

Not only does Ultimate Poker’s software looks like it was designed by a bunch of college students, it’s riddled with crippling server issues.

Beyond the expected geo-targeting issues, UP is inundated by lockups, freezes and crashes. Things have gotten so bad that UP representative Terrence Chan has taken to the Two Plus Two forums for potential job applicants. 

It’s not even worth going over the specific problems with Ultimate Poker’s software – there’s simply too many to list.

Granted things are running slightly smoother than they were when the company became the first regulated iGaming operator in the United States last spring, but it may take months, if not years, before UP’s software is even on par with New Jersey’s lesser iGaming sites.

I guess that’s the price of starting from scratch.

The Bottom Line

Poor Ultimate Poker. It’s rake is the best in town, it boasts a nicely structured 10 tiered VIP schema, has exemplary customer service and processes payouts more than efficiently, yet I still wouldn’t feed it a dime until at least some of its software failing were rectified.

I truly do hope that Ultimate Poker is one day recognized as a poker site for the players.

Archive: Overview of Ultimate NJ

Overview of Ultimate Poker in New Jersey

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Ultimate Poker New Jersey software

Ultimate Poker’s online poker software is provided by CyberArts, a software development company that was purchased by Fertitta Interactive back in 2011 as the company prepared for the new regulated markets in the US.

Ultimate Poker’s software will likely seem familiar to US online poker players, as it has the same basic look of Full Tilt Poker, with cartoonish avatars and a sleek table design, but the similarities pretty much end at the aesthetics.

As with most new products, Ultimate Poker is still ironing out some minor kinks and is still busy adding new features that their competitors’ software already contains. The software runs smoothly and doesn’t have major flaws, but experienced poker players will likely be disappointed by the lack of certain features at Ultimate Poker.

Ultimate Poker’s New Jersey online poker software is available in the following formats:

• Downloadable client: Ultimate Poker’s downloadable client is only available for PC, but a Mac version is reported to be in the works.
• Browser Based: There is currently no browser based version of Ultimate Poker’s software in New Jersey.
• Mobile: Ultimate Poker does not currently offer a mobile version of their online poker software.

Ultimate Poker NJ network partners

Ultimate Poker is operating as a stand-alone online poker site in New Jersey. No other online poker rooms operate on the same network.

Ultimate Poker will likely remain independent unless New Jersey enters into interstate online poker compacts in the future. This would allow Ultimate Poker New Jersey to link up with Ultimate Poker Nevada or other states with legalized online gaming.

Games available at Ultimate NJ

For cash games Ultimate Poker offers three poker variants: No Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), and Limit Holdem. No limit and pot limit games are available at stakes of $.01/$.02 up to $3/$6 blinds, while limit games are available at stakes starting at $10/$.20 and going up to $10/$20.

When it comes to tournaments Ultimate Poker offers both sit & go and multi-table tournaments at a variety of different stakes, with buy-ins for regularly scheduled tournaments starting at just $1 and going as high as $100.

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Ultimate Poker NJ Promotions and Player Incentives

Ultimate Poker offers a variety of constantly changing promotions for both their new and loyal customers.

You’ll find everything from deposit bonuses, to freerolls, to tournament series, to prize-giveaways. Below you will find the details of Ultimate Poker’s New Jersey online poker deposit bonus and VIP Program.

Ultimate NJ Deposit Bonus – 100% up to $500

What you get

• Ultimate Poker is giving all first time players a 100% up to $500 Deposit Bonus.
• The clear rate of the Ultimate Poker opening bonus in New Jersey is equivalent to a 25% cashback/rakeback deal.
• Ultimate Poker’s opening bonus expires after 90 days.
• Bonus Money is released in $50 increments.
• $50 minimum deposit is required.

The Lowdown

There is only one positive associated with Ultimate Poker’s deposit bonus, and that’s its 25% cashback rate – which is better than most of its competitors.

Granted, there was a time when Ultimate Poker’s NJ opening bonus had one of the highest ceilings (up to $500) in the state, but now that the competition has elevated their game, it has fallen to next-to-last place.

There are two other notable drawbacks connected with UP’s bonus. The minimum amount you will need to deposit is $50 and the bonus is cleared in $50 increments, a not so ideal situation for low limit players on both fronts.

Also unappealing is the fact that you only have 90 days to clear the bonus, although that’s fairly standard for the industry.

Additionally, there is no mention if deposits not made in $50 increments are matched dollar-for-dollar or rounded down to the nearest $50, or how the final installment of less than $50 is awarded.

To clear the maximum bonus of $500 you will need to accumulate 20,000 XP’s which is equal to rake of $2,000, as you will receive 10 XP’s for every $1 in rake you contribute – you’ll find more on XP’s and Ultimate Poker’s Winner Take All rake policy in the next section.

Ultimate NJ VIP Rewards Program

Ultimate Poker uses a tiered VIP Rewards Program called Color UP. In the Color UP program the player rewards increase as you achieve each higher level, with eight separate monthly tiers as well as two yearly tiers players can reach.

What you get

• The estimated Value of the Ultimate Poker VIP scheme can be worth as much as 45% cashback/rakeback, but this highest category is a tall order to reach.
• Players in the Color UP Program will receive convertible U-Points as well as milestone cash bonuses.
• Green Chip or higher players are eligible to play in weekly freerolls in Nevada, but not in New Jersey.

The Lowdown

Ultimate Poker’s Color UP Program is somewhat convoluted, as it has two separate “points” systems (Experience Points that determine your level in the program and U-Points that can be redeemed for prizes), eight different monthly tiers, and two yearly tiers.

The higher the level you reach in the program the more rapidly you will accrue U-Points, which can then be redeemed in the Ultimate Poker VIP Store. Rewards range from cash to merchandise.

10 XP’s are awarded for every $1 you contribute in rake, with the site using a Winner Take All method. Winner Take All rake simply means you are only credited with the rake from the pot if you win, but you get 100% credit. It should be noted that this method favors looser players who contest a lot of pots, and is really hard on tight grinders.

Here are the requirements to reach each tier in the program:

Monthly Tiers

• White = 0 XP-Points
• Red = 20 XP-Points
• Green = 100 XP-Points
• Black = 500 XP-Points
• Purple = 1,000 XP-Points
• Yellow = 2,500 XP-Points
• Orange = 5,000 XP-Points
• Cranberry = 10,000 XP-Points

Yearly Tiers

• Gold Plaque = 100,000 XP-Points
• Platinum Plaque = 1,000,000 XP-Points

Based on the conversion rates of U-Points into milestone cash bonuses, here is a look at what each tier is worth as far as a cashback percentage:

• White through Yellow Chip: 2% to 10%*
• Orange Chip: 12%
• Cranberry Chip: 15%
• Gold Plaque: 20%
• Platinum Plaque: 45%

*These levels are difficult to calculate so just assume that each level offers roughly 2% rakeback more than the previous level.

For more information on Ultimate Poker’s promotions and VIP Loyalty Program you can visit the promotions page at the Ultimate Poker website.

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Current Promotions

• Win UFC Tickets. The gaming partner of the UFC is proud to offer tickets to select events as part of the prize pool for regularly scheduled tournaments and freerolls.
• $25 Free Play. New registrants will be awarded 25 U$.

Cashiering at Ultimate Poker NJ

When it comes to depositing and withdrawal options, Ultimate Poker NJ used to be at the top of NJ’s class. Since, the state’s other poker rooms have closed the gap, with all of them now offering better cashiering alternatives than UP.

Deposit methods:

• MasterCard/Visa credit and debit cards (limited)
• Ultimate Casino Prepaid Card
• Cash at the Trump Taj Mahal casino cage
• 7-11 Pay Near Me
• Instant Check
• Bank Wire
• Mail Us a Check 

Without Neteller or Skrill, it’s difficult to rate UP’s cashier as anything but below average. The recent addition of a pre-paid option was nice, but alternatives like Pay Near Me and Mail Us a Check will generally prove too time consuming and inconvenient for players accustomed to using e-wallets.

Withdrawal methods:

• Ultimate Casino Prepaid Card – faster and more convenient than UPs other withdrawal options
• Check Cashout – typically sent out three business days after a request is made
• Cash at the Trump Taj Mahal casino cage – you’ll have to wait an average of three days after requesting a cash out to pick up your funds at the Taj’s casino cage

With only three withdrawal methods available, your best bet will be to procure a pre-paid card as soon as possible. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait upwards of a week or more to receive your withdrawal in the mail.

Ultimate Poker NJ – Frequently Asked Questions

Who can play on the Ultimate Poker website in New Jersey?

Ultimate Poker players in New Jersey must be 21 years old and located inside New Jersey in order to play for real-money.

Can players at UltimatePoker.com in Nevada play at Ultimate Poker New Jersey?

No.

Ultimate Poker players in Nevada must create a separate account to play in New Jersey (as well as travel to the state they intend to play in!) and the two sites do not share player pools. Ultimate Poker players in New Jersey will only be competing against other New Jersey players.

Is Ultimate Poker connected to UCasino.com, or are they different sites?

Yes.

Think of Ultimate Poker New Jersey as a poker room inside a brick and mortar casino, with UCasino.com acting as the casino. Ultimate Poker accounts are the same as UCasino.com accounts, and your details and account balances are shared by both UltimatePoker.com and UCasino.com.

Can I play at Ultimate Poker if I’m outside of New Jersey?

No.

Even if you’re a New Jersey resident and have verified your account, the second you leave the state of New Jersey you will no longer have access to Ultimate Poker tables.

If you leave New Jersey you will still be able to participate in the site’s play-money games and access your account information.

You can visit Ultimate Poker’s NJ Internet poker site through UCasino.com.

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