The Quick Summary
Despite being seemingly followed by a cloud of controversy, UB remains one of the largest second-tier sites in online poker. After a massive merger with fellow site Absolute Poker, UltimateBet now forms one-half of the enormous Cereus Poker Network.
It should be noted, however, that UB has suffered through a horric scandal and, more recently, a stir of negative publicity after a large flaw was revealed in the Cereus Network’s security. At the very least, proceed cautiously and be aware of the site’s history.
Popularity: 9 of 10 – Excellent
UB.com has a few things going for it that immediately pay dividends in terms of player traffic. It’s now part of a giant network and is universally recognized as the top promotion and bonus site online. All these factors, coupled with an aggressive international marketing campaign, not only bring droves of new players to UltimateBet but also keep old ones involved.
Security: 4 of 10 – Mediocre
UB.com, and the Cereus Network in general, simply do not deserve a good grade in this category. In lieu of the recent security breach, Cereus has implemented OpenSSL encryption technology and assured their users that everything is safe. However, given their history, taking their word for it is difficult. UB.com has too many positives to be dismissed simply, but be aware of the risks in playing there.
Player Competition: 8.5 of 10 – Excellent
If you’re looking for less than WSOP championship-level competition, UB.com also features a slew of micro-stakes tables, which tend to be ponds for fish. Of course, with the formation of Cereus and the ultimate absorption of their sister site, Absolute Poker’s notoriously tight mid-stakes players (about $.50/$1 to $5/$10) have brought their all-too-predictable style to UB.com’s more formidable tables – good news if you know how to take advantage of a super tight player.
Site Software: 9 of 10 – Excellent
UB.com is a standard in the online gaming world for its sleek, functional software. The Cereus Network has buttressed the powerful operating systems with additional servers providing even smoother graphical representations and fewer drops or malfunctions.
UN.com supports many secondary player tracker options in addition to offering the requisite player notes options at the poker table. UltimateBuddy is a free application offered by UB that streamlines player notes and maximizes the connections and relationships you build during your poker-playing experience.
Customer Support: 4.5 of 10 – Below Average
UB.com offers one means of customer support to its clientele: this email address support@ultimatebet.com, which it only guarantees will respond to questions within 48 hours of receiving your question. There is no live 24/7 chat option, no phone number, and not even multiple accounts to help sort. UB.com is below average in the way of customer support.
Company Ethics: 5 of 10 – Average
UB.com gets points for focusing on promotions and helping its members make the most of their poker dollars. However, they probably lose more points for their public bungles and poor company image. We just can’t justify giving them a good grade in this category, either.
Site Promotions: 9.5 of 10 – The Best
Trying to describe the promotions at UB.com would be like describing insect species in the rainforest – too many new ones are coming out each day to pin anyone down.
You’ve got very solid sign-up bonuses, most notably the 111% up to your first $1100; tremendous reload options come out virtually every hour of the day, although the recent 100% to $650 one does stand out; then there are the rake races, which monthly award participants hundreds of thousands of dollars, on top of the seasonal live tournament packages, which can send you everywhere from China to Las Vegas.
With its recently unveiled loyalty program, RAI$E, UB.com is truly the best in the industry when it comes to free money.
Overall Review: 7 of 10 – Good
In a vacuum, the Cereus Network is a worthy online poker option. With strong player traffic and an unrivaled commitment to bonuses, reloads, and promotions, UB and the Cereus Network can provide the pinnacle in the online gaming experience. Those wonderful qualities are somewhat tempered by tepid performances in ethics and support, but in the end, poker is about the money, and you are not going to get any more free money out of any other site online. Just proceed with caution.