Chan Poker Heads Up Review
Chan Poker is a relatively new site and the creation of multiple World Series
bracelet winner and poker pro Johnny Chan. This site is a skin of the ‘OnGame’
network – a group of poker sites which pool together their players. Visitors can
reach almost 40,000 at peak times of European evenings and weekends. Chan poker
is not currently available to US players. The initial sign-up bonus for this
site is a huge 100% match on your
first deposit up to $1000.
Heads-Up Poker Games Available.
No Limit Texas Holdem heads-up poker games are available in both cash game
and sit and go tournament format. The cash games have a good spread of levels to
suit all bankrolls. The blinds for heads-up cash games are equal starting 10c /
10c blinds and going up to $100 / $100. The most popular tables are at the lower
end of the limits up to $2 / $2. Pot limit and fixed limit Holdem games are also
available in heads-up format, as are also 3 player tables for short-handed
specialists looking for something a little different. No Limit Holdem Heads-Up
Sit and Go tournaments start at $1+20c going up to $500+$25 for the
high-rollers.
Other games available in cash game heads-up poker format and in sit and goes
include Omaha (Including Hi-Lo), 7-Card Stud (including Hi-Lo) and 5-Card Draw.
Other Games Available
With the 4th largest player pool on the internet the number and variety of tables available is excellent at Chan Poker. Texas Holdem cash games are usually very busy and tournaments are regular and feature a good range of game types and buy-in levels to suit all pockets. Chan Poker also offer a wide range of satellite qualifiers which allow you to gain entry into both the bigger buy-in online tournaments and to qualify for live events.
Player Traffic
As part of the OnGame poker network Chan Poker has access to almost 40,000 players during peak times of European evenings and weekends. This means that heads-up tables are available around the clock, especially at the lower limits.
Poker Software
The lobby at Chan Poker is not immediately as clear as some sites, however after
a few minutes you will find it easy to find the tables you require. There are
different lobby displays for tournaments and cash games which are changed by
clicking the heading in the top right. From the ‘Cash Game’ lobby you will need
to select your game type, then betting structure (Limit / No Limit) and then
sort the tables by size. Clicking twice on the table size will bring the
heads-up cash game tables to the top of the list.
Locating the sit and go heads-up tournaments is slightly easier. From the
‘Tournament’ view in the lobby click on ‘Sit and Go’ – there is a tab here
marked ‘Heads-Up’ which displays the complete list which can then be sorted by
game type, buy-in and status.
The tables themselves feature very good graphics and speech bubbles which tell
you a player’s action. There are statistics displayed on the current hand while
in-play and a well designed and intuitive user interface.
Bonuses and Promotions
The sign-up bonus at Chan Poker is one of the biggest in the business – a 100% match on your first deposit up to $1000. Chan also features a great selection of tournaments with guaranteed prize pools – totaling some $4 million each month. These include daily $10k and $20k Guaranteed prize pools. Chan Poker is a relatively new poker site – expect more bonuses and incentives any time soon!