Reputation and popularity	9
Theme and creativity	8
Graphics	8
Sound	8
Software	8
Amount and variety of games	8
Promotions and bonuses	9
Ease of use	8
Security	9
Customer support	9
Payment options	8
Free CD	Yes

Live games
Texas Hold 'Em
Omaha Hi-Lo
7-Stud

Minimum deposit
$20

Fixed limits
$.05-.10 - $.50/100

Pot limits
$.02-$.04/$10-20
 

Pacific Poker unfortunately has a reputation for attracting low-limit players who are, generally speaking, very bad. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you look at it. In general, the stakes are low, the players are clueless, and the software isn’t the best when compared to other rooms high in our rankings.

So, why have we placed it at no.2 on our list? Well, we still feel this is a great site with great poker bonus. In fact, we feel it’s one of best destinations on the internet for a wide variety of players.

 If you're a beginner and want to take your time in a setting that will definitely not overwhelm you, Pacific Poker is as good a site as any to start your poker playing. But if you're more advanced or, more importantly, if you're planning to play on higher-limit tables than just $0.25-0.50, there’s room here for you too.

The software at Pacific Poker is probably the site's principal drawback. It can be a bit slow, and some ‘enhancing’ would certainly be nice. Especially when the bets are small and the action isn't very intense, slow software can be a big frustration. We’re happy to report, however, that Pacific has made some great strides in this area - one of the reasons they’ve managed to climb our list so quickly!

By now, you might be wondering why, with so many ‘drawbacks’ compared to other highly-ranked sites, have we placed Pacific at #2? Well, in addition to the positives we’ve already highlighted, the room has made some dramatic improvements recently: positive changes are taking place.

 The bonuses are attractive, starting with the $100 sign-up bonus (deposit $160 for a bonus of $100). Pacific also offers bonus dollars to the tune of one point for every $10 and, in turn, one bonus dollar for every 100 points. For low-stakes players, of course, this is relatively worthless. But if you're playing at a high-stakes table, the bonus dollars can add up quickly. Another good feature is the generally high volume of players at Pacific. It has the feel of a very lively site, even if it's basically a low-wager "safety zone." Overall, depending on what you’re looking for, we feel Pacific Poker is a good site for everyone and wonderful site for those looking for easy competition combined with solid bonuses and security. Pacific shows no signs of weakening in any of its traditionally ‘strong’ categories, but shows plenty of indications that it’s picking up the pace in its historically ‘problematic’ areas. Watch as this site climbs continues to climb in our rankings and others!