Review: Sky Poker
Please note: none of the links in this review are affiliate links, we have not been paid for this (or any) review. This post has not been sponsored by Sky Poker.
Sign Up Bonus: 🍋🍋🍋
Rake: 🍋🍋🍋
Rakeback: 🍋🍋🍋
Software: 🍋🍋🍋🍋
Player Pool: 🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋
Safety: 🍋🍋🍋🍋
Overall: 🍋🍋🍋🍋
Sky Poker is a UK based gambling site offering poker and a host of other gambling games played in GBP. In 2015 the Sky Poker site was bought by the Stars Group - these are the same people who operate Poker Stars.
Uniquely, Sky Poker offers a strong and active community on their dedicated forum. This is a place where poker players come to chat about hands and potential improvements to the software. The Sky Poker staff are active on the Sky Poker Forum too, which gives a sense of community that other sites are seemingly unable to replicate.
Signing Up for Sky Poker
To sign up for Sky Poker you need to provide 2 forms of ID with proof of address, which is pretty standard fare for all online casinos. The approval process will take about a day (I signed up for Sky Poker recently and can confirm it took about 24 hours to approve my application). This sign-up and approval process is now the law in the UK, so you’ll find a similar approval process anywhere you go.
Once you’ve been approved, you will also need to choose a username and a PIN.
Sky Poker Sign Up Rewards
For signing up with Sky Poker you will receive £10 in tournament tokens and, after you’ve made your first deposit, you’ll receive a further £40 in tournament tokens. Make sure to register through this link to get the promotional bonuses.
Sky Poker Software
The Sky Poker software can be downloaded onto your computer - as is the case with the majority of poker sites - alternatively you can play in any internet browser. The Sky Poker client experience is much the same as other online poker clients, and the tables open in pop out windows like in any traditional poker software. If you’re downloading the software, be aware that it uses the Adobe Air Runtime which likely won't be on your PC by default and must itself be downloaded and installed first.
Sky Poker looks a lot like other poker sites, minus the overbearingly blue Sky Poker branding. Sky Poker has a main lobby page where you can access all of the game types you would expect from any modern poker site.
Broadly speaking there are three main categories of game available on Sky Poker: Cash Games, Sit n Gos and Tournaments. (There are different variants within each of these categories but I will get to them later.)
Playing Sky Poker Games
All the tables have a maximum of 6 players. When playing, you’ll see a large chatbox which fills the bottom left and displays all action taking place at the table. Your current hand is displayed above your username and all available actions are located in the bottom right.
When multi-tabling, you’ll have the option to ‘tile’ all your open windows. Tiling your windows will neatly arrange your tables across your PC screen. Its a nice touch and makes multitabling easier.
The Sky Poker notification sound is perhaps one of the most annoying you will encounter in online poker. This notification sound is best described, in my opinion, as an army of Zoidbergs angrily hurrying you to bet or raise. When playing more than one table this sound - to me at least - quickly became unbearable.
HUDs are banned in Sky Poker, so if you regularly use a HUD (heads up display) you may want to go elsewhere. However, if you’re looking for a site that doesn't allow other players to collect data on how you play then Sky Poker can offer that for you.
Rake at Sky Poker
Rake at Sky Poker is a mixed bag. Here you can see a summary of the rake:
| No. of players | % Rake | Maximum Per Pot |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 7.50% | £0.70 |
| 3+ | 7.50% | £1.40 |
| No. of players | % Rake | Maximum Per Pot |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5% | £1 |
| 3+ | 5% | £1.80 |
As you can see at the very lowest stakes (up to 5p/10p) rake is quite high at 7.5% per pot with a cap of £1.40. Industry standard is 5% or less with caps varying but often below that of Sky Poker. Get more information about rake in online poker with our rake comparison across the biggest poker sites in the EU.
Above the 5p/10p level you can expect more reasonable rake (5% capped at £1.80 ) and I would say it is actually a very good deal. Sky Poker shapes up very nicely compared to all the other EU poker sites and comes in at one of the lowest rakes you’ll find at any online casino.
Tournament and Sit N Go rake at Sky Poker is standard for the industry with all Tournaments or Sit N Gos having a 10% fee added to the buyin. For example a £2 buyin becomes £2 + £0.20 and a £20 buyin becomes £20 + £2. Heads up Sit N Gos have a slightly reduced rake of only 5%, for example £5 + £0.25.
Sky Poker Rakeback
Sky Poker claims you can earn up to 20% in rakeback. This is achieved through a tiered rewards scheme called Priority Rewards. There are 4 levels in the Sky Poker Priority Rewards programme. (The table below shows these levels and the amount of play required to achieve them.) Each level is achieved through earning poker points. These points are paid at a rate of 6 per £1 paid in cash game rake and 10 per £1 paid in Tournament rake.
| Level | Poker Points | Rakeback | Rake Requirement (Cash) | Rake Requirement (Tourney) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Bronze | 10000 | 10% | £1,666.67 | £1,000.00 |
| Priority Silver | 20000 | 12.50% | £3,333.33 | £2,000.00 |
| Priority Gold | 30000 | 15% | £5,000.00 | £3,000.00 |
| Priority Platinum | 50000 | 20% | £8,333.33 | £5,000.00 |
In addition to the above levels all players who have achieved at least 50 Poker Points in one week are invited to play a series of Freerolls totalling £5k in value with further benefits available as you earn more points. With the exception of the freerolls this can vary by week.
Sky Poker Cash Games
The cash game section at Sky Poker offers Regular, Heads-Up, No Limit, Pot Limit, Capped and Spin Up. All of these variants are available for Hold Em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo.
The stakes for all of these games range from 4NL to 2kNL. Sky Poker has some stakes levels that other sites avoid; for example I don't think I’ve ever seen a 30NL or a 300NL game on another site. But these extra steps can make your progression smoother.
The majority of cash games are played at 6 Max tables with Heads-Up games also available.
Sky Vegas Spin Up
Sky Vegas Spin Up games are a unique format played with a 10 big blind maximum buyin. In a format like this, pre-flop shoves are common and stacks can be built quickly. It isn't uncommon to come to a Spin Up table with multiple stacks of 50bb - 100bb, demonstrating where players have repeatedly re-bought into the game and got it in bad.
The Spin Up game type is becoming very common in some form or another across the online poker industry. It serves to increase the variance of cash games and level the playing field for weaker players.
Sky Poker Sit ‘n’ Go
Sky Poker has Sit N Gos for both Hold Em and Omaha ranging from £0.55 to £220. At all stakes the structure and starting stack is the same. I have included a table below of what to expect.
The regular Sit N Gos are listed as Six Max and Six Max (Speed). These have 7 and 5 minute levels respectively and a 1500 chip starting stack.
While the regular and Speed variants are most popular on Sky Poker. DYM or Double Your Money Sit N Gos are a close second. These pay the top 3 of 6 players double their buyin. These have the same structure as above except they have a 1000 chip starting stack and either 2 or 5 minute levels. The shorter levels belong to the Turbo DYM tourneys.
Sky Poker Tournaments
Sky Poker has a healthy poker tournament economy with events running 24/7. Each night Sky Poker holds special events with larger guarantees, as well as a full Sunday schedule. It should be noted that most of the Sky Poker tournaments are progressive bounties with a 25% progression and none of the tournaments have antes.
In terms of poker game structures, Sky Poker is on the slower side. You will find that most events have a 10, 12 or 15 minute clock and occasionally you will find a tournament with a 7 minute clock such as the £15k Sharpshooter. In the time I have played on the site I have not seen any events with faster structures.
Player Pool at Sky Poker
From what I have observed the player pool is generally on the weaker side at Sky Poker. This is due, in part, to the extremely casual audience coming over from Sky’s other services such as Sky Lotto, Sky Bingo and Sky Vegas. Sky likes to push the idea that it is a recreational or beginner-friendly site which serves to bring the average skill level down.
Sky Poker Summary
Sky Poker offers a decent but limited poker offering. There's a lack of game types and a restriction on the number of players at a table below the usual 8 or 9 - instead you'll be playing at tables with a maximum of 6 players.
Their rake structure is baffling at some stakes and the rakeback is great for super casual players and huge volume grinders but leaves a lot to be desired for anyone between (the majority).
If you haven't signed up at Sky Poker already, it's worth your time and energy. Take advantage of the Sky Poker sign up offers to make the most of it and focus on tournaments unless you play higher stakes cash games. The satellites to major Sky Poker events throughout the week are particularly good.
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