As a member of the Merge network, PlayersOnly Poker benefits in several ways. Their bonuses are a bit beefier. Their software has been tried, tested and perfected. Their traffic is growing quickly thanks to promotional efforts and casino tie-ins, and their cash game and tournament offerings are above average. If you're already a fan of Sportsbook Poker, then you'll feel right at home here at PlayersOnly Poker.

Mixed Bag of Bonuses

PlayersOnly Poker offers a mixed bag of bonuses and promotions, some borrowed from their Network friends and some unique to the site. Their 100% first deposit bonus of up to $650 is a little better than average thanks to the 10% that's added to your account instantly. Players that like to dabble in other games should make good use of the free $10 in casino cash, while poker players will enjoy their first free entry to the site's famous $500 freerolls. PlayersOnly Poker promises $5 million in guaranteed tournaments every month. They also offer seasonal reload bonuses (currently 100%), rotating promotions, daily lotteries and satellites to WPT events.

Network Platform

As mentioned above, PlayersOnly Poker operates on the Merge network. The download and signup process is nearly instant. The lobby keeps it clean by offering only the most obvious tabs and pop-up filters for more advanced searching. The site has terrific graphics. A lot of players will tell you that advanced graphics drag on the table, but they definitely don't affect hand speed at PlayersOnly, and they also resize well. Multi-tablers can resize and arrange their windows automatically using the resize tab, but unfortunately they don't resize small enough to comfortably watch even four games at once. The upcoming tournament pop-ups inspire love/hate feelings in most players but are easy enough to get rid of. We especially liked the notes option in the table menu which allows you to select any player at the table and not only make permanent notes but rate their playing level with a single click.

Good Cash Game Variety

Overflow from the PlayersOnly sportsbook and casino makes for much looser competition at PlayersOnly poker. They offer Texas Holdem, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo games. They also have a 7 Card Stud tab but no tables as of yet. The site offers just enough ring game tables in each room to ensure regular action without spreading their 3000+ regular cash players too thin. Holdem stakes range from $.02/$.04 to $500/$1000. If you like to waste time at the points-only tables while waiting out tournaments, then you'll be happy to see that they're consistently packed.

$500 Freerolls and High Roller Heads Ups

In addition to the hundreds of daily Holdem tournaments, PlayersOnly Poker also offers regular Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo events including freerolls. Speaking of freerolls, you won't find any $25 or $50 freerolls here; the $500 prize pools make it worth grinding through a field of 3-4,000. Special event freerolls like the current 'Freeroll into Millions' promotion give low stakes players a risk-free chance at some of the big money. There are also a good number of Gold Chip (points entry) and ticket satellite tournaments. If you're looking for a way to use the spare change from your last deposit, you can buy into a scheduled No Limit tournament for as little as a dime. If you're looking for real high roller action, then try a $5000 heads up sit n go instead.

eWallets Preferred

The Merge network poker rooms boast of the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, which may be appealing to American players that are tired of seeing their deposits declined. That said, we recommend GP readers use an eWallet option instead. UseMyWallet is just one method that's also available to all players (Americans included), and it will guarantee you a recurring 5% reload bonus at PlayersOnly Poker.