Tiger Gaming Review
Written by Keith Brown
Tiger Gaming Poker has been around for close to two decades, launching back in 1999, so it's far from a new player to the market. With a great welcome bonus, solid software and a good range of deposit options, it's no surprise that it remains an extremely popular option for online poker players in Australia and beyond.
Unfortunately for any Americans reading, they don't accept wagers from the US. As a result, peak traffic tends to line up better with when most Australians will be looking to play i.e. evenings and at night. There are hundreds of players online throughout the day at Tiger Poker, with thousands of poker fans pitting their skills against each other during these peak times.
The good welcome bonus means that many players at Tiger Gaming are not only new to the site, but new to the game of poker itself. That's good news for players who aren't all that confident in their ability, as it means that they can find others who are at their level, but it's also good for skilled players who know how to take advantage of foolish bets and rookie mistakes.
That doesn't mean that all the players on Tiger Gaming are amateurs though, and serious players will find some worthy opponents to face off against, particularly if they visit some of the higher stakes tables. There are plenty of promotions designed to keep players loyal including free entry to tournaments, bad beat jackpots, prizes for topping leaderboards and various other giveaways.
Below we take a look at what else Tiger Gaming has to offer, and whether or not it's a contender for one of the best poker sites around.
- Generous welcome bonus
- Lots of soft action against which to pit your skills
- Plenty of active tables during peak hours
Main Features
Tiger Poker's software is smooth and looks nice, though some players have complained that it can be a little slow sometimes. On the positive side, there are always lots of games to choose from at Tiger Gaming no matter how big (or small) your bankroll. The graphics aren't exactly stunning, though we like the city skyline backdrops, but there are several options to customise how the game looks before you get down to business.
Tiger Poker is part of the Chico Poker Network, operated by Action Commerce Limited, and licensed in Curacao. They also use state of the art RNGs – random number generators – on their properties and have various measures in place to prevent collusion and protect players. In short, this is a safe site to play with. After all, the site couldn't last for almost twenty years if it was misleading or cheating players out of their winnings.
We'd like to see a little more information about any third party audits the site has been subjected to, some stats about the payouts of their casino games etc., but that's just us being picky. The site does have a nice walkthrough of exactly how their RNGs work which makes for interesting reading, particularly if you've only ever gambled offline before visiting Tiger Gaming.
The welcome bonus offered by Tiger Poker is excellent, with a 100% match up to $2,500. The bonus is unlocked in increments of 20% of the bonus value as players reach the necessary number of points, which are earned by playing in ring games and Texas Hold 'Em tournaments. This can be tough going, but we've never met a poker player who doesn't look forward to unlocking some bonus cash! You'll have to be quick though, since new players only get 30 days in which to clear their welcome bonus.
Tiger Gaming also offers an online casino with a huge range of slots and table games. If you're a real poker fanatic, it might interest you to know that they offer 7 different kinds of video poker, as well as Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker and Red Dog. If you're in the mood for something a little different, you could always move over to the casino and give one of these a try.
Like their poker offering, Tiger Gaming's casino comes with a great welcome bonus. Unfortunately, the wagering requirements – 50x the value of deposit AND bonus – are much higher than those on most other sites, which are usually closer to 30x the value of deposit and bonus or sometimes even just the bonus if the match % is higher than 100.
It's extremely tough to meet these requirements, so it's unlikely that you'll unlock the whole bonus unless you plan to spend a lot of time on the site.
Deposit Options
Tiger Gaming has a nice range of deposit options available, many of which will credit your account immediately. Some of your choices include Skrill, Entropay, eco, Neteller, wire transfer and credit cards, plus a few others. Most deposits are instantaneous, so you can often head straight to the tables just seconds after crediting your account and find that you're good to go.
Many of the methods listed above can also be used for withdrawals, and the minimum withdrawal amount is just $25. As with most online poker sites, you'll need to provide some proof of identity before you can start withdrawing your winnings. It's also worth noting that you're only eligible for one free withdrawal per 30 day cycle. Any more and you'll incur a 1% charge.
Another nice touch is that Tiger Gaming pledge to double your cash out if they don't pay within 24 hours. As you'd expect, some terms and conditions apply but this remains a hugely positive step towards building trust with players and making sure that withdrawals are processed quickly.
Games Offered
Tiger Gaming's primary offerings are Omaha and Texas Hold 'Em, which makes sense as these are far and away the most popular poker variations online. The absence of HORSE and Stud games will undoubtedly disappoint some players, and you could accuse Tiger Gaming of a lack of variety in their offering...even though many players will be perfectly happy bouncing between Hold 'Em and Omaha.
To be fair to Tiger Gaming, they do also offer a range of other games in their legacy software: Pan, Chinese Poker, Guts, 7 Card Stud and Big 2. Legacy games are much less popular than Omaha and Hold 'Em, and the version of Tiger Gaming's software that supports them looks seriously outdated, but we're sure that there will be some players out there who are very glad that they make an appearance at all.
As we mentioned above, you can also find video poker and a few casino poker variants in the Tiger Gaming online casino should you feel the need to break up your poker session with something else.
Mobile
When players find an online poker site that they like, they'll often check to see whether or not the site has a mobile offering so they can take the action with them while they're on the move.
Unfortunately, Tiger Gaming has no mobile options for players right now. Because there's no instant play/no download offering, there's no possibility of a responsive site for players to use on smartphones or tablets.
In order to provide a mobile service, Tiger Gaming will either have to create dedicated apps for Android, iPhone, iPad etc. or release an instant play version of their software with support for smaller screen sizes. As yet, there's no sign of them doing either of these things. If you're desperate to play on a mobile, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Service
With customer support available via email and live chat 24/7, you'll be in good hands if you struggle with anything or have any problems. You can expect answers to arrive pretty quickly, particularly if you use the live chat service, and we've generally found support to be very helpful.
On the negative side, the FAQ section on Tiger Gaming's website could stand to be a lot more comprehensive; it only covers about 15 basic questions, which doesn't feel like enough. The lack of phone support might trouble some users, especially given that some poker sites and online casinos now offer everything from Skype support to help via iMessage and WhatsApp.
However, the bottom line is that the support offered here is quick and effective and that's what really counts.
FAQ
Is Tiger Gaming legit?
It's very legit. Tiger Gaming has been around for more than 17 years, and it's just not possible to stay alive for that long in the online gambling space unless you're doing something right.
When playing with Tiger Gaming you can rest assured that you're in good hands.
What poker variations do they offer?
In the most up to date version of its software, Tiger Gaming offers Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha Hi/Lo. You'll find both of these games being played with a range of stakes, pot limits and buy-ins.
However, they also have a legacy version that features more unusual poker variants including Pan, Chinese Poker, Guts, 7 Card Stud and Big 2. Because many players have moved onto the newest version of the Tiger Gaming software, these tables aren't quite as busy but you'll still usually be able to find some action.
Do I need to download any software?
Yes, you do. Tiger Gaming offers clients for both Mac and PC, but do not have an instant play/no download alternative for players who don't want to download anything.
This is a bit of a shame, but at least it means that they can focus on making sure that their software clients are as good as they can possibly be without having to also spend time maintaining an instant play version.
Do they support mobile or tablet play?
Unfortunately not, or at least not at the time of writing. Because you can only play using a downloadable client, and not through instant play, there's no opportunity for users to rely on a responsive version of the site to play.
Tiger Gaming hasn't released any dedicated mobile apps for iPhone or Android yet either, but there's nothing to say that these won't eventually arrive.
Can I play in Australian Dollars?
Tiger Gaming only accepts deposits and allows withdrawals in USD. This isn't ideal for Australian players, as it means you need to do some mental arithmetic every time you're paying in or cashing out.
It's even more frustrating because players from the US aren't actually accepted at Tiger Gaming! Be sure to check whether your bank charges fees for currency conversion when you're claiming your winnings, as you may want to look elsewhere if you're not happy to pay these.
How fast do they payout?
Although the speed of withdrawals will vary depending on the method you use to cash out, Tiger Gaming has a reputation for a very smooth withdrawal process. They even have a guarantee in place that they will double your cash out if they don't release it within 24 hours.
Can I trial their platform for free?
Yes you can, and in two different ways. If you're not ready to make your first deposit yet, you can use play money to get a feel for how the software works and try your hand at online poker without any pressure.
Your other alternative is to take place in one of Tiger Gaming's regular freerolls. These offer the chance to win real money, albeit very small sums of it, without making a deposit. They make for a fantastic first taste of the excitement playing poker for real money online can bring!
Do they offer tournament play?
They do, with tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs every week. The biggest tournaments are the weekly $20,000 GTD, which takes place every Sunday, and the $50,000 GTD, which falls on the final Sunday of every month.
Reviewed By: OnlinePoker.com.au
