Blue Square
f you are looking for a new place to enjoy some online poker action, Blue Square is a good place to start. It was launched on May 5, 1999 and has become one of the largest interactive betting services in the United Kingdom. It started out as a traditional bookmaking business and has grown to include an online service that offers its players casino games, slots, and of course, poker. Its fixed odds betting cover the Internet, interactive television, WAP and telephone. The management intends to add more services in the future.
The website started out as a subsidiary of Intercapital Group Limited until they were acquired by Rank in 2003. Rank is one of the United Kingdom’s top leisure and entertainment companies with assets in casinos, bingo clubs and online gaming services. When integrated with Rank Interactive Gaming, their customer base expanded to over 750,000 members overall.
To get started with Blue Square poker, all a potential player needs to do is download the interactive software, create a user name, and begin. All of the games are played in U.S. dollars, but the player’s money can be counted in their accounts in UK pounds sterling, Australian dollars, Euros, Japanese Yen, Singapore dollars, or Canadian dollars. Once you choose the currency for your account, it cannot be changed at a later date.
Members can play at up to eight tables at one time. The software is checked and certified by the Association of British Bookmakers on a regular basis to ensure that the games are being played fairly without bias. Poker rooms are secured with a 128-bit encryption scheme and anti-collusion software, protecting the player’s deposits and winnings at all times. Offensive players are given a warning for their first offence. Repeat offenders will either be suspended, permanently lose their chat privileges, or be banned from the room – and possibly the site – altogether.
Potential members can watch games without being involved by simply downloading the software. They can then choose the table they want to watch from the list in the lobby. Cash games and tournaments are the two ways members can play poker on Blue Square. Tournament poker requires the player to pay an entrance fee then play in a ‘last man standing’ game. With cash games, the play uses real money and they can leave the table whenever they are ready.
Currently, Blue Square is offering sign up bonuses for brand new members. They will match the player’s deposit 100%. By playing ring games and tournaments, they will earn ‘Knockout Points’. The players have three months from sign up to earn the necessary amount of points needed in order to have their matched sign up bonus money released to their account. Points and bonuses are added as the player continues to play, allowing them to earn more money just for playing poker.
Other games offered by Blue Square include casino games – slots, table games, and video poker – sports betting that features all types of sports from around the world, and even games that can be played and followed on a player’s mobile phone.
