UltimateBet.com is a fast-growing competitor in the fast-growing world of online poker rooms. A lot of the site's popularity is due to the promotional use of "Team UB", a group of some of the best-know professional poker players, including Annie Duke, Russ Hamilton, Phil Hellmuth, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot, Jack McClelland, and "Magic" Antonio Esfandiari. The opportunity to read informational articles written by these players, attend occasional online seminars given by them, and even play against them in online tournaments are all a part of the unique attraction of the site.

The downloadable software (free!) is a little unusual in that the table screen is arranged so your seat is always front and center - you'll never have to go hunting for your spot. There's even an option to change the table's locale, so you can pretend you're in Las Vegas, London, Aruba, Red Rock, or at the bottom of your favorite ocean. Yeah, it's silly, but an occasional change of virtual venue can't hurt when you're playing for several hours. New real money accounts qualify for a 20% bonus in "Bonus Dollars", which are easily convertible to real dollars with a reasonable amount of play (see the site for details). The "Ultimate Points" promotion gives players points for all of their online play (even in the freebie games) which can be used to enter special "Ultimate Point" tournaments or other promotional events. Again, see the site for all the details.

We've played at Ultimate Bet and can recommend it to all of our AlphaPlayers readers.