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Bwin Mobile Poker Review
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Introduction
Bwin have continued to be one of the leading lights within the poker industry for a number of years now. One of the reasons why they have continued to have success in such a competitive marketplace is down to the fact that they are more than open to bringing innovating ideas into their portfolio. One of their latest editions comes in the form of their iPad poker app.
The app itself is one that has evolved from their iPhone app, and we are delighted to see it’s been offered in a complete iPad app. Whilst some companies merely allow the same app to be used for both platforms, Bwin have seen fit to provide a separate download for each piece of hardware. It’s also worth pointing out that whilst two different downloads are available for each, players will still play within the same mobile poker network allowing there to be a much greater player pool.
Download information and Welcome bonus
The app can be downloaded from any of the links given on this page. Once you click the links you will then be instructed as to where you can register and then how to download the app to your iPad. This is an extremely easy process and one that takes just a couple of minutes. If you are viewing this page directly from your iPad then you can still click the link and register an account. It’s advisable that accounts are registered before downloading the app as it’s much easier to do so from their website. Whilst you can register accounts from the app we found this to be a little tedious to say the least.
New users to Bwin can take advantage of one of the best welcome bonuses in the industry. You can claim up to $500 which is 100% match on your deposit, but not only is the amount of bonus impressive, but the time in which it takes to clear is one of the quicker we have tested. The bonus does expire within 90 days however, but this should provide the majority of users plenty of time clear at least the majority of their bonus with only a moderate amount of play required.
Bwin Interface and Features
Straight out of the wrapper the Bwin poker iPad app looks mightily impressive. For those of you that are familiar with Bwin you will notice they have stayed with their black and yellow theme throughout the app, which looks stunning on the retina display models of the iPad. We aren’t sure if the app is designed for retina display models or not, but after testing on both types of screen, you will not be disappointed with the aesthetics of it all.
The app allows you to select from a number of options including accounts, settings and help once logged in. The account section is one of the most comprehensive we have seen and everything from betting history, bet slip, deposit, withdrawal, bonuses, deposit limits, account movements users settings, help, contact information and language options are all available. This section has basically been taken from their sports betting app but provides all the information you will need to get started and fund your account.
The settings section is a little more condensed, but totally focused towards the poker client. You can change things such as auto post blinds, four colour deck, sounds and vibration alerts. It’s not a massive amount by any means but we think Bwin are trying to keep the app as simple to use as possible, and this is probably a feature of that integrated simplicity.
The help section is small text based piece that we highly recommend all users read before they start out. It’s pretty simple stuff but lets you know about things at the table such as betting amounts, controls whilst at the table and connection costs, of which they do not charge for but make it aware that network providers ma charge if using from a 3/4G connection. Obviously running the app via a Wi-Fi connection will be covered under those terms.
In terms of poker you get three choices to choose from; real money, play money and Preview. The real money section allows you to choose between game types (no limit, fixed limit or pot limit), amount of players at the table (2, 6, 9 or 10) and then your stake.
Now the stakes section is probably the most interesting feature on the Bwin poker app. The reason behind this is the amount of stakes that are on offer. They range from 25c/50c – which is very high for the lowest stakes games – all the way up $25/$50 which are by far and away the highest stakes we have managed to find from any mobile poker app.
Once all this has been selected you simply click the play button before being seated at the tables. Now this is the first negative point about the Bwin app in our opinion and that’s because you can’t actually select which table you are sat at. This will auto-assign you a table and then you simply have to get on with it. Table selecting is tough on any mobile poker device, but this certainly doesn’t do anything to help the cause.
The play money section is identical to the real money section, except obviously tables are for play money only. We would recommend sampling these tables to at least get a feel for how they perform before using real money tables.
Fans of speed poker, where players are plucked from a pool of potential players, have the option to play turbo poker on their iOS or Android devices.
A great addition to the app is the preview section. This basically runs an automated presentation of how each table will work. It shows you everything from layout to what it looks like when the opponents play, how it looks when the action is on you and the different options you can select whilst at the table.
Straight out of the wrapper the Bwin poker iPad app looks mightily impressive. For those of you that are familiar with Bwin you will notice they have stayed with their black and yellow theme throughout the app, which looks stunning on the retina display models of the iPad. We aren’t sure if the app is designed for retina display models or not, but after testing on both types of screen, you will not be disappointed with the aesthetics of it all.
The app allows you to select from a number of options including accounts, settings and help once logged in. The account section is one of the most comprehensive we have seen and everything from betting history, bet slip, deposit, withdrawal, bonuses, deposit limits, account movements users settings, help, contact information and language options are all available. This section has basically been taken from their sports betting app but provides all the information you will need to get started and fund your account.
The settings section is a little more condensed, but totally focused towards the poker client. You can change things such as auto post blinds, four colour deck, sounds and vibration alerts. It’s not a massive amount by any means but we think Bwin are trying to keep the app as simple to use as possible, and this is probably a feature of that integrated simplicity.
The help section is small text based piece that we highly recommend all users read before they start out. It’s pretty simple stuff but lets you know about things at the table such as betting amounts, controls whilst at the table and connection costs, of which they do not charge for but make it aware that network providers ma charge if using from a 3/4G connection. Obviously running the app via a Wi-Fi connection will be covered under those terms.
In terms of poker you get three choices to choose from; real money, play money and Preview. The real money section allows you to choose between game types (no limit, fixed limit or pot limit), amount of players at the table (2, 6, 9 or 10) and then your stake.
Now the stakes section is probably the most interesting feature on the Bwin poker app. The reason behind this is the amount of stakes that are on offer. They range from 25c/50c – which is very high for the lowest stakes games – all the way up $25/$50 which are by far and away the highest stakes we have managed to find from any mobile poker app.
Once all this has been selected you simply click the play button before being seated at the tables. Now this is the first negative point about the Bwin app in our opinion and that’s because you can’t actually select which table you are sat at. This will auto-assign you a table and then you simply have to get on with it. Table selecting is tough on any mobile poker device, but this certainly doesn’t do anything to help the cause.
The play money section is identical to the real money section, except obviously tables are for play money only. We would recommend sampling these tables to at least get a feel for how they perform before using real money tables.
Fans of speed poker, where players are plucked from a pool of potential players, have the option to play turbo poker on their iOS or Android devices.
A great addition to the app is the preview section. This basically runs an automated presentation of how each table will work. It shows you everything from layout to what it looks like when the opponents play, how it looks when the action is on you and the different options you can select whilst at the table.
Table mode
The table is by far and away the best thing about the Bwin iPad app. It looks stunning! The black and the yellow along with everything looking super smart on the iPad screen really adds a touch of class to this app. We could go as far as saying that it’s one of, if not the best looking mobile poker table we have tested to date!
If you have read the iPhone review for the Bwin poker app you will know how much of a fan we are of this app already, but on the iPad it really comes to life. That extra screen size really makes this a joy to use and in no way do you ever feel you are squinting to see the action. On top of that you never feel as though as it’s hard to click the buttons, change your betting amount or follow the action. It’s so similar to running a table on your laptop screen, but the usability of having it on your iPad makes it a million times better.
We just want to quickly mention about the amazing bet slider that’s on this app. It may seem so minor, but it’s something that we feel really sets this app as one of the best. Apart from actually being able to type your betting amount in, the slider allows you to easily scroll between how much you want to bet. It’s been easy for many apps to just simply create a few set bet amount buttons and be done with it, but this allows you to be creative in your betting amounts and is something we love using on the app.
Verdict
The Bwin app has managed to land itself at the top of the iPad poker apps as one of the most complete apps we have tested. It’s usually about this time in the article that we try and be subjective about things and state possibly where it can be improved, but that just seems wrong with this app as it’s so polished.
We love the fact that it caters to the higher end poker players, and whilst games at $25/$50 are somewhat above and beyond our bankroll, the inclusion will likely appeal to a much broader band of poker players. That being said, the lower stakes are still on offer and we found a really nice mix of games on offer in terms of ability.
The added screen size of the iPad over the iPhone isn’t always a positive thing when it comes to poker apps, but we feel that it definitely makes this app a much better package. If you can get your hands on an iPad and are keen to sample some mobile poker, then you won’t go far wrong with the Bwin iPad app.
The table is by far and away the best thing about the Bwin iPad app. It looks stunning! The black and the yellow along with everything looking super smart on the iPad screen really adds a touch of class to this app. We could go as far as saying that it’s one of, if not the best looking mobile poker table we have tested to date!
If you have read the iPhone review for the Bwin poker app you will know how much of a fan we are of this app already, but on the iPad it really comes to life. That extra screen size really makes this a joy to use and in no way do you ever feel you are squinting to see the action. On top of that you never feel as though as it’s hard to click the buttons, change your betting amount or follow the action. It’s so similar to running a table on your laptop screen, but the usability of having it on your iPad makes it a million times better.
We just want to quickly mention about the amazing bet slider that’s on this app. It may seem so minor, but it’s something that we feel really sets this app as one of the best. Apart from actually being able to type your betting amount in, the slider allows you to easily scroll between how much you want to bet. It’s been easy for many apps to just simply create a few set bet amount buttons and be done with it, but this allows you to be creative in your betting amounts and is something we love using on the app.
Verdict
The Bwin app has managed to land itself at the top of the iPad poker apps as one of the most complete apps we have tested. It’s usually about this time in the article that we try and be subjective about things and state possibly where it can be improved, but that just seems wrong with this app as it’s so polished.
We love the fact that it caters to the higher end poker players, and whilst games at $25/$50 are somewhat above and beyond our bankroll, the inclusion will likely appeal to a much broader band of poker players. That being said, the lower stakes are still on offer and we found a really nice mix of games on offer in terms of ability.
The added screen size of the iPad over the iPhone isn’t always a positive thing when it comes to poker apps, but we feel that it definitely makes this app a much better package. If you can get your hands on an iPad and are keen to sample some mobile poker, then you won’t go far wrong with the Bwin iPad app.
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