Israeli poker under the microscope: EV+ poker rooms for grinders

Online poker in Israel

Last year we wrote about the development of gambling regulation in Israel because, on October 15, 2018, a law approved to block dark websites (drugs selling, etc.) was extended to block gaming sites. 

Some alternative poker rooms closed their doors, but new ones came, and the grey gambling industry continued to develop underground. 

Traffic overview at Israeli poker rooms

Our current offer of Israeli poker rooms covers four sites:

• GoldPokerPro

Hold'em (ILS/USD)	1/2 [$0,28/$0,57]	2/4 [$0,57/$1,14]	3/6 [$0,85/$1,7]	5/10 [$1,42/$2,84]	10/20 [$2,84/$5,67]
8-max	1	2	1	1	0
HU	0	0	0	1	3

Omaha (ILS/USD)		2/4 [$0,57/$1,14]	3/6 [$0,85/$1,7]	5/10 [$1,42/$2,84]	10/20 [$2,84/$5,67]	15/30 [$4,26/$8,5]	50/100 [$14,2/$28,4]
8-max		2	1	1	1	1	1

• Pureplay

Hold'em (ILS/USD)	1/2 [$0,28/$0,57]	2/4 [$0,57/$1,14]		5/10 [$1,42/$2,84]	10/20 [$2,84/$5,67]
8-max	0	0		2	2
HU	2	2		2	2

• PokerSharks

Hold'em (USD)	$2/4	$3/6
HU	2	1

Omaha (USD)	0,5/1	1/2	2/4	3/6	10/20	15/30
8-max	1	1	1	0	2	1
HU	0	0	2	1	0	0

• Royal Diamond

Omaha (ILS/USD)	1/2 [$0,28/$0,57]	2/4 [$0,57/$1,14]	3/6 [$0,85/$1,7]	5/10 [$1,42/$2,84]	10/20 [$2,84/$5,67]	20/40 [$5,68/$11,36]
8-max	1	1	1	2	2	1

GoldPokerPro is the oldest and largest one, but new sites like PokerSharks already have great action at mid and high stakes.

The following table combines all traffic that can be spotted during peak time at all four Israeli poker rooms:

NLH:

Players/Stake	NL50	NL100	NL200	NL300	NL600
6-max	1	1	1	3	2
HU	2	2	2	2	5

Omaha:

Players/Stake	PLO50	PLO100	PLO200	PLO300	PLO600	PLO800	PLO1000	PLO2000	PLO3000
6-max	1	4	3	6	3	1	1	3	1
HU	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0

In total, 21 Hold'em tables from NL50 to NL600 are visible in the lobby, and over 50% are played in HU format.

About Omaha, 26 tables from PLO50 to PLO3000 can be seen, and the most popular format is 8-max and 6-max (only 12% of the tables are played in HU format).

We can conclude that Israeli poker rooms are an excellent option for grinders and bumhunters looking to add a few tables with incredible soft action at medium and high-stakes, including HU.

Rake structure and rakeback deal at Israeli poker rooms

 

All Worldpokerdeals will receive a top rakeback deal when playing at Israeli poker rooms. Each site has a different deal and can be confirmed with our team when creating your account.

In terms of rake, playing at Israeli poker rooms isn't cheap, and even won't be profitable without our rakeback deal. 

Poker room	Rake	CAP
Pureplay	5%	300ILS ($83)
GoldPokerPro	5%	300ILS ($83)
Royal Diamond	3%-4%	High
PokerSharks	4%%	5bb

Deposit and withdrawal methods at Israeli poker rooms

Our team processes all deposits and withdrawals from Israeli poker rooms using the following payment methods:

• Skrill (USD and EUR);
• Neteller (USD and EUR);
• ecoPayz (USD and EUR);
• Bitcoin

Please note that some Israeli poker rooms are subject to a withdrawal fee related to the costs of handling local currency. Please confirm with our manager the current fee.

FAQ: how to play at Israeli poker rooms in 2019

 

Currency

Almost all sites use ILS at the tables (3,6ILS = $1), except PokerSharks that offer tables in USD.

Software

All Israeli poker rooms offer clients both for desktop (Windows and Mac OS), mobile devices, and HTML5 (for web-browsers).

All clients are functional and cover the basic needs of grinders. Of course, it isn't the most advanced software, but considering that the industry is just developing, we can say that the software is up to date.

There are almost no hand converters for Israeli poker rooms (which is somehow good for maintaining a soft field); the only one that can be purchased is a converter for Royal Diamond Poker, and our players get a special discount on it.

Playing on Saturdays?

As you may have guessed, almost all traffic at Israeli poker rooms is local; therefore, the rooms are almost empty on Saturdays according to local traditions. Also, please note that our team needs to perform a chip count every Tuesday and for a short time it won't be possible to join the games.

Are the tables soft?

Although gambling is popular in Israel, the market is still very young, and almost all players are wealthy businessman or enthusiasts that have watched famous poker players on TV. 

You can ask our team for test accountsto check the traffic before making a deposit; you will surely see fishes each table.

Are my funds safe at Israeli poker rooms?

We understand that joining underground poker rooms can be scary. That's why Worldpokerdeals has its bankroll guarantee program, which covers almost all Israeli poker rooms. In short, we guarantee the funds you have in the room with our brand. Please confirm with our manager the terms and conditions at each poker room.

Summary

The development of a grey poker market in Israel attracts two different kinds of players:

• Wealthy businessman and gamblers who wants to continue playing online despite the regulations;
• Professional poker players looking for soft fields to join.

We work with the second group of players, which nowadays represents a low percentage of traffic. Our deal for grinders includes:

• Cashier services with convenient payment methods;
• Bankroll guarantee*;
• Rakeback.

Please contact our team to start playing at the best Israeli poker rooms on the market.

Manager/Contact	Skype	Telegram
Rodion (Head of Company):	rodion_longa	iamlonga
David (Royal Diamond Poker, PokerSharks)	live:b8f3fa9afc6fa3cc	David_wpd
Matvey (GoldPokerPro, Pureplay)	asianpokerdeals.italy	magic_info

Stay tuned on our Telegram channel for more EV+ news.