I've been beta testing PKR's new 3D poker site. Does it live up to all the hype?

I'm a fairly optimistic person and try to look at the positives of any situation as often as I can. There have been plenty of people out there secretly hoping that 3D poker, and in particular, PKR fails. I can still hear their whoops of joy when a far inferior rival 3D poker site, (Stacks Poker) went under.

I've even had people who have never seen the product saying its going to be a flop. How can you make a judgment on something you haven't seen? Well folks, I've been beta testing the PKR product and have some news for those doubters out there....

Myth 1: PKR will be too slow

Look, I won't try and pull the wool over your eyes on this one. PKR is not as fast as your traditional 2D poker sites. In fact, if you want my honest opinion its no where hear as fast. However, given the superb graphics and added game play its not as slow as you would anticipate either.

In marketing speak, PKR are attempting to put the soul back into poker. What the hell does that mean I hear you ask? Well, PKR are trying to make a game of poker more like the real thing. I've never played a real game of poker or watched a real game that is fast as the games I play at my favorite 2D site PokerRoom.com. PKR offer you the chance to make expressions, call people 'losers' flash 'winning smiles' all during a hand. Yes it sounds cool, but it also brings personality into the game, and with personality comes the ability to read players.

Yes, this additional game play slows the game down somewhat. However, more experienced poker players should be able to make the most of these tells. If you are a good, patient player then you should do well at the tables against less experienced opponents.

Myth 2: 3D poker is just a fad

Look, lets face it. 3D poker is here to stay. Yes, there have been 3D poker sites out there in the past which have failed to live up to expectations. However, that was a few years ago, and PC and software technology have moved on at a rapid pace since then.

From my experience, it appears that the team at PKR are really doing their stuff properly. It's no real surprise as the senior staff at the firm behind PKR are experienced computer game developers.

The beta testing is being run as well as any software testing scheme I've been involved in. There are open lines of communication between testers and the PKR team and the product is being updated and continuously.

With such a methodical and structured approach, I envisage that over time the team at PKR will refine and enhance the product. Yes, there will be players who go there, like the look and feel and then get bored and go back to the solitaire 2D sites. But, lets face it...you can't please everyone now can you?

Summary of my beta testing experience:

I hope that has addressed the two major criticisms I continually hear about 3D poker and PKR poker in particular. Don't forget that we are still only at the beta test stage with PKR poker. It's yet to be rolled out to the mere mortals out there!

However, it should be coming to a screen near you soon! No, seriously, if you enter your e-mail address below I'll drop you an e-mail letting you know exactly when its going live. I will also be providing details on the bonus code for their $250 sign up bonus.