How the Reviews Work

Overview
The reviews are split into two basic sections. First, for each site that we list, Cruzino.com does an in-depth test and review of the site's software and play experience. Second, Cruzino.com users can add comments and review sites for free at their own will.

The Cruzino.com Review
With the Cruzino.com review, we actually sign up for accounts on the site, and we give it a test drive. We record our experiences, some screenshots, and any relevant data that we find during the test drive.

In addition, we read through all of the literature on the site to make sure that we can highlight the salient features of the gaming site accurately. This includes getting the full list of games offered, and also trying to describe themes with tournament play or other features that really set the site apart.

The next step of our review is to do internet research where we look for users on the net that have already shared experiences about a gaming site. In some cases we may do email-based interviews, or just use the data to ask more questions of the site's customer support staff.

Lastly, we give the site a rating on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. If a site ranks lower than 3 stars, we may not even list it on Cruzino.com, as we don't want to promote sites that don't meet a minimum bar.

There are a lot of sites out there that can be reviewed, and the overall review process is quite time consuming. As such, we do not claim to have reviews for all known gaming sites, and we probably never will! But, if there are sites that we haven't reviewed, and you think they are major sites that should be in our list, please let us know. Your vote definitely counts.

The User Reviews
User reviews are submitted by Cruzino.com users. They find our site through any number of means, and we have no mechanism to track them or identify them. Users are encouraged to share their experiences at any time. The only criteria are that the content of the review be suitable for all users.

Users rate each site with 5 questions on a scale of 1-5 stars. Cruzino.com summarizes this data into an overall user rating score.

If you are writing a review, please try to keep the following in mind:

• Keep the content appropriate for all users
• Share real-world experiences
• Try to be objective
• Do not post spam or off-topic information

The Cruzino.com Site Rating System
The Cruzino.com rating system was developed by Cruzino.com after having played with many of the online poker sites over the last few years. It is intended to reflect the key aspects of what is valuable in a great playing experience at an online gaming site.

The categories include:

Players
The quality of players is asking whether a site has a large quantity of serious poker players online. Players may be of all skill levels, but we look for sites where the players are serious about playing. They pay attention to the game and keep it moving. Further, the site has lots of these players so that when you decide to play, you have lots of tables to play at and the site is not a "ghost town".

Game Play
Game Play has to do with how the flow of the game works. A site with excellent game play will have great connectivity, have few delays, provide an easy user-interface where players don't get confused or miss their turns.

Software
The software is a critical aspect to each online poker site's review. Great Software will have lot of features and options, such as the ability to customize your appearance at the table, or ability to control sound and graphics easily. The software will provide many varieties of games, and provide easy navigation through the lobby and tournament areas.

It is possible for a site to have great gameplay (sitting at the table and playing the game is extremely smooth), and yet have software that is not as great - either due to having only a "bare-bones" feature set or being difficult to login.

Support
Whenever money is involved, great customer support is absolutely key. We generally look for 24x7 support, preferably with chat or phone based support rather than just email. Any player that is going to trust the site with his money knows that having someone to talk to is absolutely vital.

Trust
Lastly, we mention trust. In the past, there have been sites which have had difficulty paying the winnings to their players. When this happens, regardless of why it happens, the site loses our trust. We hope that one of the main benefits of the Cruzino.com online poker site reviews will be that we can quickly determine which sites are trustworthy with our money and which are not.