A review of Duplicate Poker.com:
As I write this, I am waiting. Waiting is something you have to get used to when you play on this site. The tournaments are spaced well apart from each other and they go fast. The ring games are for a lack of a better word, desolate. I am sitting at a table with TexasBoyle, he is waiting as well. No point in trying to strike up a conversation with Boyle, he is a Bot.
We wait for someone else to join, adjacent to my seat, at another table, most likely with another Bot. The ring game, or cash game, is a tournament style game. Every hand you start with the same amount of chips, and when the hand is over, it matters little if you win at your table. The only thing that counts is if your mirror player, the one sitting in your seat at another table, using your same cards, has fewer chips then you at the end of the hand. He or she must play the hand worse then you did, and hope that the Bot didnt fold pre-flop, like yours almost always does, and gave them some action.
This of course depends on which Bot you are playing with. Some give you action all the way to the river, calling you down with anything, and some fold almost every hand pre flop. There are times when you get other live players at your table, and once you get enough, the Bot quietly excuses himself. This is double edged however. If your mirror table doesnt have and equal number of players as your table, then the Bot stays, and you only get to play every other hand. The downside of this, you are stuck in your position. I played 23 hands the other night, and was on the Big Blind for every single hand. The Bot had the Button, and Small Blind against me for every single hand we played, the other player at my table had position against the Bot, and saw substantial action on every hand, I on the other hand, was folded to, almost all 23 hands.
On the surface, the above scenario doesnt seem all that bad. Bear in mind however, the ONLY WAY TO MAKE MONEY on this site, is to end the hand with more chips then your mirror player. So, unless your mirror player busts out, or loses their hand, your best case scenario is to lose 5 cents, and have $1.95 returned to your bankroll. It is important to be able to weather the storm, during times like this, and wait until either you are shifted to another table with the loose Bot, or more real players show up.
You can make money on this site. It wont happen quickly, but if you take a disciplined low limit grinding approach to your play, and loosen up your starting hand requirements (substantially), you can profit. The way I have made money in the ring games, was to take $20.00 to the table, and as soon as I hit $30.00, I left. On one occasion, we actually had 4 players, and I stayed until I hit $40.00. For the most part however, your ring games will be heads up, against a Bot. Bank on that. If heads up pot-limit Texas Hold em isnt your game, stay away from the ring games!
Strong pocket pairs, good suited connectors, Ace anything, are all pretty much meaningless. The only thing that matters is if your mirror makes a mistake. Each hand costs $2.00 at this game, or $5.00 if you have the bankroll to play at that level, and I recommend you not bother, until you have a good feel for how to play at Duplicate Poker. . The most you can win per hand is $3.95 (at the $2.00 level). You mirror has to really mess up, for that to happen. They do, and once the game gets going, you have the potential to make some money!
I deposited $50.00, between tournaments and the $2.00 ring game, I had doubled up in about 2 hrs. Not bad, I have no idea if I got a bonus, but the Credit Card transaction for the deposit went smoothly and quickly.
I will talk more about the tournaments later. Suffice to say that they can be profitable.
Duplicate Poker has some work to do in my opinion. The Bots are frustrating. So far, I have encountered only 2. The one I mentioned above (Texas Boyle) and Big John. Each has their own distinctive method of play. Each one has a $1,000 bankroll, which when you first sit down, can be very intimidating. Once you get a feel for the game, and the variations in rules, you learn that the Bots bankroll is meaningless, and your only concern it your mirror. I am certain you will get tired of hearing that, but if you want to play on this site, you need to adapt that mindset. It is a challenge, and I recommend you prepare yourself for some serious Donkey action. I have adapted a method of play I refer to as Ultra Donkey, I think I might even get a cape and tights to wear, with a big kicking Donkey on the front!
The overall concept of Duplicate Poker is intriguing, which is why I gave them a try. Their interactive video tutorial is well made, but confusing. I got the impression I would be able to see my mirror player, or players in action. Giving me the ability to adjust my play according to their overall play. Well, it doesnt work that way. Not even close! Duplicate Poker claims that skill is the deciding factor insofar as to how the winner of each hand or tournament is determined. Let me give you some hands that I played, on the $2.00 Winner take all ring game, and you can make your own determination.
I will give you the hand #, my cards, and the community cards, wagers placed through the river, along with the end result of profit or loss. I will be fair, and show you an equal number of losing hands vs. winning hands.
Example #1: Hand # 457177
I was dealt: Ah 3h. On the Big Blind. Facing a Live player, who folded pre-flop.
Flop: Ks 10s 5h
Turn: 9d
River: 2c
By checking the hand history in player admin panel, I was able to see that I ended the hand with: 1030 chips, and my mirror player ended with 1420 chips. Hand history shows a total loss on my part, meaning the mirror won $3.95. However, my hand written records, taken during the actual play of the hand, show I received $1.77. This and other contradictory records in the hand history will be discussed later on in my review.
Hand#: 457270
I was dealt: 6d Qc
Facing a Bot we raised each other twice. Pot is now 360 chips.
Flop: 9 4 7 all diamonds.
Turn: 6h
We got them all in on the turn. Remember what I said about the Bots, they either fold pre-flop, or call you down with nothing. Very rarely will you force a Bot to fold after the flop.
River:5h
The Bot turns over 8c 9s for the win.
Because my mirror and I played the hand the same way, meaning we both lost, but since we both lost, and both ended up with the same chip count if 0, we each got $1.95 returned. The Bots split their $4.00, for the same $1.95 each. House rake of 5cents per player.
Hand # 457275:
I was dealt: 10h Jc
We got them all in pre-flop.
Flop: Qh 9h 3d
Turn: 7d
River: Kh
After reviewing the hand history and replay, I saw the Bot had 5h 2c. He went all in with me pre-flop with that!
Anyway, I won $3.83 with that hand. The hand history says I won $3.95.
Therein lies one of the problems with Duplicate Poker. Things just dont jive all the time. Let me explain:
Hand histories, like in the examples above, dont add up. They dont match what really happened. Sometimes your starting hand hole cards are different on the graph type history, then they are on the video of the hand.
Another inconsistency is with the tournament payout structure. I have won several of their tournaments, and not won what the payout structure said was to be paid for 1st place. Again, I have no idea why, perhaps it is something I am missing with the variation of the game. I do think they should be a bit more honest with that.
I am going to touch briefly on the strategy and offer some of my personal advice on how to play on Duplicate Poker. If anyone would like a more in-depth breakdown, I will be happy to add to this. For now, lets keep it simple.
I said earlier you need to really loosen up. True, you still need to play decent poker, but you need to reconsider what decent poker is. You really should see a flop, with any two starting cards, cash or tournament play. For the most part, if any part of the flop hits you, try to get as many chips as you can into the pot. Most of the action on this site is heads up. Exception would be in the later stages of a tournament, when your ranking is decent, and you have a strong chip count. Bear in mind, you start EVERY HAND with the same amount of chips. So, if you go all in on one hand and lose, you can recover on the next hand. The tournaments are structured with a set number of hands per round, and usually are 2 rounds.
I strongly suggest you stay far away from the No rank shown tournaments. You will have no idea how well you are doing, against your mirror player (s). I have seen players win or place 2nd with (-) negative 12,000 chips. Thats right; they WON a tournament, with a negative chip count! I have pulled off some amazing suck outs, and at times played good poker, and lost. The only thing that matters is if your mirror(s) play worse then you.
The concept of skill based poker is deceptive in my opinion. Poker is a skill game by nature, and playing good poker, usually results in a profit, over the long haul. Playing good poker on this site, you will get nickled and dimed to death. You can raise pre-flop with strong pairs, and if the bot doesnt call you, but your mirrors bot calls him, you are in trouble. Especially if the pair holds up, or improves. You can have the winning hand, and lose. That isnt skill based. That is slot machine or lotto scratch off odds based.
Overall, Duplicate Poker has a decent, simple site. The interactive tutorials are well made, but confusing and deceptive. Their customer support, at least via email, is poor. I have sent 2 emails, one regarding my bonus, and one regarding a problem with my email account, asking them to re-send the initial emails. The email regarding my bonus, has been opened, but never heard a reply. The other email, it took them almost 24 hrs, but they did welcome me to their affiliate program. I have not tried their 800# yet. If and when I do, I will update.
You have no idea how many players are on their site at any one time. You have no idea how many cash/ring games are going on, and they have a bunch of games that they promise will be coming soon.
They should seriously consider hiring prop players who have a good grasp on the game variation concept. Prop players who will answer questions for the live players, and offer them action like a real player would, instead of the flawed programming Bots they currently have. Their Customer service needs a good kick in the ass, when a new player who deposited, and played as much as I did, send an email, it should at least get an auto reply. My email has a tag in it, so I can see when it was delivered, and when it was opened. So I know for a fact, they have gotten my emails.
A serious look needs to be taken at their inconsistencies in regards to hand histories, and a better explanation of tournament payout structures. I have no idea how things like this could have slipped through the cracks, but unless my computer is infected with something, what happens during play, and what is recorded as record are two very different things.
I have not made a withdraw request yet. I am waiting until I get to $200.00. Once I do, I will follow up with how that process works.
One last note, and if you are going to play on this site you need to pay attention. If you play the ring game, you have to click the Sit out next hand box when you want to leave that game. If you simply click Leave Table you will indeed leave, but your bankroll stays, and you continue to play. You will auto fold after time out of 10 seconds, until you no longer have at least $2.00 to play with. This is a serious flaw. I dont know of any other online poker room that has this. Every one I play at, when you leave the table, you LEAVE THE TABLE, with whatever bankroll you have left. So make double doggie sure, you click the sit out next hand box before you leave.
Overall, I would grade Duplicate Poker a C- (C minus). There are some easy steps to take on their part that would quickly move them into a B.
1. Hire Prop players that will converse with the live players, and answer questions.
2. Rapid response to emails.
3. Offer a live chat, or have a community chat that is monitored by a customer service rep.
4. A better explanation and easy to understand bonus program. They advertise 100% bonus, and they are clear about how to make that bonus, but as of now, I have been unable to figure out if I got a bonus or not.
5. Show how many players are online. Show how many tables and how many players are playing the ring games. The current method of sitting down with a Bot, and waiting for the game to start isnt very good. I would like to see the tables, and number of players, so I dont have to sit and wait. If there is no game then fine, but at least let me find out and decide on my own.
6. Increase the dollar amounts and buy- ins on some of your tournaments. You can and will draw players, who will use skill to play.
There are other ideas and suggestions I have. I think I have rambled on for long enough for now. I will follow up with my withdraw story, assuming I have one. I also hope some of the other members here will chime in with their 2 cents.
My user name is Ronin. I have written this review based upon my own personal experience and play at Duplicate Poker. I assume full responsibility for the content of my review. If legitimate facts are presented, causing me to change my opinion, I will.
Thank you for reading my thoughts on this site. I look forward to seeing you at the tables!
As I write this, I am waiting. Waiting is something you have to get used to when you play on this site. The tournaments are spaced well apart from each other and they go fast. The ring games are for a lack of a better word, desolate. I am sitting at a table with TexasBoyle, he is waiting as well. No point in trying to strike up a conversation with Boyle, he is a Bot.
We wait for someone else to join, adjacent to my seat, at another table, most likely with another Bot. The ring game, or cash game, is a tournament style game. Every hand you start with the same amount of chips, and when the hand is over, it matters little if you win at your table. The only thing that counts is if your mirror player, the one sitting in your seat at another table, using your same cards, has fewer chips then you at the end of the hand. He or she must play the hand worse then you did, and hope that the Bot didnt fold pre-flop, like yours almost always does, and gave them some action.
This of course depends on which Bot you are playing with. Some give you action all the way to the river, calling you down with anything, and some fold almost every hand pre flop. There are times when you get other live players at your table, and once you get enough, the Bot quietly excuses himself. This is double edged however. If your mirror table doesnt have and equal number of players as your table, then the Bot stays, and you only get to play every other hand. The downside of this, you are stuck in your position. I played 23 hands the other night, and was on the Big Blind for every single hand. The Bot had the Button, and Small Blind against me for every single hand we played, the other player at my table had position against the Bot, and saw substantial action on every hand, I on the other hand, was folded to, almost all 23 hands.
On the surface, the above scenario doesnt seem all that bad. Bear in mind however, the ONLY WAY TO MAKE MONEY on this site, is to end the hand with more chips then your mirror player. So, unless your mirror player busts out, or loses their hand, your best case scenario is to lose 5 cents, and have $1.95 returned to your bankroll. It is important to be able to weather the storm, during times like this, and wait until either you are shifted to another table with the loose Bot, or more real players show up.
You can make money on this site. It wont happen quickly, but if you take a disciplined low limit grinding approach to your play, and loosen up your starting hand requirements (substantially), you can profit. The way I have made money in the ring games, was to take $20.00 to the table, and as soon as I hit $30.00, I left. On one occasion, we actually had 4 players, and I stayed until I hit $40.00. For the most part however, your ring games will be heads up, against a Bot. Bank on that. If heads up pot-limit Texas Hold em isnt your game, stay away from the ring games!
Strong pocket pairs, good suited connectors, Ace anything, are all pretty much meaningless. The only thing that matters is if your mirror makes a mistake. Each hand costs $2.00 at this game, or $5.00 if you have the bankroll to play at that level, and I recommend you not bother, until you have a good feel for how to play at Duplicate Poker. . The most you can win per hand is $3.95 (at the $2.00 level). You mirror has to really mess up, for that to happen. They do, and once the game gets going, you have the potential to make some money!
I deposited $50.00, between tournaments and the $2.00 ring game, I had doubled up in about 2 hrs. Not bad, I have no idea if I got a bonus, but the Credit Card transaction for the deposit went smoothly and quickly.
I will talk more about the tournaments later. Suffice to say that they can be profitable.
Duplicate Poker has some work to do in my opinion. The Bots are frustrating. So far, I have encountered only 2. The one I mentioned above (Texas Boyle) and Big John. Each has their own distinctive method of play. Each one has a $1,000 bankroll, which when you first sit down, can be very intimidating. Once you get a feel for the game, and the variations in rules, you learn that the Bots bankroll is meaningless, and your only concern it your mirror. I am certain you will get tired of hearing that, but if you want to play on this site, you need to adapt that mindset. It is a challenge, and I recommend you prepare yourself for some serious Donkey action. I have adapted a method of play I refer to as Ultra Donkey, I think I might even get a cape and tights to wear, with a big kicking Donkey on the front!
The overall concept of Duplicate Poker is intriguing, which is why I gave them a try. Their interactive video tutorial is well made, but confusing. I got the impression I would be able to see my mirror player, or players in action. Giving me the ability to adjust my play according to their overall play. Well, it doesnt work that way. Not even close! Duplicate Poker claims that skill is the deciding factor insofar as to how the winner of each hand or tournament is determined. Let me give you some hands that I played, on the $2.00 Winner take all ring game, and you can make your own determination.
I will give you the hand #, my cards, and the community cards, wagers placed through the river, along with the end result of profit or loss. I will be fair, and show you an equal number of losing hands vs. winning hands.
Example #1: Hand # 457177
I was dealt: Ah 3h. On the Big Blind. Facing a Live player, who folded pre-flop.
Flop: Ks 10s 5h
Turn: 9d
River: 2c
By checking the hand history in player admin panel, I was able to see that I ended the hand with: 1030 chips, and my mirror player ended with 1420 chips. Hand history shows a total loss on my part, meaning the mirror won $3.95. However, my hand written records, taken during the actual play of the hand, show I received $1.77. This and other contradictory records in the hand history will be discussed later on in my review.
Hand#: 457270
I was dealt: 6d Qc
Facing a Bot we raised each other twice. Pot is now 360 chips.
Flop: 9 4 7 all diamonds.
Turn: 6h
We got them all in on the turn. Remember what I said about the Bots, they either fold pre-flop, or call you down with nothing. Very rarely will you force a Bot to fold after the flop.
River:5h
The Bot turns over 8c 9s for the win.
Because my mirror and I played the hand the same way, meaning we both lost, but since we both lost, and both ended up with the same chip count if 0, we each got $1.95 returned. The Bots split their $4.00, for the same $1.95 each. House rake of 5cents per player.
Hand # 457275:
I was dealt: 10h Jc
We got them all in pre-flop.
Flop: Qh 9h 3d
Turn: 7d
River: Kh
After reviewing the hand history and replay, I saw the Bot had 5h 2c. He went all in with me pre-flop with that!
Anyway, I won $3.83 with that hand. The hand history says I won $3.95.
Therein lies one of the problems with Duplicate Poker. Things just dont jive all the time. Let me explain:
Hand histories, like in the examples above, dont add up. They dont match what really happened. Sometimes your starting hand hole cards are different on the graph type history, then they are on the video of the hand.
Another inconsistency is with the tournament payout structure. I have won several of their tournaments, and not won what the payout structure said was to be paid for 1st place. Again, I have no idea why, perhaps it is something I am missing with the variation of the game. I do think they should be a bit more honest with that.
I am going to touch briefly on the strategy and offer some of my personal advice on how to play on Duplicate Poker. If anyone would like a more in-depth breakdown, I will be happy to add to this. For now, lets keep it simple.
I said earlier you need to really loosen up. True, you still need to play decent poker, but you need to reconsider what decent poker is. You really should see a flop, with any two starting cards, cash or tournament play. For the most part, if any part of the flop hits you, try to get as many chips as you can into the pot. Most of the action on this site is heads up. Exception would be in the later stages of a tournament, when your ranking is decent, and you have a strong chip count. Bear in mind, you start EVERY HAND with the same amount of chips. So, if you go all in on one hand and lose, you can recover on the next hand. The tournaments are structured with a set number of hands per round, and usually are 2 rounds.
I strongly suggest you stay far away from the No rank shown tournaments. You will have no idea how well you are doing, against your mirror player (s). I have seen players win or place 2nd with (-) negative 12,000 chips. Thats right; they WON a tournament, with a negative chip count! I have pulled off some amazing suck outs, and at times played good poker, and lost. The only thing that matters is if your mirror(s) play worse then you.
The concept of skill based poker is deceptive in my opinion. Poker is a skill game by nature, and playing good poker, usually results in a profit, over the long haul. Playing good poker on this site, you will get nickled and dimed to death. You can raise pre-flop with strong pairs, and if the bot doesnt call you, but your mirrors bot calls him, you are in trouble. Especially if the pair holds up, or improves. You can have the winning hand, and lose. That isnt skill based. That is slot machine or lotto scratch off odds based.
Overall, Duplicate Poker has a decent, simple site. The interactive tutorials are well made, but confusing and deceptive. Their customer support, at least via email, is poor. I have sent 2 emails, one regarding my bonus, and one regarding a problem with my email account, asking them to re-send the initial emails. The email regarding my bonus, has been opened, but never heard a reply. The other email, it took them almost 24 hrs, but they did welcome me to their affiliate program. I have not tried their 800# yet. If and when I do, I will update.
You have no idea how many players are on their site at any one time. You have no idea how many cash/ring games are going on, and they have a bunch of games that they promise will be coming soon.
They should seriously consider hiring prop players who have a good grasp on the game variation concept. Prop players who will answer questions for the live players, and offer them action like a real player would, instead of the flawed programming Bots they currently have. Their Customer service needs a good kick in the ass, when a new player who deposited, and played as much as I did, send an email, it should at least get an auto reply. My email has a tag in it, so I can see when it was delivered, and when it was opened. So I know for a fact, they have gotten my emails.
A serious look needs to be taken at their inconsistencies in regards to hand histories, and a better explanation of tournament payout structures. I have no idea how things like this could have slipped through the cracks, but unless my computer is infected with something, what happens during play, and what is recorded as record are two very different things.
I have not made a withdraw request yet. I am waiting until I get to $200.00. Once I do, I will follow up with how that process works.
One last note, and if you are going to play on this site you need to pay attention. If you play the ring game, you have to click the Sit out next hand box when you want to leave that game. If you simply click Leave Table you will indeed leave, but your bankroll stays, and you continue to play. You will auto fold after time out of 10 seconds, until you no longer have at least $2.00 to play with. This is a serious flaw. I dont know of any other online poker room that has this. Every one I play at, when you leave the table, you LEAVE THE TABLE, with whatever bankroll you have left. So make double doggie sure, you click the sit out next hand box before you leave.
Overall, I would grade Duplicate Poker a C- (C minus). There are some easy steps to take on their part that would quickly move them into a B.
1. Hire Prop players that will converse with the live players, and answer questions.
2. Rapid response to emails.
3. Offer a live chat, or have a community chat that is monitored by a customer service rep.
4. A better explanation and easy to understand bonus program. They advertise 100% bonus, and they are clear about how to make that bonus, but as of now, I have been unable to figure out if I got a bonus or not.
5. Show how many players are online. Show how many tables and how many players are playing the ring games. The current method of sitting down with a Bot, and waiting for the game to start isnt very good. I would like to see the tables, and number of players, so I dont have to sit and wait. If there is no game then fine, but at least let me find out and decide on my own.
6. Increase the dollar amounts and buy- ins on some of your tournaments. You can and will draw players, who will use skill to play.
There are other ideas and suggestions I have. I think I have rambled on for long enough for now. I will follow up with my withdraw story, assuming I have one. I also hope some of the other members here will chime in with their 2 cents.
My user name is Ronin. I have written this review based upon my own personal experience and play at Duplicate Poker. I assume full responsibility for the content of my review. If legitimate facts are presented, causing me to change my opinion, I will.
Thank you for reading my thoughts on this site. I look forward to seeing you at the tables!
Needless to say, I raced back to the computer and saw I had just folded. I have tried this several times, just to verify it does indeed happen. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, it does. 
