What is Winamax?
Winamax is an online betting platform which originates from France and was established in 1999. Winamax has become one of the most popular operators in Europe, as it can be accessed from a vast number of popular gambling markets such as Spain, Germany, and South America.
Winamax is well-known for its comprehensive and varied poker offering. Winamax provides multiple tournament options, regular events, and satellites for live poker competitions. Alongside this, sports betting is available on Winamax, covering a range of sports such as tennis, basketball and football.
With an accessible and polished software and user interface, Winamax is also recognized for having generous bonuses and promotions, which keeps players returning to the site.
Esteemed French singer and actor Patrick Bruel has a large stake in Winamax and has played a significant role in ensuring that Winamax has been put on the map. Experienced co-owners Alexandre Roos and Christophe Schaming make up the rest of the ownership group.
Is Winamax Still Running Today?
Winamax has quickly established itself today as one of the leaders in the federally regulated marketplace in France. In fact, it is the only large poker room where online poker players can pit their wits against competitors from other European states.
These include all of the members of the European Union, and those belonging to the European Economic Area. This makes Winamax one of the most inclusive EU-facing sites out there. Of course, though, the lucrative United Kingdom and United States markets are not included.
There are up to 15,000 players online on Winamax during peak hours. This is in part due to the breadth of poker games available to choose from. Alongside the usual offerings of Texas Hold’em, NL Omaha, and PL Omaha, there sits a plethora of poker variants that can be played at any one time.
7-Card Stud, Limit Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, and 8-Game Mixed Poker are all on offer when navigating through the main lobby. Despite the impressive online peak numbers, these less popular poker games don’t attract enough regular players. Don’t be surprised to be waiting a while for one of these games to begin once you’ve signed up.
With an array of cash games and tournament offerings comes a range of stakes and buy-ins. These can start in cash games with a buy-in of €0.01 all the way up to tournaments with buy-ins in the region of €1,000.
Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)
Winamax is known for its excellent selection of MTTs. Each month, over $10,000,000 in tournament guarantees are up for grabs. Deepstack, Knockout, Turbo, and the ever-popular Mystery Bounty are just a few of the tournaments that can be accessed.
Some of the more renowned recurring events are The Winamax Main Event, La Fievre Tournaments and The Grand Tournament – where entry can be secured via satellite and $100,000 in prize money is guaranteed.
It should be noted that most tournaments on Winamax are 6-Max events.
Jackpot Sit & Gos
Winamax has plenty of Sit & Go tournaments to choose from, with two modern poker variants that sit within this category: the hyper-turbo Expresso and a fast-fold offering called Go Fast.
Winamax are known for pioneering the ultra-turbo poker format where jackpots are randomly generated, in the form of Expresso. The randomized prize pools can range anywhere from 2-10,000x the buy-in amount. This makes it tempting to players who are looking to make money quickly. In actuality, the probability of hitting the main jackpot is extremely low.
Go Fast is a variant on Winamax where, once you fold your hand, you are immediately transferred to another table in the tournament. This breakneck-speed poker appeals to players who are looking to play multiple hands and tables at once.
Bonuses and Promotions
In line with most of its counterparts, Winamax offers a welcome bonus that can be claimed after your first deposit once you sign up.
However, the bonus does not return to you in one hit. Instead, it is divided into five equal parts which can then be credited to your account as you accumulate loyalty points – known as Miles – which can be earned at a rate of four miles for every €1 paid in rake.
In order to receive all of your bonus, you would have to earn the correct amount of Miles – and if you do so, this would equate to a rakeback rate of around 13%. This is significantly lower than other popular poker sites, where rakebacks can rise to over 30%.
The upside to Winamax’s Miles program is that the more points you accrue, the higher the level you rise to. A higher level means more points, more quickly, and more access to tournaments, cash and even tangible items.
Those who get the most from Winamax’s promotions and bonuses are those who earn Miles through playing a minimum number of hands each month. This means that any recreational or casual players are inherently unable to benefit on the whole.
Software
Winamax has a smooth and accessible user interface. Once on the platform, the main lobby can be easily-navigated to find the game and stake that you are looking for. The layout and settings are intuitive and similar to other large online poker operators.
Some tournaments are themed and with these comes thematic table decorations. This is appealing to both experienced and amateur players alike.
The software is available on all of the major platforms, with native poker apps available for both Android and iOS, for players who like to gamble on the go.
Winamax Alternatives
Winamax is one of several poker sites licensed in France and is subject to all of its gambling laws and regulations. This has a significant effect on both depositing and withdrawing cash. Strict directives dictate that there are limited banking options.
When first depositing money at Winamax, only a select few banks are permitted to be used, and these vary in terms of processing times and deposit minimums.
If trying to withdraw from the site, your identity needs to be verified by submitting official documentation. Once this is approved, withdrawals can only be done via bank transfer or using a digital wallet.
Critically, modern banking alternatives such as cryptocurrency are not currently supported, leaving Winamax lagging behind in comparison with its rival poker operators. Also, payout times can vary, which can leave players feeling frustrated.
Another drawback in respect of its competitors is that, although Winamax offers generous recurring promotions and incentives in the form of its Miles loyalty program, the rakeback that can be earned pales in comparison to other popular sites.
For a more user-friendly and exciting game, read our CoinPoker review, as this is the new place to be in poker.
The benefits of CoinPoker include the fact that you can play using cryptocurrency, which means instant withdrawals and a level of anonymity. You can get 33% rakeback when you use their native cryptocurrency, CHP.
Unlike their competitors, CoinPoker offers a multitude of big, exciting tournaments which offer chances to play and win at all pay ranges.