Pokerstars Are Biggest, Though Far From The Only Site For Some Great Omaha Action. Here I Compare Party and Titan Poker On Their Omaha Offerings, Software And Incentive Schemes.
There is more to online poker (and Omaha in particular) than just Pokerstars! This article compares the Omaha Poker offerings of Party Poker and Titan Poker, the 2nd and 3rd largest online poker sites. I will directly compare them on several different criteria, starting with the PLO and PLO8 cash games, then tournaments / SNGs, next software and playability and finally the financial incentives they provide to both new and their regular players.
Party Poker vs Titan Poker – Omaha Cash Games
Of the two sites Party Poker is slightly busier – though the competition for the 2nd spot behind Pokerstars is intense. Peak numbers of 75,000 are common, which is plenty enough to have some PLO and PLO8 cash games running! Of the two sites, Party is clearly busier for Omaha tables.
One difference to cover immediately is the range of buy-ins available. Party Poker start their Omaha tables at 10c / 25c blinds (max buy-in = $25) and a min of just $5 (which does encourage short stackers – though not always the ‘good’ ones!). At Titan Poker the games start much lower, with 1c / 2c tables available.
There is the usual online bias towards smaller stakes games, though the two sites are clearly different when it comes to the 50c / $1 and up to $2 / $4 games… Titan tail off very fast above the smallest limits, while Party continue to have a good choice up to $5 / $10 blinds. All of the Party PLO and PLO8 games are played in Dollars, while Titan also offer (through a separate tab) GBP and EUR tables.
In terms of softness the sites compare closely, lots of loose passive, nut peddling type play at the lower limits – with enough opponents who tip you off when they have the nuts to keep the games very profitable. I believe Party still include the last bet in their average pot size stats, which stops this being a good comparison. On an unscientific quick look basis, Titan appear to have the looser games with many tables in the 70%+ players seeing each flop.
This should really be a clear win for Party – who offer more games at every level they spread in both PLO and Hi-Lo format. With the 10c / 25c starting blinds being a little high for some beginning Omaha players I will have to make this a vote for those who can afford it!
Titan vs Party Poker – Tournaments And SNGs
Straight off the bat, Party has Omaha in their filters on top of the tournaments view – making listing those available very easy indeed. Party have a range of $2 to $33 mixed between hi-only and hi-lo, with a lot of variations (6-max, rebuy, speed) and several guarantees up to $1000.
Titan have more labels in their tournament lobby, helping you find your preferred games. Their buy-ins have a wider spread between $1 and $55 and there are some guarantees and rebuys thrown in. What makes Titan Poker stand out for tournaments is the Monday Night special, which is a $109 buy-in and has a $5,000 guarantee. There is a 3-stage satellite system in place for this which gives many smaller bankroll players a shot at this bigger prize.
Omaha SNGs at Party include Hi and Hi-Lo games and are spread up to $55 buy-ins, these are busy at the $3 to $11 levels. As a rule I do not recommend playing SNGs at Party below $11 in any game format – as the fees for these are relatively large compared with other poker sites. Having said that these games are among the softest you will find anywhere online!
Titan Omaha SNGs have a wider variety, including double-up games, double stacks, turbos and satellites (to the Monday night special tournament). These are in 2, 6 and 10 handed format from $1 up to $215. Again the action is really in the $11 and below.
Going to give the (slight) nod to Titan on this one, with the focus on Omaha tournaments and lower fees for the smaller buy-in SNGs.
Titan vs Party – Software And Playability
Neither site have wonderful software, though there is no ‘showstopper’ type issues with them either. Party have better navigation with a great filter system at the top of their lobby. Titan are a little crowded these days and require more effort when it comes to locating the best Omaha games!
The actual gameplay is smoothest at Titan, with only the lack of synchronized breaks for tournaments + the annoying pop up ‘you are moved’ windows taking away from the experience. Party play fine though the animated card movements can slow you down. My biggest gripe is the ‘are you sure you want to leave?’ message which pops up after you get busted and shut the table down!!
These are minor gripes really. Compared with just a few years ago both software clients would have been considered excellent. Guess we have been spoiled by the likes of Pokerstars!
This one goes to Party, the filters are better so you can get to the Omaha games faster, and they also have synchronized breaks for those who like to play more than one tournament at a time.
Titan vs Party – Bonuses, Promos And Rewards
Down to the business end of the comparison – with the money. Which site offers the best rewards, both for new players and for those who are loyal to their platform?
I’ll take them one at a time:
Party Poker: Party offer you a 100% matched intro bonus, to a max of $500. They offer a lot of extra ‘reload’ bonuses, the amount and frequency of these is tied to your play and can be between 20% and 100% of any new deposit. Where Party are strong is their VIP rewards scheme, which allows you to swap Party Points into cash bonuses. You play to clear the bonus, and meanwhile you are earning points towards your next one! This virtual loop gets better as you move up, with points and bonuses getting both bigger and faster. Promos are constant, and aimed at the smaller stakes and beginner players – give-aways and draw type promos sit alongside qualifiers to some of the biggest live events. I rate these highly – Party really know their players and how to keep them topped up very well indeed.
Titan Poker: We have an exclusive offer for Omaha Planet readers, a 200% matched welcome bonus (max $2k). Titan Poker also have a VIP rewards system which is considered excellent, this rewards you for the number of months you play, as well as using a points system – meaning incrementally bigger rewards as time goes buy. Titan promotions are generous, though they often get lost in the details of tasks you need to complete to claim them – or end up with a format nobody is too interested in (limit holdem anyone!?!). These are worth keeping an eye on, since those that fit you well can be generous!
Hard to split the sites here too – for ongoing rewards and better promos it has to be Party, for a great initial boost Titan. I’d like to suggest claiming both, though that is a bit of a cop-out (since it is my job here to split them)… Go for Party Poker and enjoy the promos.
Titan Get The Points Victory
I expected to find a clear winner, in fact the number 2 and 3 sites were very close when it comes to Omaha Poker. Some caveats about lack of micro-stakes aside, Titan have a better choice of games and they do give you breaks at 5 to each hour in their tournaments. Titan offer a better choice of SNGs (and fees at lower levels are more ‘normal’) + a great tournament on Monday nights which you can qualify for via low-cost satellites – so do not rule out this excellent site.
If you are comfortable with the 10c / 25c games and above then Titan will look after you really well, claim your 100% welcome bonus – and let the rewards and regular promos keep you topped up, click this link to check out Titan for yourself now!
For those preferring smaller stakes or who like the sound of the 200% welcome bonus I also like the games at Titan Poker. Claim your 200% up to $2000, and give the excellent Titan Poker a try!
