While sweepstakes casinos are everywhere, sweepstakes poker sites are much more rare. In my ClubGG review, I’ll be reporting in detail about what I found when I checked it out.
There was no bonus to get me started, as ClubGG is a different kind of site as you play against friends rather than the house. Noone would blame you for being confused by this, so I’ll clear up any queries in this review, and even though there were plenty of positives, my overall verdict is mixed rather than positive.
While ClubGG has plenty going for it, there were some major misses that affected my ClubGG ratings. The first of these was the lack of a welcome offer for new players, although I realise this is ClubGG poker and not ClubGG Social Casino - and there would be differences. In short, there is nothing for you when you complete the ClubGG register process, and that works very well if you want to use the software to start your own poker games with your friends as you will be given some free chips to play with before each round.
However, if you wanted to participate in the tournaments on the site, you’ll have to buy a subscription or send in a request, and there is no free trial period so you could see what was on offer. This is something I hope ClubGG reviews soon, as I think not offering it is a big miss. If your do want to buy a subscription, you have two to choose from:
Standard - $9.99
Platinum - $49.99
These get you different levels of access to the site tournaments which have benefits like winning the L$ (live dollars) that you can redeem for real world prizes. Overall, there is plenty here for new players, but I would like to have seen a little more, even if it was just a few free entries into the tournaments.
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A very slick site that’s easy to find your way around
One thing you can’t fault however, is the design and this is a very well put together poker operation. You’ll have to download the software to get started, and as a Windows 10 user this was easy, although those using other operating systems might be less enthusiastic.The graphics are slick and there are no loading issues as you move from screen to screen. Managing your own account as well as your own poker club is simple with all the options adjustable and clearly defined.
The overall layout is very basic with your main options at the top and bottom of the screen, so you can get support, see what tournaments are available and of course buy a subscription in just a few clicks. This will suit those who might be playing poker online for the first time, but as with any site that focuses on subscriptions, there is a lot you can’t access straight up.
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📲 Enjoy games on the go with the ClubGG app
ClubGG excels on mobile devices
As you are just as likely to play on your phone as anywhere else, I was pleased to see that there is an app for both Android and iOS as well as Windows 10 on desktop, and I have to say I was impressed by what I saw.
The same functionality exists for the app as the desktop version, with the options set out along the bottom of the screen rather than the top. I found my Android version easy to download from Google Play, and I’m sure Apple users will have an equally trouble-free experience. Again I was impressed by the smoothness of the software and how easy it was to get started, making the app one of the high points of my ClubGG review.
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Easy payment options for your ClubGG purchases
While there are no deposits and withdrawals at ClubGG, there are subscriptions to buy for tournament entries if you want. As you have downloaded the app to either your laptop or phone via your app store, payments are done this way as well, as if I was paying for an app. So mine defaulted to the payment method I had attached to Google Pay, and having this setup meant ClubGG secure payments were straightforward.
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A FAQ page heads up the service options
Regardless of how easy a site or app is to use, occasionally you are going to need help with a query or problem. What makes ClubGG reliable in this area is a large FAQ section, although I have to say it could do with some fleshing out when it comes to some areas like promotions.
There is no live chat option, but instead this fires up a request form which ClubGG reviews and gets back to you. So thanks to Hector for the fast response, but the answer could have been more detailed, and I had to request a follow up, which again arrived quickly. This is a case where there was nothing wrong here, but with just a little more thought could have been much better.
Even with those small disappointments that put a dent in my ClubGG ratings for the USA, at no point did I think ClubGG was anything less than 100% legit. They are, after all, part of GG Poker, which is a big player and has the resources to protect your data, so no worries there at all.
As this is essentially a sweepstakes based site, no license is needed, but you still have to pass KYC before making a redemption. Players in Georgia, Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington are excluded from tournaments, although they can use the software to play with friends.
Limited promotions available at ClubGG
The additional benefits at ClubGG are for those with a membership only, and the vast majority of these are for platinum members only. So there is no ClubGG login bonus, but there is a loyalty bonus based on previous purchases. As a member, you also have access to GG Class, which could best be described as ‘poker school’ and can help you refine your game. There is also a 20% discount for the ClubGG merchandise available in the store.
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Games - Poker standards for all to play
Unlike many social casinos where you have a range of games to play, here, as you would expect, the options are limited to poker. You can go about this in two ways. First of all there is a P2P arrangement where, as a club creator you can govern every element of the gameplay. You can define how many players, prizes, starting chips and even how long they have to act across two formats:
No Limit Hold'em
Pot Limit Omaha
As you will see, chips here are unlimited, and you can play however you want. This is for fun and has no relation to the rest of the site.
There are also tournaments you can play in, but these are only accessible to those with a membership, rather than anyone just playing as friends. Here you progress through 1st, 2nd, and final stages to collect L$ and other prizes.
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Coins - how does ClubGG work?
As with all other elements of this poker site, there are two different sides to this - the clubs and games where you play with friends, and the tournament side, which uses a different setup entirely.
First of all if you are playing with friends, chips are free, and you can distribute these as you wish among your club, as they are non transferable.
For tournaments, you will require tickets which are supplied as part of your membership. These come as
Stage 1 tickets - which are unlimited with a platinum subscription and limited to one per day with a regular membership.
Stage 2 tickets -
Final Stage tickets -
And these are awarded as you progress through the stages. The goal here being to win at the final stage to obtain L$. These are the coins that can be exchanged for real world prizes provided you meet the threshold and have met KYC requirements.
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Product Summary & Conclusion - a tale of two sites
As poker playing software to play with friends for fun and bragging rights, this is everything you would hope for. It’s free, slick and has so much customization you are almost guaranteed to love it. However, my ClubGG ratings took a slight dip when I saw the rest of it required a membership, which, while it could be gained for free, might well put a dent in your experience. So, for that reason my overall feelings are neutral, but with just a few tweaks, like for instance offering a welcome bonus, they could have been so much better.
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ClubGG review FAQs
🧐 Is ClubGG legit?
If you are used to regular sweepstakes casinos, you might have your doubts as about ClubGG as none of the things you expect are here. This is not a scam though, as ClubGG is a poker site, and as it is backed by online giant GG Poker, you have no worries about it being a scam.
📜 Do you have to subscribe to ClubGG?
ClubGG software can be used to play with friends for free, but if you want to play in tournaments you’ll need a membership which can come as a paid subscription, or you can send in a request for a free one.
🎁 Is there a ClubGG welcome bonus?
There is not a ClubGG welcome bonus, but you can play for free anyway as long as you use the software to play with friends.
Final thoughts on my time at ClubGG
Winding up this ClubGG review, I have mixed feelings. This is not a bad experience by any means, especially if you are just using this for your own poker club, in which case you’ll be singing the praises of the software. It has to be said though, while the free-to-play poker games are great fun, there are some tricks ClubGG have missed, that would have made things better for players that want to play in tournaments as well.
Small incentives such as some free tournament tokens to start off or a limited free trial period of their subscription based memberships would have made it a better experience from the start. You can request and get a free membership for 30 days, but that requires mailing a postcard to HQ with subsequent delays while it is processed. This could, understandably, be a bit of a hassle for players just looking to get started. Overall, while ClubGG has done a stellar job at offering free poker games to play socially, their subscription model may also deter some players from the platform.
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Unlike many social casinos where you have a range of games to play, here, as you would expect, the options are limited to poker. You can go about this in two ways. First of all there is a P2P arrangement where, as a club creator you can govern every element of the gameplay. You can define how many players, prizes, starting chips and even how long they have to act across two formats:
As you will see, chips here are unlimited, and you can play however you want. This is for fun and has no relation to the rest of the site.
There are also tournaments you can play in, but these are only accessible to those with a membership, rather than anyone just playing as friends. Here you progress through 1st, 2nd, and final stages to collect L$ and other prizes.
As with all other elements of this poker site, there are two different sides to this - the clubs and games where you play with friends, and the tournament side, which uses a different setup entirely.
First of all if you are playing with friends, chips are free, and you can distribute these as you wish among your club, as they are non transferable.
For tournaments, you will require tickets which are supplied as part of your membership. These come as
And these are awarded as you progress through the stages. The goal here being to win at the final stage to obtain L$. These are the coins that can be exchanged for real world prizes provided you meet the threshold and have met KYC requirements.
As poker playing software to play with friends for fun and bragging rights, this is everything you would hope for. It’s free, slick and has so much customization you are almost guaranteed to love it. However, my ClubGG ratings took a slight dip when I saw the rest of it required a membership, which, while it could be gained for free, might well put a dent in your experience. So, for that reason my overall feelings are neutral, but with just a few tweaks, like for instance offering a welcome bonus, they could have been so much better.