Intertops Review

Mention the name 'Intertops' to those that like a bet and many would respond by saying 'it's a sportsbook'. Indeed, Intertops was one of the very first sportsbooks to set up online. However, like many sportsbooks, Intertops now offers much more than sports betting. Poker, fixed-odd games and casino games can all be found at the Intertops site, and while I could quite happily have review all of these betting options, I decided to focus on the Microgaming-powered Intertops casino.

Intertops Casino offer both a flash no-download casino (containing around 50 games) and a full 'bells and whistles' download version. While the flash games will appeal to those on slow connections, I always recommend that players opt for the full download version as it offers access to a huge number of games (over 100+ according to the website).

A nice touch at Intertops, is that the download can be obtained in a few different ways. For those that simply want to install the lobby and have games download in the background, there is a 'lite' download. At around 7mb, this download is easy to obtain and means a player can be up and running in a relatively small amount of time. However, for those that have access to broadband, the complete casino can be downloaded in one go. This is not something I've seen elsewhere, although with the total file size being 150mb it's advisable for a player to check their Internet connection is fast enough! A further nice touch, is that the software is available in the German and Chinese languages as well as English.

Installing Intertops, as with all Microgaming-powered casinos is really easy, and within a few minutes a player will be presented with the casino log on screen. It is here that new players have to sign up, although actually at Intertops the sign-up process is slightly different when compared to other casinos using Microgaming software. This is because Intertops use an integrated account system - meaning just one account is required for the whole of the Intertops site. As such, the lobby connects to a webpage for sign up to be completed.

Account creation is simple, although one annoying thing I found is that a new player's username and password is randomly created. While this would usually be fine (as usernames normally self-populate and passwords can be copied and pasted in to the password box), because the sign-up page is a web page, the log on information does not transfer back to the casino. As such, a player has to write down the logon information for the first time - slightly annoying. To make up for this, though, I was incredibly impressed with the currency options offered at Intertops. Accounts can be set up in 1 of 11 currencies including US $, Euros and UK £ as well as less-popular currencies such as Canadian $ and even Swiss Francs.

Purchasing at Intertops is again done through a web page instead of the standard Microgaming-cashier. However, I did find this actually made purchasing slightly more complex than normal. This is because a player firstly needs to fund their Intertops account before transferring the funds to the casino. Having said that, after making their first purchase a player should quickly get the hang of things. Depositing options are varied and include credit cards, NETeller, Fire Pay as well as a few other less-used options. I made a $100 purchase which I transferred to the casino without problem.

Those that like to get some free money as a reward for a first deposit are not going to be disappointed at Intertops. A free $20 bet is available in the sportsbook section, and there's a 100% match bonus up to $100 free for joining the casino. Intertops also does run promotions from time to time - for example $3000 and a plasma TV was up for grabs at the time of playing. However, these promotions really only appeal to high-rollers who stand a chance of winning. Generally, I am not a big fan of bonuses as I always run into the 'problem' with hitting a big win but then having to meet wagering requirements before being allowed to cash out. So i decided to not take Intertops casinos sign up bonus.

Intertops Casino uses a standard lobby to display all the available games, and a simple menu system breaks down games by type. From the lobby a player can also access other features of the casino such as 'Playcheck' which allows a player to review the details of each and every game played at the casino. A player can also access the PWC payout and fairness reports. These are a great way for a player to check the fairness of the games available, although of course Online-Casinos.com would never review a casino that we didn't believe was 100% random.

To start my play, I first checked out some of the table games available. Players will be impressed with the range and variety of games available. For example, Blackjack players have over 25 different games to choose from! These vary from standard games such as European or Atlantic City Blackjack to cool variations such as Multi-hand Spanish 21! For those that like some of the more obscure table games, games like 3-Card Poker or Let It Ride are also bound to appeal.

I did decide to try out one of the Blackjack games and specifically chose Double Exposure Blackjack. This game might not appeal to traditional blackjack players, but I loved this game, which is a clever twist on the original. Basically both the dealer's up cards are displayed before a player makes a move! As such, a dealer 10 may usually frighten the player, but if the dealer's got a 6 it sure helps decide how to play a hand! Of course, there are some rule modifications to ensure there's still a house edge, but seeing your 18 is playing against a dealer 17 sure makes hitting stand easy! Incidentally, a betting range of $2-$200 was in place at this game as with many of the Intertops table games available.

Of course, what a player really wants when gambling (as well as a few wins!) is a nice playing environment, and I have to say I think Intertops has achieved this. The games use nice graphics, and I liked the bright green felt used on the majority of the tables. The user interface is very easy to use and playing decisions are aided thanks to the 'expert' function found in many games. This function indicates the best play to be made and means a player really can maximize their money. The only thing I didn't like was that on some of the table games (e.g. Baccarat) a non-chip interface is used to bet. This makes betting more cumbersome, particularly where a player wants to keep changing their bet. However, as with the purchasing process, one a player gets used to this it really isn't a problem.

I came away from the table games with about $150, which was a nice gain on my initial deposit. This was mainly thanks to a $40 winner on the Caribbean Stud Table. However, whilst I could have carried on playing the table games for a few more hours, I thought it better to conserve my money and move on to another part of the casino. As such, I decided to see what the Intertops Video Poker games were like.

I discovered that, as with the table games, a huge number of Video Poker machines were playable. In total, about 10 different varieties of Video Poker are available at Intertops including Jacks or Better, a number of wild card games, and even games with huge payouts for only average hands (e.g. Aces and 8s). However, where this casino really shines is in the multi-hand games. Every variety of Video Poker has been replicated in 4, 10, 50 and even 100 hand varieties. These multi-hand games can be incredibly volatile, but when a winner is dealt on the bottom line - it's a great feeling to see that win replicated over all hands in play. This happened to me playing Deuces and Joker poker where I held a straight over all 100-hands. Unfortunately the large number of wild cards in play meant my $25 only became $50. but this profit was nevertheless welcomed!

Unfortunately, my luck was to change later on during my playing session, despite getting a $75 winner on Keno. This was because my luck on the slot machines seemed pretty non-existent! Having said that, perhaps part of my problem was that I played many of the slots available, and with over 75 on offer it's easy to get sidetracked!

As stated, the number of slots is good at Intertops and should appeal to the vast majority of players. I particularly liked the variety of games which ranged from simple three-reel slots to video slots with bonus games to huge progressive machines. I particularly liked the Christmas-themed Ho Ho Ho video slot, although it did feel strange playing the game in late October!

This slot game is played over 5 reels and has numerous pay lines. What I really liked was the fact that the Santa Claus symbol is wild, and when it spins in on the first reel or two you know that a decent payoff is coming. However, the really big wins are achieved through activating the bonus round. A player needs to spin in three or more boxes to activate the free-spin bonus round. Whilst it took me a while to activate this feature, it's really cool to see the wins coming in; and although I only won $66 on my bonus round, I have seen other people hit this bonus round for over $1000!

The game where my luck really failed was the Couch Potato game. This is a classic-style game with just three-reels and a single pay line. Usually, I quite like these games as the whole bet is focused on a single pay line - when a win comes in it means the pay off can be great! I really thought I'd get something decent, particularly with a wild card symbol in play. Sadly though, this was not to be - the best I spun in was a $30 win on a $6 bet! However, in hindsight I think this game might be one that doesn't pay out often, but pays big when it does - 2 wild symbols completing a win, for example, multiplies that win by 25 times! 3 symbols pay a jackpot of 15,000 coins!

As stated, this time the slots got the better of me and I wasn't able to make a cash in. However, Intertops is a solid casino and payouts should not be a problem. Having said that, the withdrawal process is also slightly strange here - a player requests a withdrawal in the cashier but then has to email the casino for the cash out to be processed. What's more, the website states that all payouts are processed via bank draft. This too is slightly strange and may put off some customers.

Support at Intertops is offered via email and telephone. However, the selection of toll free numbers is limited. Even more concerning is the fact that the person I spoke to on the phone knew nothing about the casino. I asked what the maximum Blackjack Bet was and was told 'I'm not sure - send us an email'. This is disappointing, and I personally think this reflects the fact the Intertops is still very-much sports focused. I guess as a positive the email I sent was answered appropriately, but even then a response took 24 hours.

In conclusion, I think Intertops is an average online casino. The casino has chosen well when it comes to software and the games themselves are varied and excellently presented. However, I don't think the integration of the site works overly well and it can be a hassle to purchase. Even more cumbersome is the cash-in process, where an email needs to be sent to initiate the sending of a bank draft. Furthermore, customer support is only of average quality, although ultimately I do believe accurate responses are sent to a player. Having said that, for those wanting an integrated site with a variety of gaming options the Intertops name is trusted and at least a player knows they will get paid if they win. For me, though, I think there are better sites to play at.

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