PokerPages is more geared to the live game of poker, but its analysis of the game is of great value to the new player. This also goes for their innovative 'Free School', and the blog and forum make this a really great portal to meet other players and read about their experiences.

If it is live poker you are interested in, PokerPages does have a good live action section for current tournaments. Not only is there a summary box on the homepage with latest chip counts and payouts, but in the live updates section you can read detailed reports on the action which are being updated throughout the day. There is also an 'Industry Index', which again doesn't cover the online world, but is an extremely useful tool for gauging what's going on in the poker portal.

As PokerPages is mainly concerned with the live game, there is no info or links to online tournaments. However, the coverage of live events in excellent; comprehensive, up-to-date and clear to follow. One unique factor of PokerPages is its Free School, through which you can play in leagues and gain sponsorship points. Once you have reached a certain amount of points, you can join global online tournaments for free.

There aren't any direct monetary gains from visiting PokerPages, because the only online-geared content is links to the rooms and their bonuses themselves. However, through playing in their Free School, you can eventually gain free entry into big prize money tournaments.

The Industry Index is endorsed by the industry, and is a very good way to get accurate figures on the number of players, buy-ins paid and more. The site is professional and its contributors are respected in the field, so though not much of the content is backed up by stats, it is a reliable place to come for up-to-date information on what's happening in the poker world.