Silver Oak Casino first came online in 2008, and by the looks of their site they've learned a lot in just two years. This online casino has always placed its focus on attracting American players, so it's no surprise that that's the group from which Silver Oak repeatedly receives its highest praise.

Silver Oak Casino has the look and feel of a high-end live establishment. This site is blessedly free of a gimmicky theme and the accompanying over-the-top animations. Instead of flair and glare, Silver Oaks offers understated elegance, which is really saying something in an industry that increasingly tends to lean toward the outlandish. The site is easy to peruse, and whereas some casinos seem to hide pertinent information, if anything Silver Oak's pages may be a little over-cluttered.

The site's clean lines and serene color scheme carry over seamlessly into the lobby and casino. It's the kind of design that would make Home and Garden viewers go "Ooooh," but for some reason it's not repeated on the preliminary game screens which look a little second-rate in comparison to the rest of the casino.

The Smart Download feature really does seem smart, though the download process was briefly delayed by the need to download miscellaneous files that the downloader simply explained as "other components." Paranoia aside, the package is a quick read for most computers and will have you at the login window in a minute or less.

If the pages of Silver Oak's site are cluttered, then the lobby is decidedly the opposite. While it still offers enough options to get most players where they need to go, in this case we think more is more. Of course once you get to the games themselves you'll forget the absence of fancy player options as the contemporary table designs lull you into a state of card-playing contentment. By contrast, the slot screens are ultra bright and ultra crisp, making it easy to stay awake for a long late-night session.

Silver Oak's 130+ casino games will no doubt be sufficient entertainment for your average online player, but we can't help but be a little disappointed by RTG's lackluster lineup of 5-reel slots. The classic 3-reel slots are invariably well done, but their 5-reel and bonus round counterparts seem a little too predictable for a site this nice.

While the selection of card and table games is far from overwhelming, if you can't find something you like here then you probably won't find it anywhere else, either. They've got all the expected classics (and their common variants), plus a few less expected titles like Red Dog, Tri Card Poker, Vegas Three Card Rummy and Red Dog. All of the non-slots entries - from video poker to craps to scratch cards - are prettily done, but we do wish they'd make up their mind about where to place the player buttons.

While Silver Oak is sadly absent of any live casino tournaments, we do think it's worth noting that the site's average payout percentage is consistently above 98%.

For a Realtime Gaming site, Silver Oak does a surprisingly good job of mixing up their promo package. Their sign-up bonus is beyond fair, if not overwhelming, with a 100% match of up to $1000 available on every new player's first ten deposits (just don't forget your codes!). The site doesn't stop with the average deposit bonuses though.

Silver Oak members may also earn bankroll protection, cash back, and a random monthly $10,000 draw. VIP members will be especially happy to learn that not only are they privy to the above bonuses and promotions, but they can also earn a wide array of unusual prizes, match plays, and even wager requirement-free cash bonuses.

Like most RTG sites, Silver Oak's customer support goes the farthest for American players. While all players can receive 24/7 customer care via the casino's live chat feature, toll-free phone support is offered exclusively to U.S. and Canadian players. Can't log on to access the live chat? Then you'll be forced to use the much slower email contact option.

Silver Oak may be middle of the road for game selection and international customer service, but their easy-on-the-eyes design and reliable software are sure to attract the attention and appreciation of the industry's more discerning and demanding members.