Many gamblers have made the transition from the traditional brick and mortar casinos to playing online in an effort to save money and increase their playing options. While some of the nuances of the game – such as playing multiple tables, being able to play during waking hours, and the shuffling – aren’t present online, many of the strategies used at traditional casinos can still be used online. Here’s a look at some of the best online poker rooms, considered by many to be the most reputable in the industry.
FullTiltPoker- 8/10
The software has advanced greatly over the past few years and the product is becoming more usable as time moves forward. While the site offers an overwhelming number of poker games, the ability to play multiple tables at the same time remains a core tenet. Estimates that the site accommodates approximately 100,000 players online at one time. The front page of the lobby gives players a choice of more than 100 different game variations. Thus, you can find many different types of poker within the site. And while the site offers some rakeback, the best bonus for getting back some of that money that you potentially helped someone else with, is the ability to deposit bonuses back into your account.
PokerStars- 8/10
The product at PokerStars is one of the best in the industry. While they don’t have as many different games as other sites, the ones they do have – such as Texas Hold’em – are among the most obtainable and best in the industry. The site offers some of the highest payouts in the industry and the customer support is above average. They also have some of the fastest payouts available.
Bodog- 8/10
Bodog is one of the best in the industry. They have the commitment to customer service and security that is second to none. The software they use is highly secured against sophisticated attacks. The lobby is simple and easy to use. Bodog also has some of the best promotions for new players.
Paradise Poker- 9/10
Paradise poker is more of a group of dewabet sites than a single room and the reason for that is they share a lot of players between them. Still, this site has become very popular for its group poker and roulette and gaming software. Members at Paradise include Titan, VIP Players, Straight, Challenge, and Wreckless.
PokerStars is older than most of the above, having been established in 2001, but losing connection with fellow online poker rooms in 2003. Payouts, among other things, have been improved since then. The site has a good reputation for fair play and large payouts.
The different software choices at PokerStars also make it unique in some ways. Players can select from Stars’, Hold Stars’, Texas Hold’em’, Stud Poker’, and Omaha as their game of choice. They also have some of the lowest stakes in the games – $0.01/$0.02. Low stakes games average about $4/$8. The highest stakes games available are $1/$2.
The Bad
Stars has a very poor customer support. Help desk phone numbers are available at the top of each game page, but finding someone who actually knows how to help with a problem can be difficult. With Estimates of 20,000 or more players online at one time, customer service is important to the majority of people playing online.
The software. The software does not vary greatly from site to site. The basics are the same for almost all software, but the software each site uses may be a headache. Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game online, so most sites have a PokerStars version. The software does not differ much in style and the interface is relatively easy to use.
On some sites, the software asks you for your logon name and password every time you join a game. Do not give your standard username and password, as most of the time this is the only information you give. Do not use the standard username and password for your online accounts. The site will ask you for this information only once.
It appears that PokerStars only accepts a limited number of currencies. The site does not accept the currencies used by the majority of online casinos, so you will have to use other methods, such as Moneybookers, to deposit and withdraw to your PokerStars account.