You have made the decision to play online poker. Now you need to find the right site. There are hundreds of poker websites on the Internet. How can you distinguish between the many available sites to find your favorite site? In your search to find the perfect poker site for you, there are a few key factors you need to be aware of. These criteria will make your search easier and allow you to compare them.
Free Poker If you’re looking to play poker online for recreation and not for profit, make sure that the site you are interested allows “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.
Most online poker sites require that you download
Software Download or Web-based? Most online poker sites require that you download their client software to your computer in order to use it. You might be hesitant to download such software onto your computer. Instead, you can check to see if there is a web-based interface that allows you to play online poker from your browser. Although software installations can pose a risk of malware and/or viruses being installed onto your system, most reputable companies would not do this. However, software installs on your own computer are generally faster than web-based sessions. Software installations use the power of your PC’s CPU while web-based interfaces download any screen real estate updates from the Internet during play. This can cause slowness, especially if you have a slow internet connection (e.g. a dialup). If speed is your goal, you can choose local software installations. However, if safety and disk space are a concern, you can opt for a web-based poker website.
Deposit and Withdrawal Methods – When you plan to play online poker for real money, it is important to know the deposit and withdrawal methods that each poker site offers. These sites allow major credit cards to use, which seems to be the most popular deposit method. Other sites allow bank transfer, ACH transfer and checks as well as wire transfers from banks. Many poker sites support 3rd-party eWallets. These allow for an intermediary between banks and the poker site. You should consider the following: 1) Which deposit/withdrawal methods are available on the poker site? 2) How many are supported in your area? 2) Is it legal for you to deposit/withdraw to/from a Poker site from the jurisdiction where you are playing? ; 3) What fees are associated with 3rd-party eWallet companies you can use and how reliable are these (this question can be researched on some poker message boards).
Locale Restrictions – There are some poker sites that restrict playing for money or even free play, depending on where you live and the laws in place. To determine if any restrictions are in place, you should consult your local laws and the poker site.
Support You should look into the support options offered by a poker site. Most poker sites offer support via telephone, fax, email, or live chat. A poker site should offer as many of these options as possible. Toll-free support is available from your jurisdiction.
Game Variety It is important to know which types of poker sites support, depending on your poker experience and interest in variety. Most sites offer Texas Holdem. However, depending on your level, you might want to check to see whether they offer Omaha Poker, Five and Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker and all its variations, Blackjack (not poker but included as a game option), Stud and its variations, Draw poker, Tournament Support, Limit and Pot Limit games, and Tournament support. Online poker sites love tournaments, with some offering huge prize pools.
Bonuses Most poker sites offer some type of bonus when you sign up. Although each site offers a different bonus, the majority of them offer a minimum deposit bonus. Many bonuses are calculated on the amount of money that has been spent and deposited on the site. Many sites also offer reload bonuses to existing customers. These bonuses are added to the initial deposit bonus and are intended to encourage you to stay as a customer.
Graphics & Useability This is an important consideration. Each poker site is unique in its look and feel. It is essential that you feel at ease with the graphics on the screen and the ability to navigate the poker program (via keyboard clicks or mouse) if you plan to play poker for real money. You should not play at the poker site if you are uncomfortable with it. Before you decide to gamble real money, it is a good idea to test out a poker site in free mode.
Game Features You must always take into account the game features available at a particular poker site. You should consider game features like hand history, multiple playing windows, player notes and visual indicators, player statistics and connection status indicator, player chat and turbo games.
Rake– The amount of each hand’s pot that the poker website takes as part of its business fee. It is important to know how much rake each poker site charges compared to other sites. When calculating rake, poker sites use either a Weighted Contribution or an Average Contribution method. The rake is a measure of how much you make on hand wins. However, this should not be the only criteria that you use to choose a poker site. All factors must be considered. When deciding on the best Poker site for you, it is important to consider all of the above criteria. These criteria can be weighted differently depending on your preference. Have fun searching for Poker sites! !
Douglas Hayman is the President of Expert Software Systems. He is a web and database engineer who designs, develops and hosts a variety of informational websites including:
Top Online Poker Sites Review
