Poker is a highly popular casino game that has a certain cool as, in addition to luck, you also need a fair amount of skills to be successful in the poker game. There are plenty of online casinos around offering a variety of poker games, but as there is so much to choose from it is not always easy to find the right poker website for your game. To make your search a bit easier we take you by the hand and give you some ideas about what to look for when you choosing the best poker website to take your game to the next level.
If you are familiar with poker but you are new to online poker, be aware that there are some differences between playing poker in a land-based poker room and playing poker online. We will briefly discuss these differences. If you already play online poker, feel free to skip this part and jump straight to How to choose the best Poker Casino Websites.
Differences between Land-based and Online Poker
When you play poker online you are bound to a set time frame in which you are to make your move. This can take some adjusting if you are not used to this. For that reason, online poker players tend to play more hands per hour compared to poker players in land-based poker rooms. When you play online there is no need to engage your poker face as players can’t see each other. On the other hand, you can’t gather information from other player’s facial expressions either. When playing poker online, it could be a bigger challenge to stay focus as there is plenty to distract you if you want to kill some time in between hands. You might have other tabs open on your computer, check your phone or get distracted by television. These issues are not applicable when you play land-based poker.
Below we discuss a few aspects worth considering when choosing a poker site that best suits your game.
Online Poker Game Selection
First consider what type of poker game you would like to play. Do you prefer playing with a live dealer, playing the game in flash or against other players in an online poker room. Within these different options there are a wide variety of games to choose from. Do you want to play with small stakes or are you a high roller who likes to take risks? Do you like your game to have a certain theme? Do you like a fast game or prefer to take your time. Once you have decided what type of game you like to play, check out what certain online casinos have to offer in terms of poker games. If they don’t offer what you are looking for, you can easily move on.
If you like to play poker on the go from your mobile device, make sure any online casinos you are checking out have mobile poker games available, especially your favourite online poker games. When you play poker from your smartphone or tablet, be aware that you might be easily distracted by your surroundings, so stay in the zone when you go for that Royal Flush.
If you like playing with extra cash or you love joining an exciting tournament or poker prize draw, make sure to join an online casino that has these treats available. Many online poker casino sites offer their players bonuses on a regular basis. When you sign up you can count on a welcome bonus and as an existing player you can continue to claim extras. This way you can get more credit for your poker game. If you like to play against a live dealer you could claim a live casino bonus. Be aware that there are terms and conditions attached to every bonus and because poker is skilled-based game, many online casinos are less generous handing out bonuses that are valid on poker games. However, there are poker casino websites that welcome you with open arms giving you extra credit for your game.
The right type of poker game is quite important and bonuses and promotions are literally that: a great bonus. In addition to these, the general feel of a poker room at an online casino can be a make-or-break factor. Especially if you are new to online poker you might prefer the online gaming environment to be welcoming and not too intimidating. If you are a high roller and/ or a seasoned player you might like to make sure that an online poker room is not full of beginning players. You might win every poker round in that case, but you wouldn’t have much of a challenge. Is the poker casino website easy to navigate and can you easily find what you are looking for? Make sure the online poker environment is one that you feel comfortable and/ or sufficiently challenged in.
If you are interested in the technical aspects of an online poker room’s operation, you could dive into the different software and platform poker sites are using. You can gather quite a lot of information from the type of software used. Different poker games are run by a variety of platforms and software types and these can give you an idea about what sort of gaming experience you can expect. If you know what to look out for, dive into the software platforms online poker casinos use to determine whether a poker website is the right one for you.
Some player seldom if ever feel the need to contact an online casino’s customer service department. However, if you find good player’s support important, make sure that the poker casino you are considering playing at has player’s support available that is easy to contact. If you are a high roller you might be able to benefit from a VIP account manager who can help you with any high roller’s issues you might have. Some online poker room customer service teams are available around the clock and can be contacted day or night. Others have more limited opening hours, yet should be available between the hours of 10 am until ca. 12 am.
All poker sites allow you to make payment with the most used payment methods Visa and Mastercard. If you prefer fuelling your poker account with a different method, make sure a poker website you consider playing at has this available. As an online poker player, it could be interesting to make deposits and withdrawals in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, are decentralised digital currencies that are considered quite volatile. Perhaps you like the free-spirited aspect of decentralised cryptocurrencies or you like the idea of making extra money due to its volatility. Whichever what you like to make payment and withdrawals, make sure a poker site has your preferred payment method available.
As a player it is likely you want to make payment and withdrawals in British pounds. If this is the case, make sure this currency is available at an online poker room where you consider playing in. Certain online poker casinos have a strong focus on American, European and/ or Australian players, and don’t offer pound sterling as a payment method. If you are considering playing at a poker site where you can’t make payment in British pounds, make sure to pick a currency that has a favourable exchange rate.
Poker Players’ Ratings
With so many online poker forums around, check out what other players are saying about certain poker websites in regards to the aspects we mentioned above. Online casinos and other companies are very aware of the value of online reviews. Unfortunately for this reason, some companies including poker sites do make use of so-called fake reviews. Genuine reviews however can give you a great insight into how other players experience certain poker sites, so do pay attention to these.
Poker is a highly exciting game you can get better at with practice as you need skill as much as you need luck to make your wins. There are many different tactics and strategies to get better at your online poker game and one of these is playing poker online on a regular basis. To improve your poker skills, have more fun and make more winnings find the best poker website for your game.