How to Choose the Best Online Poker Sites
Online poker takes the card game you love to play and cranks it up a notch. It offers you the opportunity to compete for real cash prizes from home or anywhere you have an Internet connection and a computer, tablet or smartphone. It also allows you to compete for satellite entries into some of the best live tournaments around the globe.
It wasn’t until the late 1990s that the first sites began popping up on the Internet, but the industry really took off after Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker in 2003. Since then, several states have chosen to regulate online poker and players can log in to play for real money at any time of the day or night.
The first thing you want to do when choosing a poker site is check out their banking methods. You’ll want to be able to deposit and withdraw money quickly and easily with a variety of different methods. Look for a poker site that accepts credit cards, debit cards and pre-paid cards as well as bank transfers, third-party eWallets and even Bitcoin.
Another key factor to consider is how much rake they charge. The rake is the commission fee taken by the cardroom for each hand played and can range anywhere from 2.5% to 10% per hand depending on the room. In addition, some cardrooms charge a minimum rake and a maximum rake for each type of game.
Lastly, look at the software a poker site uses. Ideally, you want to find a poker site that uses scalable, high-quality software and is compatible with multiple devices. This will give you the opportunity to reach a wider audience and make your business grow. Additionally, you’ll want to find a poker site that offers customer support and is available round the clock.
One of the major draws to an online poker site is their selection of games. The best rooms have thousands of players logging in to play at any time of the day and finding a game is rarely a problem. They also offer a variety of tournaments with buy-ins from $1 to $200 and daily freerolls.
The best online poker sites have a wide variety of games to choose from including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Razz and many more. They also have a great variety of different tournament formats and stakes from low-limit to high-roller. They also have a good variety of betting options including fixed-limit, pot limit and no-limit.
The top online poker sites are secure and use advanced encryption technologies to protect their customers’ personal information. In addition, the games are audited by independent third parties to ensure that they’re fair. Those that are serious about player safety often display their certifications in a prominent location on their website. They’ll also have excellent customer service and a proven track record of paying winners promptly. This makes them a trustworthy choice for any poker player looking to play for real money.
