You may be a new poker player, or just new to online poker, and you have decided to try your hand at playing online, but with so many poker sites, how should you go about choosing where to play?
When online poker first started, and the first poker site was launched, there were early adapters but for the most part folks were wary. This new poker site is asking for credit card or bank information, and it deals with gambling, and just who runs the poker website, anyway? Players were not certain if playing at these poker sites were legal or safe, so the top poker sites got wise and started to advertise their safety and security features.
Over time well established and reliable sources of regulation became common knowledge, and for the most part most poker websites today are affiliated with them. From a security standpoint, most poker websites are about equal. So if the security is not much of an issue, how does one choose?
US Poker Sites
US poker sites are kind of a delicate situation because the legality is iffy. Many US poker sites are no-money sites, so if you just want to play for fun there should be no trouble selecting any US poker sites. Fortunately there are so many top poker sites that are based elsewhere that isn’t a concern.
Games at Poker Websites
Many top poker sites offer the same kind of games (Texas hold’em, stud, Omaha and the like) so for new poker players just about any poker site would do on that basis. If you are a player that likes a bit more variety in your game play, however, then you would do well to search out top poker sites like UB, Full Tilt and PokerStars. Top poker sites like these will offer some unique and fun games, like Rush Poker or shootouts.
Player Interface
Player interface is a top reason to select a place to play, and depending on how a poker sites interface works with you will determine if it becomes one of your favorite poker websites. The look and size of the tables (and if they are customizable or not) how the controls for betting and interacting with the cards are situated and how easy (or hard) it is to navigate the lobby are all major factors in picking the best poker site to play at.
Bonuses
Most poker sites offer some kind of bonus when you sign up, a way to entice you to make a deposit. Just about all of them are decent deals, but be aware that you often have to wager money to ‘clear’ the bonus, so be sure to read the terms and conditions.
In the end it comes down to personal preference. Fortunately most poker sites offer a free to play version, so the best way to choose a poker site to play is to try four or five for free and see which ones suit you.
