How to choose an online poker room

Steve-O · #1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2006, 03:32 PM

This thread is designed to assist you in choosing the right poker room for you. Each player will have different goals and needs from another, and certain sites cater to these different demographics. There isn't a worse way to begin your online poker career than choosing a room that doesn't suit you.

This thread will also assist you in going through the right channels when you initially sign up. It sucks to miss out on an extra $100 in bonus, or a free chip set, or 30% rakeback at a site, when all you had to do is click 1 link!

Where should I play?

Ask yourself these 3 questions:

Do I enjoy playing at this site?

Does the site offer games I am comfortable playing?

Does the site have competitive bonuses and reward programs?

If you don't enjoy playing at the site you are going to have a hard time playing good poker. Imagine going to work every day and having a coworker yelling at the top of his lungs every 30 seconds, the sun shining in your eyes all day long, and the building being so big you constantly get lost.

Well, as outrageous as this sounds it can happen if you pick a poker room that has sounds you find annoying, a color scheme that hurts your eyes, or complex features you cannot figure out. One person may find the graphics very appealing while another cannot stand them. Make sure you like the graphics, sounds, and features of the site you intend to play at.

So, before you sign up at a site make sure you download the software and play at their "play" money tables to make sure you like the sites features.

If you only know how to play 7 card stud than signing up at a site that only offers hold' em would be silly, no matter how much they offer in bonuses or how appealing the site is to you.

Make sure that people are PLAYING these games at the times you will normally play. It soesn't do much good if you play Hold' em and the only time the sites hold' em tables are busy is when you're sleeping.

You also want to make sure the stakes offered are comfortable for you. Some sites start at $1/$2 limits while others start at $.01/$.02. make sure the site offers the stakes you intend to play.

Before you sign up at a site make browse around their real money tables to make sure they offer the right games and stakes for you and there is enough traffic at these games.

Lastly, make sure the site offers you a reason to play there. Right now online poker is a buyers market, with 1000's of sites to choose from they all have to stay competitive. Make sure your site not only offers a good sign-up bonus nut also frequent reload bonuses.

Additionally many sites offer reward programs for their customers. Using these programs you can get tons of free gear: books, clothing, free tournaments, you name it.

Once you find a place you like, offers comfortable games for you to play, and has competitve bonuses it's time to move onto the second step.

Going through the right channel

Before you sign up at any site you should check around to see if you can get better bonuses, rakeback, or promotional gifts by going through an affiliate.

Ask around the forum and many members will direct you to reputable websites that offer these things.

These affiliates can make you $100's of extra dollars a month, just for signing up through them! you were going to sign up anyway, might as well get everything you can.

Never, NEVER, sign up at a site until you learn if they offer rakeback or you can receive a better bonus or gift from an affiliate.

JJsPokerCom · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 11:03 PM

Gotta say, I was hoping the article would offer more in the way of specific sites and bonuses, at least a handful of the big dogs. Maybe you could add some of that? I know I want the best bonus possible, it's doing the legwork that might be of value. Then one person goes through the pain, for the good of the many

VGrozny · #3 (**permalink**) 01-27-2007, 07:10 AM

if you are looking for bonuses, go here http://www.bonuswhores.com/

JJsPokerCom · #4 (**permalink**) 01-27-2007, 04:56 PM

Wow, that's awesome, thanks!

Chanman · #5 (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 02:19 AM

I pick a site that has a lot of donks on them and where I get rakeback. I was referred to rakebackforever.com and that's how i chose the site that i play at because they offer me great rewards. Mansion and Full Tilt have the most donks. They have paid my rent for the past year.

andrthx_me · #6 (**permalink**) 04-05-2007, 11:53 AM

The coolest thing about Full Tilt place is that when a pro is playing the table appears red from the lobby. That makes them easy to find.

PokerAngel · #7 (**permalink**) 06-07-2007, 05:18 PM

I love that red text in the lobby, many a happy night I've spent watching Phil Ivey and Gus Hanson battling it out on the Omaha tables. That makes Full Tilt special.

Back to the original thread though, my website has some useful comparison tables if you want a room that offers a particular game other than holdem, or if you're after a special feature like a language, no-download software or need to have 20 tables open at once

.Check out the link in my sig and look for compare online poker.

The best advice I could give anyone is to download a few, don't deposit any money and play a few freerolls to get a feel for the software. If you find you like one room in particular then check around to make sure you don't miss any good deals - there are some fantastic bonuses to be had, but don't let that sway you too much. You'll lose more money on a site you're not comfortable with, than you'll gain in bonus. Also, most rooms run loyalty point schemes or reload bonuses which have better rewards than the original sign-up bonuses anyway.

IMO if you’re completely new you should start with Full Tilt, Pokerstars and PartyPoker, they’re not the most popular for no reason. You can then move onto the smaller sites when you've got more of an idea of what you need from your poker room.

bluffwithoutcuase · #8 (**permalink**) 06-10-2007, 10:33 PM

Anyone know of any good aussie sites besides poker.com that have good traffic? Id you do can you pm me. Thanks.

RakebackForever.com · #9 (**permalink**) 12-12-2007, 10:55 PM

Take it from a professional poker player. Bodog is by far the loosest game that U.S. players can play at. Check out PokerEdge. They clearly show Mansion and Bodog being the loosest games which mean the most donkeys play there. You can get rakeback at both of these sites if you privately e-mail your rakeback site. If you want to win money by just playing tight and letting people give you money, I suggest you play at either Bodog or Mansion.

davidab157 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-14-2007, 12:40 AM

I've warned you rakebackforever about this "email your rakeback site" crap. I've even given you a 3 day ban and you still won't listen. I guess it's goodbye then.