In the past, if you want to play a game of poker, you had to travel somewhere like Las Vegas or find one near you; however, home games can sometimes be notoriously dangerous. Read More →
Today, thanks to the prevalence of the Internet and smartphones, you can find your favorite poker game in several variants and even go against other players from all over the world, without ever having to leave the comfort and safety of your own home. Sounds great, right? Of course, there are some things you need to be vigilant about when you do things online - how do you find a poker site that is absolutely safe and worthy of your time and money?
Factors that Make a Poker Site the Best
Players and Traffic - It's obvious that the more traffic a site has, the better for everyone. This addresses three factors: it is a sign that the site is trustworthy, it ensures there are always active tables you can play in, and it gives you a chance of finding weak players to profit from.
Game variety - No-limit hold'em is still considered the most popular poker game of all time, but everyone wants a little bit of variety from time to time. Poker sites that offer different game types, tournament styles and more can easily attract players whether they are newbies or veterans.
Bonuses and Promotions - Who doesn't like free money and other awesome promotions? Freerolls, no-deposit bonuses, new player bonuses, tournament leaderboards, VIP loyalty program - the bigger and more varied an online poker site's bonus offerings are, the higher chances they have of attracting new players and retaining existing ones.
Rakeback - Online poker rooms make money by collecting "the rake", which is a percentage of each pot. To attract players, there are poker sites that return some of the rake back to their players, called a "rakeback", which is basically free money.
Reputation - Albeit a small world, the poker community is a strong one. If a particular site is found to be untrustworthy, players will definitely know about it thanks to those who have shared based on their own experience.
✓ Welcome Bonus 100% up to $888 (code: NEW888)
✓ Play with $8/£20 Free No Deposit Required
✓ Rich Player Traffic
✓ Fast payouts 1-3 days
✓ Many ongoing promotions
888poker is an online poker room launched in 2005 owned by 888 Holdings PLC, which possesses an impeccable reputation in the world of online gaming. 888poker, known for its very soft Hold'em games, is the third biggest online poker site with over 10 million registered members all over the world dedicated mainly to recreational players.
It boasts an excellent tournament schedule designed to cater to all bankroll sizes. Thanks to its collection of ongoing promotions, there is lots of action to be found especially in the cash game tables. Formerly called Pacific Poker, 888poker now has more improved software with modern new features coupled with upgraded functionality and design. The graphics are great with the very easy-to-navigate lobby suited for both newbies and seasoned players. Aside from their innovative tech, 888poker is also renowned for hosting juicy tournament series, enticing freerolls, satellites, live events and are sponsors to some of the most prestigious poker tournaments like WSOP and Battle of Malta, to name a few.
18+, New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly - www.begambleaware.org T&C's Apply
✓ Up to £/€/$30 Free Play + $600 bonus!
✓ €8 Free No Deposit Bonus
✓ Awesome rewards program: Diamond Club - earn up to 40% Cashback
✓ Rich Player Traffic
✓ Many ongoing bonuses and promotions
partypoker, launched in 2001 by PartyGaming, is known today as one of the top 3 online poker sites. Aside from the online poker room they also have an online casino and live casino platforms. It is one of the first online poker sites in poker history. With up to 2,000 active players logged in at peak times each day, partypoker is indeed one of the best sites of today if you're looking for action anytime.
It has an expanded partypoker LIVE website headed by Rob Yong. partypoker hosts big events like the flagship MILLIONS Live and Online and it also offers lots of guaranteed tournaments and satellites to its partypoker LIVE tour. After partnering with Triton Poker, players can now paly Short Deck Hold'em online.
partypoker is considered as a mid-stakes poker site, great for both new and seasoned poker players. It is one of the best poker sites online, renowned for its improved software, new bonus promotions, $1M SPINS tournaments with $5 buy-ins, and a jam-packed tournament schedule. Withdrawals are processed in 24 hours, most of them instant. Play your favorite cash games and participate in their daily poker tournaments. Customer service is available via e-mail, live chat, and toll-free phone.
18+, New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly - www.begambleaware.org T&C's Apply
✓ Welcome Bonus 100% up to $2,000
✓ $5 Free No Deposit Bonus
✓ Earn 27% weekly Rakeback
✓ Cryptocurrency-friendly poker room
✓ Fast cashouts
HighStakes is an online poker room and gaming site created with the user experience in mind. Launched in 2018, they run satellites for well-known international live poker tournaments, their own guaranteed events, daily freerolls and a player pool from every corner of the world.
They also have an online casino and sportsbook area. Committed to innovation in online gaming, they offer a selection of games under their "HighStakes Originals" brand, which include lottery, Super 8 and their trading game Predict where traders and crypto enthusiasts can bet on the price of their favorite coins or stocks.
HighStakes is a cryptocurrency-friendly platform, allowing the use of Bitcoin and altcoins on deposits and withdrawals. HighStakes assures fair play and is one of the most strenuously tested poker platforms for fairness using an RNG certified by GLI, iTech Labs and Quinel.
Geared for mid-stakes and recreational players, HighStakes is a great site for players in Asia, Latin America and rest of the world. Enjoy 27% rakeback paid to all users automatically every Monday.
The main lobby displays their list of cash games, tournaments, Spins, and Sit & Gos. They have a wide range of tournaments including freerolls, multi-table, high roller, private, guaranteed tournaments and satellites to live events such as The Malta Poker Festival. Customer service is available 24/7 via e-mail, Discord, Telegram, or through their social media channels.
✓ Up to 40% Rakeback
✓ Lots of great promotions
✓ Fast withdrawal times
bwin Poker is considered one of the true veterans of online poker, which opened its virtual doors in 1999. They have a reliable software, a huge player base of over 20 million in more than 25 core markets, and the site is available in 22 languages.
bwin Poker is where you can play the best tournaments and cash games across popular poker games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha. bwin poker offers micro stakes and pot limit omaha, all the way up to high stakes no limit within one excellent platform. With super-fast secure deposits and withdrawals, smooth gameplay on all devices, and exciting daily prizes all on their world-leading casino software, bwin is the best place indeed to play poker online.
18+, New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly - www.begambleaware.org T&C's Apply
✓ 100% up to $1200 bonus for all new players
✓ World's Largest Poker Network
✓ Cryptocurrency-friendly poker room
✓ Exclusive Satellites to live WPT tournaments
✓ Regular freeroll and Daily 24/7 tournaments
WPT Global is a real-money online poker room introduced by the World Poker Tour (WPT) in April 2022. It aims to provide the fairest of competing environments for cash games and tournaments and to welcome all levels of poker fans.
WPT Global is a cryptocurrency-friendly platform, allowing the use of Bitcoin and altcoins on deposits and withdrawals. The site is made mobile friendly - All your favorite games, involving tournaments and more are made available on the go with the Global WPT app. The WPT Global app is available in over 100 countries - in most European countries, Asia, and the Americas (except USA), and is available in multiple languages including English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Players at WPT Global can enjoy the following: large player pools, excellent Welcome Bonus, big prizepools, a variety of payment methods, a loyalty program, the Poker Heroes Club, a strong security of financial operations, NLHE cash games running round the clock, regular tournaments and friendly support service. The site is mainly geared for recreational players, which makes playing poker always fun and exciting.
Customer service is available 24/7 via e-mail or through their social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
18+, New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly - www.begambleaware.org T&C's Apply
