Picking an Online Poker Room

There are a lot of things to consider before picking an online poker site to play at.  Things can be quite overwhelming if you don't know much about it.

You've got bonuses, freerolls, player volume, safety issues, deposit issues, computer compatibility, and many other things to look at.  If you're a Mac user, or Linux user, it's even more difficult because your options are somewhat limited.  Windows users have hundreds of sites to choose from, whereas Macintosh and Linux players only have a handful of good sites to choose from.

The Bonus Basics

By now most of you have played online poker and realize that bonuses really aren’t all that great.  They make you play a whole bunch of raked hands before they even think about releasing the bonus.  A raked hand is simply a hand you play and the poker room takes a cut.

Every time you play a hand the online poker room takes a percentage of the pot, and that’s how they can afford to pay bonuses.  So really all they’re doing is giving you some of your money back in the form of a bonus.

If you like playing at poker rooms with good bonuses, then you’ll have to choose places with quick releasing bonuses.  These bonuses are called upfront bonuses. They do have safety nets in place so you can’t just withdraw the bonus as soon as you get it.  They do make you play with the bonus, and don’t allow you to just cash out as soon as you get it.

If you go to places like Full Tilt Poker they give you an even bigger bonus, but you have to play raked hands to get it released.  They keep track of the bonuses by giving you player points.

When you get enough points they will usually automatically deposit the money into your account. These bonuses are better for players who play higher stakes.  The bigger the stakes, the higher the rake, the faster the bonus is given.

Online Poker Freerolls

There is nothing wrong with playing freerolls.  Freerolls are great for players just starting out.  You do however, need to consider some things when picking a site if you are joining for freerolls.  Freerolls work somewhat like bonuses.  Some sites make you play real money games to rack up enough points to play in freerolls.  The freerolls that don’t require you to use points from real money games generally don’t have a ton of money in the pot.

Depositing Issues / Safety Issues

This is probably the biggest obstacle for new online poker players in the US.  Depositing can be a real hassle if you want to use your credit card.  About 90% of banks and credit card companies won’t accept deposits to online gaming companies.  Most people have to either register a checking/savings account with the online poker room, or use an online transaction company.

Player Volume

There is nothing worse than signing up for a poker site, getting to the table, and having to wait 10 minutes just to find someone willing to play.  Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars are two of the top sites with good player volume.