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Our selection of online poker rooms.
Play Online
There is a time for studying, and a time for practicing!
Online poker is fast-paced and a good deal of fun. A wide range of stakes is available, as low as $.01/$.02, so there is a game for all wallets. You can also prefer play money to start out.
You can read the Online Poker Q&A article if you are new to online poker.
Here is our selection, based on our own criteria and personal tastes. Some rooms pay more than others for the advertisement, but that’s not how we have made this list. We truly play on these sites, and we like them best. We can change this list any time if new features or new problems crop up. In other words, we do choose our sponsors.
Have fun!
Our Top Two
Here is our top two. These rooms are the best overall, in our opinion.
| Room | Comments |
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| Top Two |
PartyPoker
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The largest online room. Its main advantage is the number of players and the loose games. The major poker variants are available (Holdem, 7stud, stud8, omaha, omaha8), in ring game or tournament format. Stakes go from $.5/$1 to $100/$200 for limit, and from $.10/$.25 to $10/$20 for PL/NL.
The software and graphics are neither bad nor spectacular. We don’t like the side bets and the other gambling options available at the table though. The support is quite responsive. Again, we like PartyPoker for its “good” tables.
Join through one of our links and get a 20% deposit bonus upto $100.
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PokerStars
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The best room for tournaments. Pokerstars is the second room in terms of number of players. The games tend to be a bit tighter than PartyPokers’ though - but you can find all kind of tables if you take the time. The usual poker variants are available (Holdem, 7stud, stud8, omaha, omaha8), ring game and tournament. Stakes go from $.02/$.04 to $100/$200 for limit, and from $.01/$.02 to $10/$20 for PL/NL.
The software and graphics are, again, average, in our opinion. The support is excellent though: probably the best of the market. A very serious room.
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The Best Challengers
The following rooms offer a strong alternative to the major ones. There are very reasonable places to play, and you may try them out even if you already play elsewhere, since they try to offer attractive features to gain ground in the market.
| Room | Comments |
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| Challengers |
PokerRoom
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A growing online room. The number of players is generally a fraction of the largest rooms, but this is a good-sized room still. The tables tend to be loose/aggressive. The major variants are available (Holdem, 7stud, stud8, omaha, omaha8), in addition to five-card draw. Ring games and tournaments. Stakes go from $.25/$.50 to $500/$1000 for limit, and from $.25/$.25 to $100/$100 for PL/NL.
The software is pretty good, and the graphics are good-looking too. A pleasant place for the eyes.
Use promotion code “a23429” when registering.
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UltimateBet
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A popular online room, especially in the US. The number of players is comparable to that of PokerRoom. The tables are of various styles, but the Pot Limit/No Limit games tend to be attractive, since some players are not used to PL/NL. Along with the “classic” variants (Holdem, 7stud, stud8, omaha, omaha8), you can play pineapple or triple draw. Ring games and tournaments are available. Stakes go from $.01/$.02 to $300/$600 for limit, and from $.01/$.02 to $50/$100 for PL/NL.
The software is not fantastic (a kind of glorified browser), but the table graphics are original and attractive. The support is ok.
Screenshots from UpperClassPoker, a skin of UB.
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RoyalVegas (Prima)
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A room from the Prima network. The number of players is smaller than the rooms above (prefer European hours, since many players are from Nordic countries). Games are of different styles. The major variants except stud8 are available (Holdem, 7stud, omaha, omaha8), as well as five-card stud. In addition, all variants are available in PL/NL format (eg. 7stud). Ring games and tournaments are available. Stakes go from $.05/$.10 to $100/$200, both for limit and PL/NL.
The software is average; not very beautiful, and no hand history available. The table graphics are average too - and we don’t like the “play blackjack” link on the table… Support is ok.
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The Other Rooms
There are many other rooms, generally part of a network: same software and technology, sometimes same players (when the rooms are interconnected), but different names. These rooms offer good bonuses to attract more players; their marketing department is generally “loose/aggressive”. If you are ready to make some compromises, the extra cash is always nice. Some players are specialized in chasing these bonuses…
Most of the time, these rooms suffer from the same drawbacks: inferior software, and/or not enough players. However, this does not mean there is no interest playing there: sometimes, the opposition is pretty poor overall (which is a nice reason to play), or the affiliation system make them attractive.
It’s A Game!
Remember to enjoy playing, even though there is money at stake. This is a game, after all! Play only for reasonable amounts: that is, amount you can afford to lose. Poker is a game of variance, so even if you play well, you can lose. Take it on the chin, and take your chance again after the next payday. If you lose too much in a short time, you won’t have any fun, we guarantee!
Poker is a great game, so don’t let excess kill the fun out of it.
Enjoy!
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