Top 3 Online Multiplayer Poker Sites For 2011
De CidesaWiki
There is really a bewildering amount of choices when it comes to on-line poker. I hope this informative article helps just starting out poker fan to get a smooth start in the concept of online multiplayer poker. Each of our Top 3, in addition to being a pacesetter, offers something unique. I will make sure you point those unique features over the article. As in any young industry situation is incredibly fluid and relative standings change often. That is why I specifically review the poker room as is also in 2011. Next year I must revisit rrmprove my conclusions.
What It Takes to Get On The List
What criteria should we use to select our Top 3? Here are factors that largely separate leaders through the rest of the field:
Game Selection: Availability of cash poker games too free multiplayer poker games. Free games are critical for training and achieving at ease with the software program. Texas Holdem is king of poker. However other, less popular poker games, like Omaha, Razz may add appeal and variety to the poker site.
Table Selection: Full Multiplayer - 9 handed tables also as short-handed and heads-up tables
Availability: Solid Client software for both Windows and Mac with frequent updates. Bonus points if site offers good browser based, no download poker online game. You might not it's similar to much to start with but no download poker client really shines when you're on holiday, accessing site from your mobile device or otherwise not are "on the move".
Playability: This is important if you play internet poker a great deal. Here we rate factors like responsiveness of the software program. Whether it hangs a good deal or runs smoothly day in day out. Visual layout and exactly how cluttered screen is. Whether controls can be found conveniently. Do not underestimate these "soft" factors. All together playability is the better proxy for software quality. It can either turn your poker session in a struggle or make computer almost disappear by letting you immerse yourself into poker action.
Social features: Capability to chat we other players and invite others to experience a particular game or table. Remember that people who play poker online will often be within it to keep things interesting up to for thrill of winning money. If you play a lot, you will definately get to learn people and in many cases have friends.
Tournaments: Offering Tournaments in a variety of formats for example single table (Sit-n-Go) and multi table (MTT).
For the record, I do not feel that beginners should play tournaments. Poker tournaments, especially poker online tournaments, require different poker strategy from regular ring games because tournaments are often played short-stacked and make use of antes. To an untrained eye a tournament often appears to be extremely loose even reckless game.
Traffic: Sufficient player numbers. We are talking about players that are currently logged in to the site. High traffic sites are great in the event you like to sample different games or maybe become bored easily. On the other hand, in the event you prefer playing poker online with the exact same people as you played yesterday, then traffic just does not matter. Note that high traffic sites are usually those with large promotional budgets. To recoup marketing expense their rake structure can be less favorable.
PokerStars
Run by a European company, Rational Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., that is definitely the biggest poker site today. It has grown enormously over the last a few years and pulls the maximum amount of traffic as 3 of the company's largest competitors combined. Due to a great deal of players amongst people the site, game and table selection are incredibly good.
I have zero quality exposure to their Customer Service. That said, I have never heard persistent or widely spread complaints about PokerStars. Unlike various other sites which generate constant outcry from abused and disgruntled players.
Software
They recently revamped their software client to enhance online multiplayer poker game experience. In its last software update they clearly modeled themselves after FullTilt poker client. Their lobby supplies a streamlined navigation, assisting to find desired games in just 2-3 keys to press. They also significantly reduced screen clutter. Current version of software packages are stable and runs smoothly. Unfortunately they don't give a no download poker client. PokerStars houses the most important pool of players seated in free multiplayer poker tables at any hour in the day.
Best Feature
PokerStar prides themselves on running largest poker online tournaments. They cleverly use offline poker events like WSOP to entice online players to penetrate by providing these to "qualify" for WSOP and other high-profile live poker events. Being one in the most sophisticated promoters, PokerStar turned even free online multiplayer poker tournaments (called freerolls) into marketing gold.
PartyPoker
One from the oldest on-line poker sites on the Internet. Behind PartyPoker web page is Party Gaming, a world's largest gambling online company publicly owned on London stock trading game. It was previously the largest online poker site before 2006. However as a result of not enough focus and anti-gambling regulatory actions in US they have fallen behind few of their more nimble competitors. Party Gaming operates a network of gambling websites and aggressively cross promotes them. Its flagship online multiplayer poker site draws traffic from the other properties, that happen to be mostly Europe based.
Software
Software client is playable, though to not the amount of other sites within this review. A word about PartyPoker's color theme. There had been an occasion when every casino or gambling related site on the Net must be green. Since then most sites shifted to build up their very own color palettes. PartyPoker is one from the holdovers still presenting you with a sea of green on its site too as on its software client. Every year they revamp site's main page to tone down the green but even now it's a major color.
They recently announced full support for Mac and indeed their Mac poker client is reasonably good. The graphics can be a bit cartoonish to my taste but that just stylistic preference. They have a browser based, no download poker client as well. Ironically initial thing you see after launching that no download poker client is often a download progress bar.
There are many free multiplayer poker games, including Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem and Omaha. Cash games and tournaments will also be within sufficient numbers.
Best feature
A defining feature of PartyPoker is its soft and loose poker games. I mean softer and much more loose than most other sites. This is probably because of constant influx of gamblers using their other properties. As always, and then there is fish you'll find sharks also. Still the site is beginner friendly, providing good poker educational material both written and video.
FullTiltPoker
2011 is extremely likely the last year when FullTiltPoker might be considered an important force in online poker. Pocket Kings, the organization behind your website, has come across serious legal and financial hardships. Our mention of FullTilt is in an easy method honorary yet well deserved. FullTilt was a solid 2 in traffic before they lost their gambling license.
Software
Their software client is better in the industry. Striking a balance between feature rich yet playable and uncluttered User experience. Site and client design inspired many other gaple online multiplayer poker sites, including others among out Top 3. Over the years FullTilt developed several innovations, like aptly named Rush Poker. That is often a system that immediately transfers one to another table once you are beyond a hand minimizing your recovery time and allowing you to learn a good deal more hands hourly. Regardless of what it may seem of actual Rush Poker experience, that has been very creative move. They offer the widest selection of poker including such rare games as HORSE, usually played mostly by professionals.
Best Feature
Marketing angle chosen by FullTilt ended up being to assemble the very best team of sponsored professional players, then convert their personal celebrity right into a powerful marketing weapon promoting the web page. In fact, FullTilt is partially belonging to some with the biggest names in poker today. Among other promo tricks they included possiblity to find and play with those professionals live on your website. Due to their good software and smart promotions FullTilt attracted many good online multiplayer poker players. Thus level of competition on FullTilt is just about the highest among our Top 3. The choice is your, now go a play some poker.
