Top 3 Online Multiplayer Poker Sites For 2011

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There can be a bewildering number of choices in terms of internet poker. I hope this informative article helps a newcomer poker fan to get a smooth start in the joy of online multiplayer poker. Each of our Top 3, and also a pacesetter, offers something unique. I will ensure that you point those unique features over the article. As in any young industry situation is quite fluid and relative standings change often. That is why I specifically review the poker room since they are this year. Next year I must revisit and update 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 remaining portion of the field:

Game Selection: Availability of cash poker games at the same time free multiplayer poker games. Free games are critical for training and achieving comfortable with the software program. Texas Holdem is king of poker. However other, less popular poker games, like Omaha, Razz can also 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 internet poker game. You might not think it is much initially but no download poker client really shines when you are on holiday, accessing site coming from a mobile device you aren't are "on the move".


Playability: This is important in the event you play internet poker a lot. Here we rate factors like responsiveness of the software program. Whether it hangs a great deal or runs smoothly day in day out. Visual layout and just how cluttered screen is. Whether controls are located conveniently. Do not underestimate these "soft" factors. All together playability is the foremost proxy for software quality. It can either turn your poker session in a struggle or make computer almost disappear by permitting you immerse yourself into poker action.


Social features: Capability to chat we other players and invite others to experience a certain game or table. Remember that individuals who play poker gaple online are often within it for entertainment up to for thrill of winning money. If you play a lot, you will get to understand people as well as develop friends.


Tournaments: Offering Tournaments in a number of formats such as single table (Sit-n-Go) and multi table (MTT).


For the record, I do not feel that beginners should play tournaments. Poker tournaments, especially internet poker tournaments, require different poker strategy from regular ring games because tournaments will often be played short-stacked and make use of antes. To an untrained eye a tournament often looks like extremely loose even reckless game.


Traffic: Sufficient player numbers. We are speaking about players who're currently logged into the site. High traffic sites are excellent if you like to sample different games or just get bored easily. On the other hand, if you prefer playing poker online with the exact same people when you played yesterday, then traffic just matters not. Note that high traffic sites are often individuals with large promotional budgets. To recoup marketing expense their rake structure might be less favorable.

PokerStars

Run by way of a European company, Rational Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., this can be definitely the most important poker site today. It has grown enormously over the last five years and pulls all the traffic as 3 of the company's largest competitors combined. Due to a lot of players loitering your website, game and table selection are extremely good.

I have zero upfront experience with their Customer Service. That said, I have never heard persistent or widely spread complaints about PokerStars. Unlike some other sites which generate constant outcry from abused and disgruntled players.

Software

They recently revamped their software client to boost online multiplayer poker game experience. In its last software update they clearly modeled themselves after FullTilt poker client. Their lobby supplies a streamlined navigation, helping find desired games in only 2-3 mouse clicks. They also significantly reduced screen clutter. Current version of software programs are stable and runs smoothly. Unfortunately they do not give a no download poker client. PokerStars has 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 internet poker tournaments. They cleverly use offline poker events like WSOP to entice online players to penetrate through providing them 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 with the oldest on-line poker sites on the Internet. Behind PartyPoker site is Party Gaming, a world's largest gambling online company publicly owned on London stock market. It was once the greatest poker online site before 2006. However due to lack of focus and anti-gambling regulatory actions in US it's fallen behind few of its 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 its other properties, that are mostly Europe based.

Software

Software client is playable, though to never how much other sites with this review. A word about PartyPoker's color theme. There was once a period when every casino or gambling related site on the Net had to be green. Since then most sites moved to produce their own color palettes. PartyPoker is one with the holdovers still presenting you using a sea of green on its site also as on its software client. Every year they revamp site's main page to reduce the green but to this day it is just a major color.

They recently announced full support for Mac and even their Mac poker client is rather good. The graphics can be a bit cartoonish to my taste but which simply stylistic preference. They have a browser based, no download poker client also. Ironically very first thing the thing is that after launching that no download poker client can be a download progress bar.

There are plenty of free multiplayer poker games, including Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem and Omaha. Cash games and tournaments can also be contained in sufficient numbers.

Best feature

A defining feature of PartyPoker is its soft and loose poker games. I mean softer plus much more loose than almost every other sites. This is probably because of constant influx of gamblers using their other properties. As always, high is fish you can find sharks too. Still the website is beginner friendly, providing good poker educational material both written and video.

FullTiltPoker

2011 is very likely the last year when FullTiltPoker can be considered an important force in internet poker. Pocket Kings, the corporation behind your website, has run into serious legal and financial difficulties. Our mention of FullTilt is in a method honorary yet well deserved. FullTilt was obviously a solid number 2 in traffic before they lost their gambling license.

Software

Their software client is the most suitable in the commercial. Striking an equilibrium between feature rich yet playable and uncluttered User experience. Site and client design inspired a number of other online multiplayer poker sites, including others among out Top 3. Over the years FullTilt invented many innovations, for example aptly named Rush Poker. That is a system that immediately transfers you to definitely another table when you're from a hand minimizing your recovery time and allowing you to learn a good deal more hands hourly. Regardless of what it might seem of actual Rush Poker experience, which was very creative move. They offer the widest number of poker including such rare games as HORSE, usually played mostly by professionals.

Best Feature

Marketing angle chosen by FullTilt was to assemble the best team of sponsored professional players, then convert their personal celebrity in a powerful marketing weapon promoting your website. In fact, FullTilt is partially owned by some from the biggest names in poker today. Among all the other promo tricks they included possible ways to find and play with those professionals go on the web page. Due to their good software and smart promotions FullTilt attracted many good online multiplayer poker players. Thus level of competition on FullTilt is among the most highest among our Top 3. The choice is your, now go a play some poker.