What to look for in a good poker website
Poker has become one of the most widely played games around the world. That’s due, in large part, to the rise of online gaming sites. In 2024, you don’t need to travel (or even leave the house) to enjoy playing poker. All you need is a strong internet connection and a mobile device, which you probably already use daily.
With so many online casinos to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to commit your time. In this article, we highlight some of the things to look for in a good poker website. Read on to find out what they are.
Range of games
Online providers don’t have the same physical limitations as land-based casinos do, which means they can offer a huge range of games, including the latest iterations, for players to try. You should check out what’s on offer before signing up to a poker website; just having Texas Hold’em doesn’t make the cut as there are so many great variations of online
poker games to try.
Ones to look out for are Five-card Draw, Omaha Hold’em, Seven-card stud, High Low Chicago and more.
Bonuses and promotions
The proliferation of online casinos and saturation of the market means that poker websites have to find ways to get players to sign up to their platforms and have reasons to stick around when they do.
Sign up bonuses can come in the form of free cash or games to play with and more. While promotions can include regular offers or even VIP programmes and
rewards schemes for playing. It’s worth doing your research into this before you get started to see who has the best offers available
Instant cash withdrawals
Not all poker websites are created equal when it comes to how fast you can withdraw your winnings. Some of the best ones make cash withdrawals instant so you can access your funds right away. This means you don’t have to wait several business days to have the money that you’ve won in your bank account.
Security
Cyber security always seems to be at the top of the news channels these days, and there's a good reason why – hackers are getting smarter with the way they’re doing things, leaving all of us more vulnerable.
The best poker websites will be staying ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting their players important financial information. You can look at their security policies on the website or read reviews to ensure that they are implementing the best technology and techniques when it comes to keeping you safe – so there’s no damper on your fun while playing!
Support
It might not seem like the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to poker websites, but the support that’s available can make a huge difference to your playing should you need it! Live chats, telephone support and email should all be available to you and easy to find.
It’s not likely that you’ll often need it, but having good customer service and support on hand when you do can make a huge difference and shows that the poker website cares about how their players are experiencing their website. Help should be available whenever you need it, whether it’s at 3PM on a Tuesday or 2AM on a Sunday.
Quality of players
Poker is a game that in most instances (unless you’re playing with robots), is played with others – and the quality of the players can make a big difference on your gaming experience.
The best way to find great players is to play at high quality or reputable websites. You should also define what type of players you want to engage with – ideally, they should be close to your experience level so you can maximise your chances of winning (and learning as you go too).
How easy it is to find a table
One of the benefits of online casinos over land-based ones is there are less physical limitations, making it easier to find a poker table. However, if you want to play with real players, they still need to be on the same sites as you do.
Look for reputable or popular brands as they’ll attract more players than smaller or more unknown websites.