2. Description of Online Poker Rooms and how to choose the right one
In this section differences among online poker rooms, how the rooms make money, why the games cannot be rigged and how you choose rooms are described.
There are more than 100 different online poker rooms to choose from. However, in reality there are about 25 different software/platforms with the same software and player base, out of which 11 have high traffic. Some rooms stand alone (Poker Stars, Paradise Poker, etc) other large brands share a network (Party Poker, Empire Poker, etc) and more frequently there are large networks with small individual rooms such (Prima Poker network, Tribeca Table network, etc)
The different poker rooms share a lot of similarities in terms of game functionality and general set-up. Still, there are important differences for you as a player. Because of the differences and promotions most players benefit from playing at more than one online poker room. Below, we list the most important differences between the rooms:
- There are big differences in "skill level" of players between rooms, making it far easier to break-even or win money for a beginner at some rooms.
- The volume of certain type of games varies dramatically. Example of areas of difference are; share of games in short-handed version, share of games in mid or high limits (e.g. $10-$20 Limit or $2-$5 No-Limit), relative proportion of tournaments and number of non-Texas Hold'em games offered.
- The value of promotions offered to the players differs markedly where there are significant differences in sign-up bonus; re-load bonuses, loyalty/points programs, free rolls and other freebies. In general, online poker offers much less free money to the big players than casinos, as many of the big players are also big winners without any need to be "comped" to keep playing.
- The technology supported by the rooms. A sad fact for Mac and Linux users is that almost all of the rooms exclusively support PC technology.
Rake - the way online poker rooms make money
The way poker rooms make their money is almost exclusively through the rake. A player never looses money to the poker room directly, but pays a fee to play. Rake is a percentage fee that is taken out of qualifying (depending on the poker room, the criteria's are different) real money pots that are played in the room. The percentage taken out is usually around 5% of the size of the pot up to a maximum of about $1-$3 where short-handed tables and smaller pots typically means lower rake.
Rigged games - do they exist?
There have been some conspiracy theories among poker players that certain poker rooms are influencing the games as a way to cheat the players, via accomplice players, robots or by dealing too many premium cards and other types of hands to create more action and ultimately rake. This is very unlikely as the rooms are quite easy to control and also making very high profits by providing fair games to players. A poker room would be facing imminent abandonment and bankruptcy if irregularities would be discovered. There is simply not enough incentive for them to cheat and risk ruining their reputation in order to make a few extra dollars.
Why many online poker players seem to believe that they are being cheated is mainly because they refuse to accept the fact that they may be losing players. There are a great number of players who have mostly played offline and believe that they are winning players. Once these players start to play online they can not fool themselves anymore, the reason for this is because it is so easy to track your actual winnings or losses when playing online. Also far too many players play without an adequate bankroll and therefore go broke, when offline they could reach into their pocket for more cash. Online poker magnifies mistakes because of the greater speed and option to play at multiple tables. If a losing player start playing online thinking he/she is a winning player, that player will lose much faster then normally.
Randomization of Card Distribution
The poker rooms use a randomization process to ensure that the cards are dealt in a fair and random way. They try very hard to make sure that their shuffle is fair, random and unpredictable. The way to do this is through random number generators based on algorithms. The established rooms have made sure to have the best possible randomization process available and are also reviewed by independent auditor firms. The algorithms are protected by advanced systems making them impenetrable for external parties. Actually, online card distribution is more random than any offline shuffle.
Criteria's for the Beginning Player when choosing a poker room
Before you start playing, look for certain criteria:
- Bonus deals and promotions
- Soft competition
- Software
- Game selection and player volume
#As a beginning online poker player you should make sure to shop around for the poker rooms that offer good bonus deals and other promotions, as these will be of significant value for you. Read more about bonus deals below.
Be sure to look for soft competition. It's not as much fun to sit at tight/aggressive tables with mostly experienced players.
Some of the software offers a nicer playing experience, which is value in itself. The sites vary in speed, sound, graphics and other options. For example, some sites give you the option of using a picture of yourself or choosing between different characters.
The volume of players will greatly affect your success at finding a game of your liking. Usually, player volume and game selection goes hand in hand. The sites with the most players more likely have the best selection of games, but there certainly are exceptions. Make sure to check the volume of players at the game and limit you are interested in playing before you deposit any money.
We recommend these pker rooms for the beginner:
Pacific Poker
Inter Poker
24h Poker
Criteria's for the Seasoned Player when choosing a poker room
For seasoned players, more and different criteria become important.
- Suitable competition
- Software playability
- Software stability, security, and poker room policies
Suitable competition is another aspect of "Game selection and player volume", this is always an important factor when deciding where to play. You want to make sure that you have access to your favorite type of games and players. The style of play that wins the most money will vary between sites and also at different limits. Some players crave aggressive tables or semi-good opponents to be most effective in their style of play.
Software playability becomes important if you want to play at multiple tables and/or sites. Some rooms are more compatible than others, meaning that you can play at multiple sites at the same time without any bugs or annoying hang ups. Other rooms do not allow you to play at multiple tables or have limits on how many tables you are allowed to play. Also, the statistics (table statistics, hand history etc) given out by the poker room and easy to use player notes are deciding factors.
The software stability and security is important as you do not want to be involved in big pots and then experiencing connection problems, collusion or other cheating from opponents.
Seasoned players will appreciate these poker rooms:
Party Poker
Poker Stars
Full Tilt Poker
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