Poker Reviews; Your Guide To The Best Online Poker Sites

If you’re a poker aficionado and enjoy playing online, then you’ve probably stumbled upon some of the most popular poker sites like Titan Poker, Bodog, Party Poker, Pacific Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Poker Stars. Now, you may have your own personal favorite among these sites—the one that you keep going back into—but let me give you some objective evaluation on these poker sites.

While Party Poker offers good action at low and average cash levels, Titan Poker features a pleasant interface as well as entices their customers with wonderful promotions. And if you’re looking for strong support, then Bodog is the perfect poker site for you. Pacific Poker, on the other hand, is absolutely apt for those players who want to play and unwind at the same time, like think of fishing and lounging on tropical paradise.

Different poker sites have their various strengths and weaknesses and it is important to choose a poker site that satisfies all your special requirements in a poker game. Are you looking for good gambling opportunities and excellent game rooms that are convenient to play at? Or perhaps you want plenty of action and take great pleasure in entering poker tournaments?

Find out the advantages and the few downsides of these well-liked poker sites that are guaranteed safe financially and technically speaking. Discover why Poker Stars is on the top of our list and pick for yourself a poker site that’s best for you through these balanced and informative reviews:

#7 – Bodog

www.bodoglife.com/poker

From www.bodog.com, Bodog gathered all its gaming sites into one comprehensive amusement website—www.bodoglife.com. Poker players can now access their poker rooms at www.bodoglife.com/poker.

Why Choose Bodog?

Aside from the fact that Bodog is one of the largest poker sites that generates traffic of about 10,000 to 15,000 players during peak hours and still continue to gain patrons every day, here, the quality of play is not that strict that it offers great opportunity for easy money even if you are only a beginner. Game support is available at anytime either by toll-free phone or email and there are a number of small limit table games, such as those for 5 and 10 cents, which give beginners a chance to learn the game without risking considerable amounts of money. In addition, the range of buying SNG is low that you can actually add smaller denominations to your bet like adding 50 cents to your 10 dollars bet and so on.

Bodog also gives a sizeable bonus which gives you free rein to bet your extra money right after you deposit. And the important thing is that Bodog is already an established company; you can deposit and withdraw betting money with absolute peace of mind.

Why NOT Bodog?

When compared to other poker sites which usually offer a deposit bonus of fifty to a hundred percent of your initial credit, Bodog Poker only gives ten percent bonus. Also, unlike in other prominent poker sites, withdrawing money in Bodog takes quite a lot of time what with their lengthy process.

If you like a variety of poker games, then you might find yourself disappointed with Bodog because they do not offer much game activity but Texas hold’em. Here, the number of slack players is quite big that you frequently encounter bad beats and suck-outs. The lobby stats do not include hands per hour which is important when choosing the best table.

The Verdict:

In summary, we give Bodog Poker three stars for its smooth-running site and user-friendly software. Although the overall competition is not that challenging, Bodog allows players to enjoy the game and earn a substantial winning at the same time, whether you’re just a beginner or already a seasoned poker player. Since the game site is open for US players, it is expected to gain more traffic and increase in number of players. This, in turn, will raise the guaranteed prize pools as more money is poured in the site.

#6 – Pacific Poker

www.pacificpoker.com

Owned by 888.com, Pacific Poker is the co-company of Casino-On-Net, a famous gaming site for online players. It banks on loose and open games that allow for bigger pots both on the cash game side and on tournaments. This usually benefits tight and aggressive players who aim for bigger wins in open and loose games. As for weaker players who don’t really know much about strategies for winning, loose play is a blind shot and a huge risk; thus Pacific Poker is probably not a very wise choice for them.

Why Choose Pacific Poker:

First of all, Pacific Poker is a perfect site if you’re looking for easy and soft competitions. There are several ranges of blind levels and table formats plus there are lots of freerolls on this poker site. These include guaranteed prize pool freerolls, depositor’s freerolls and bonus freerolls. In terms of deposit, players from all around the world can choose from quite a few options including a good number of instantaneous deposits. Security and competitiveness are also assured since Pacific Poker is a gaming division of the famous www.888.com online casino brand.

Why NOT Pacific Poker?

Pacific Poker has low traffic both for tournament and ring games as compared to other popular poker sites. SNG’s, particularly at the higher bounds, take more time to fill which could be annoying at times. Primarily, the reason why there is a relatively low traffic in Pacific Poker is because they don’t allow US players to enter their poker rooms.

If you’re someone who intends to play for poker bonuses, then be forewarned. Pacific Poker has been known for banning players who abuse their bonus terms. It is better to look for another poker site if you’re just aiming to clear poker bonuses. Lastly, the design of Pacific Poker’s software is already somewhat archaic since the site had been around for a long time now. The layout is a bit cluttered and seemingly full of activities that more often than not, it irritates online players.

The Verdict:

Three and a half stars for Pacific Poker mainly because it is backed by www.888.com and its Casino-On-Net connections. The famous online gaming brand is basically the one responsible for the popularity of this site. However, Pacific Poker is actually on the safe and average side because it doesn’t really offer anything special that other famous poker sites don’t offer. On the good side, the smooth and easy competitions on Pacific Poker continuously attract poker fans especially disciplined shark players who lust to squash weaker opponents and win bigger pots on loose games.

#5 – Full Tilt Poker

www.fulltiltpoker.com

Full Tilt Poker is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission of Canada. It is reputed to be “the poker site where the pros play”. Several admired professional poker players who play exclusively at Full Tilt Poker are Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harmon, Eric Lindgren, John Juanada, Andy Bloch, Clonie Gowen, Erik Seidel and Phil Gordon.

Why Choose Full Tilt Poker?

Well, playing against world-famous pros and a great opportunity of winning huge bonuses make Full Tilt Poker one of the best in online poker. Their website is regularly maintained and their state-of-the-art software is touted to be the finest. They offer a great assortment of poker games: No Limit, Fixed Limit and Pot Limit Texas Holdem games; even Omaha, Stud and Razz varieties. Quite a lot of tournaments are also available including ring games, multi-table tournaments and sit-and-go tournaments.

The poker room of Full Tilt Poker was designed by experts in such a way that you do not only play against the pros but you also interact with them. You can chat with top-notch professional poker players as well as get hands-on tutorial from them.

Security is also not a problem because Full Tilt Poker makes use of its own referral codes. Upon sign-up, a player will be given a Full Tilt Poker referral code allowing them to get 100 percent up to 600 dollars bonus. Cardschat which runs in a weekly basis also allows freerolls of up to 350 dollars with 100 dollars added at Full Tilt Poker which is the regular poker event in the gaming site. Passwords are given to all registered members a couple of hours before the event starts.

Why NOT Full Tilt Poker?

Although Full Tilt Poker is considered to be on the top five rung now when it comes to traffic, looking for a game especially at the upper limits during off-peak hours is tough. As for competition, the ring games might be profitable at the low and average limits for those who tolerate suck outs and bad beats. Generally, the SNG and tournament players pose a much harder challenge and have better skills on their sleeves as compared to those who play at ring games.

If you’re a beginner who is just starting at poker and probably needs frequent assistance, then you might find it difficult to get one at Full Tilt Poker. They only provide email support which has meager usefulness unlike in other poker sites that have chat and phone assistance as well.

The Verdict:

Full Tilt Poker, by and large, is already a quality poker site but perhaps given a little more time, it would already be up there in the alley competing against leaders in this industry. The playing experience is quite superb and unlike any other you’ll come across online. Their software is possibly the best in layout and functionality. There are average promotions and enough bonuses that are fairly easy to bag.

#4 – Ultimate Bet

www.ultimatebet.com

Ultimate Bet is operated by eWorld Processing, Ltd. and also licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. It is rated in the top five poker sites that get a lot of traffic what with its top stable players who promote the website and play at Ultimate Bet now and then like Phil Helmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Devilfish Ulliot and Annie Duke. Ultimate Poker Challenge, as it was known on TV, has been syndicated as a great poker site with real players that upholds good play and rebukes loose games. It is probably for this reason that Ultimate Bet becomes the site that trains and produces good poker players.

Why Choose Ultimate Bet?

The software of Ultimate Bet is unique and has a clean look that really puts players in the center of the game. It was built from the foundation of poker and gradually enhanced to what it is now which is most excellent in function. Ultimate Bet has 10+ freerolls per day, attracts approximately 1,700 to 2,500 players daily and offers micro limit games such as 1c/2c for beginners. The site is perhaps unsurpassed when it comes to freerolls—there are just no other poker rooms that offer so many freerolls as Ultimate Bet.

Deposit and withdrawal are fast and reliable in Ultimate Bet. Also, you don’t have to wait too long for a game since you will always find a ring game as their SNG and tournament schedule runs every twenty to thirty minutes.

The site has the usual variety of games including Stud, Omaha , Triple Draw and Pineapple but really specializes in the Cadillac of poker—No Limit Holdem.

Why NOT Ultimate Bet?

Competition at Ultimate Bet is way harder than some other sites so if you want to play for the winnings, then this might not be the best place for you. Beginners should be wary as the play for real money is rather tight. However, the higher-than-average standard develops discipline necessary to mold good NL players.

The overall game system is also basic and easy to learn. There could be a lot of money to make but if you play at the lower limits, you may find it very difficult to work up the amount of points needed to free your bonus.

The variety in SNG’s compared to other games like Omaha and Stud are not as great but still passable. Lastly, some tournaments like the 100 and 200 seat tournaments take some time to start and require you to wait for a lengthy time.

The Verdict:

Ultimate Bet is positively a recommended site for poker players who want to learn more about their craft. It promotes great play and exceptional players so it’s not really for those looking for easy money. Really, there are other sites where people are a lot worse at poker. Here, the conventional mid-stakes players are quite good and know what they’re doing so you might not make much money but you will certainly learn a lot of strategies and game plays.

If you want to have some fun though and do not really want to risk your money, you may find tons of freerolls at Ultimate Bet appealing. Also, they have an impressive SNG system so you will have to check the site out if you’re into Sit-N-Go’s.

You may not make as much, but you will learn a lot. UltimateBet has a great SNG system if you're into them. Having a ton of freerolls is a great perk of the site if you just want to have a little fun and don't feel like risking any money.

#3 – Party Poker

www.partypoker.com

The term “fish” at poker refers to a new player who doesn’t know how to play. Party Poker is often dubbed as “The Aquarium” because there are so many “fish” around. It is a great site for both experienced and novice players. For seasoned and professional players, the fact that many newbies flock the site puts it easier to make money. As for novices and beginners, Party Poker is the best site to start learning to play poker as you will often meet equally novice players in a game. Not only is it one of the largest poker rooms online but Party Poker is the home of the biggest Limit Hold’em tournament in the world—the PartyPoker.com or PP Millions.

Why Choose Party Poker?

As one of the world’s leading poker site, Party Poker offers a lot of real money action. There are just so many new players here that it would almost be effortless to get a seat plus you will get a better chance of winning than in other poker sites. Credit card is accepted for some countries where you cannot set up intermediary banking arrangements such as NETeller. The site is also excellent in terms of connection speed and reliability.

Party Poker offers first-time deposit bonus upon sign-up and there is a regular $5000 Party poker freeroll for new players. Lots of cash payout freerolls are also available like $500, $1250 and $2500 for cash game players. The site holds huge tournaments such as their regular $1M, $350K which is held weekly and the PP Millions which signed a payout of a staggering $10M in 2006.

Party Poker also allows for private tables which means that you can ask for a password to set up an exclusive game with your friends. Finally, their 128-bit encryption security gives players guaranteed protection when depositing to and withdrawing money from Party Poker.

Why NOT Party Poker?

To begin with, the game stats at Party Poker are very basic. They do not have micro poker games such as 1c/2c nor 5c/10c. The costs to enter tournaments are a bit expensive compared to other poker sites; they usually cost $10 and above. The site simply has e-mail for support and no Instant Messenger although they offer free call support for US and UK residents only.

The Verdict:

Party Poker is possibly the best site for cash game beginners as they will be competing mostly against other beginners. It is also an excellent place for experienced players; they will not only make more money from playing against beginners but they will also have greater chance at Party Poker tournaments that offer mega payouts. People from other countries might also find the site convenient as they do not necessarily have to set up intermediary accounts.

#2 – Titan Poker

www.titanpoker.com

Titan Poker is on the iPoker network developed by PlayTech. A relatively newer site compared to others as it was only launched in 2005, Titan Poker in alliance with iPoker network is backed by the world’s second largest casino software provider. Their software is available in several languages aside from English including Spanish, German, Italian and French.

Why Choose Titan Poker?

The software for Titan Poker is sharp and easy to navigate plus the updates have made for faster and more efficient play with most of the early glitches smoothened over. The security is outstanding; Online Players Association verifies the site. BDO, an international accounting firm tests their systems from time to time to ensure ongoing accuracy in payouts.

A wide diversity of poker games is available both for ring games and tournaments. Texas Hold’em is played at No Limit, Pot Limit and Limit varieties as well as Omaha and Omaha H/L in Limit and Pot Limit types. Titan Poker offers a number of no requirement freerolls daily on top of many other exclusive freerolls and tournaments. For one, Cardschat holds an exclusive monthly $1000 Titan Poker freeroll on the last Thursday of the month.

Titan Poker also offers a $500,000 Guaranteed Freeroll with a chance to win a $100 million jackpot. Deposit and withdrawal are also not problems since Titan Poker provides numerous options for such processes.

Not only does Titan Poker provide the usual customer supports like email, phone and fax, but they also have an excellent 24/7 online support staff who is knowledgeable, friendly, and prompt.

Why NOT Titan Poker?

Titan Poker doesn’t allow US players—that basically sums up why you cannot play in this imposing site if you’re an American. Also, there are lots of loose and aggressive plays at Titan Poker that require for players to keep it cool and play smart if they want to increase their winnings.

The Verdict:

Titan Poker provides the excitement and perks needed to attract online poker players. Not only does it offer large tournaments with enormous jackpots but it also gives substantial deposit poker bonus to its players. Four and a half stars for Titan Poker for a lot of great features such as its appealing layout, stable software, good graphics, constantly growing traffic and decent support.

#1 – Poker Stars

www.pokerstars.com

Poker Stars is the largest online poker site in the world. It is the top-rated US-allowed place to play online poker. Endorsed by at least three of the most recent World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event champions namely Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, and Joe Hachem, it is the perfect site for tournament players. In reality, there is no other poker site now equal to Poker Stars when it comes to MTT tournaments.

Poker Stars is home to the world's largest online poker tournaments and qualifies more players for World Series of Poker Satellites, the World Poker Tour, and the European Poker Tour than any other poker site. They also host exclusive signature events like the Poker Stars World Championship of Online Poker and the Poker Stars World Cup of Poker.

More than anything, Poker Stars has been known to be the best poker site that turns poker players into world champions.

Why Choose Poker Stars?

At Poker Stars, you will always find poker games at any limit, experience the best poker software, and receive incredible bonuses for your play. Whether you want to play for free or win real money, Poker Stars offers the best in freerolls and price money. Poker Stars’ software is undoubtedly the best in stability and performance. The games offered are Hold'em—Limit and No Limit, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Stud, and 7 Stud Hi/Lo. Every limit you can think of from 1cent/2cent up to $100/$200 is offered.

There is no problem finding a game 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at Poker Stars since it is the most popular online poker site in the world. Their SNG’s are the best because of the relatively slow blind increases and larger than average starting chips.

Poker Stars is also famous for having the best online poker tournaments. They offer frequent tournaments with large and small buy-ins. And because there are plenty of players, it also corresponds to huge prize pools. Withdraw/Deposit options are very good and the structure is the best available online. As for customer support, there’s just no other site that beats Poker Stars in this area.

Why NOT Poker Stars?

Poker Stars does not run no-requirement freerolls that pay because all their public freerolls are qualifiers into a weekly freeroll that pays or some other promotions. Basically, their freerolls have large fields and are not worth the time to play if you’re aiming to build a bankroll from freeroll winnings. Their weakness in freerolls may stem from the fact that Poker Stars used to be very weak in the promotions area.

Competition here is also a double-edged sword. The tournament players at Poker Stars are undeniably the toughest on the web. There seems to be about an equal number of superb players, breakeven, and losing players or “fish”. Ring games are all about table selection which means that if you sit down at the wrong table, you will get broken. This goes for all the limits so it is imperative for a player to be very wise in choosing a table.

The Verdict:

Poker Stars get the top rating—five stars for having the largest player base overall online. It is the industry’s premier leader in tournaments. They guarantee absolute safety and security plus offer the best play money tables. Although there is room for improvement in the freerolls and bonus area, Poker Stars primarily is a very well respected poker site that hones game skills of top expert players and helps them achieve long-term success in the world of professional poker.