Online poker is a great experience, allowing you to get involved in poker games whenever you want and wherever you are.
The innovation and technological advancements of the 21st Century have seen online casinos in general grow and expand, including things like virtual reality that means you can now overlay a poker room from your favourite casino into your bedroom and feel like you are really there.
Not forgetting that smartphones, apps, and a widening 5G network also means that you can play poker when you are out and about, when waiting for the bus or needing to kill some time between jobs.
If you are thinking about playing poker online, a quick search will bring up thousands of platforms, all trying to get you to join them for a few hands – but how do you choose? While the bonuses that the platforms offer are designed to be tempting, a savvy player will have some other things to check for before they sign up.
Are They Safe?
When you are playing cash games online, you will be sending financial information to the site you sign up to – and even if you want to play free games, you will have to create an account and share personal details.
You want to be sure that the company running the site is reliable and safe, and one of the best ways to tell is if they are regulated. Proper businesses in the online casino space will be regulated by the relevant authority for the country, so you need to check this out before you get started.
Regulation means that the business adheres to specific rules and laws, protecting your information and also treating customers fairly, with financial punishments for infractions.
The site will display their regulation information, usually in the footer of the website.
What Payment Methods Do They Take?
There are so many types of online payment methods that we can use when we are completing transactions, whether that is paying for grocery shopping online, or in this case funding our accounts to play poker.
Most sites will accept credit and debit cards, as well as bank transfers – but more and more sites are also working with eWallet options like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller too.
The other thing to consider is where you can withdraw your winnings (and whether there are any fees). Some online poker sites might have delays in processing withdrawals, or they might impose minimum withdrawal limits.
What you want to be sure of is that you can not only fund your account easily, but that you can also get your money back too.
Is the Site Easy to Use?
User experience is so important to an online business, and you want to find a site that is easy to navigate.
It must look good and be functional, which is all down to the quality of the design. You want to be able to find all the different poker games that are available.
Another thing to consider is whether there are other types of casino games available on the site – often you will also be able to have a go at slots, blackjack, or roulette as well which is fun for a bit of variety.
Aesthetically, you might prefer a colourful and bright site, or you might be looking for something that is more modern and clean . This is personal preference.
Who Plays There?
If you are a poker professional, you won’t want to play in the penny ante games where the newbies hang out – not only is there no challenge, but the jackpots wont be very good either.
The other end of the spectrum – if you are new to playing poker – means that you want a site that offers support for learning and tools to help you develop, including things like helpful customer support teams, articles, videos and instructions so that you can learn more about the game.
You will feel more comfortable in the right space with players at a similar level.
What is the Welcome Bonus?
This is usually the first thing that you will see when you are looking at a new poker platform – the company want to entice you to sign up by offering some sort of reward.
In poker sites, this might be something like a deposit match, or a cash amount that you can use as your wager.
The more bonuses on offer, the better your initial playing experience will be.
Some companies also offer added incentives to get you to continue playing – these can look like points earned by playing games, extra bonus entries into tournaments, or VIP membership options. These are excellent bonuses for loyalty that can improve ongoing play, but not every site uses them.
