How do online poker rooms differ from each other?

There are many differences between online poker rooms. Online rooms differ in the level of service they offer quite considerably. Most new players to poker probably don’t appreciate the number of existing poker rooms and new rooms joining the market on an almost weekly basis. There are hundreds of different rooms to choose from and choosing one for yourself can be a little daunting.  There is a good reason that so many new players join well known brands like Party Poker. Firstly it is a poker room that most people have heard of. Is it the best, well that depends on the individual and actually there are good and bad features associated with Party Poker.

It is important for you to know what you want in the poker room that you end up going with. Some rooms have considerably more traffic than others. Some sites offer a large range of games and others are fairly limited whilst some are better for ring games or tournaments than others.  For us one of the key features which either attracts or repels players is the user interface (the software that the room uses).  Some software is very good and houses great graphics and a quick and reliable user interface whilst others are not very appealing at all and can be relatively slow.

Nearly all poker rooms belong to a network, meaning that they share player traffic with the other rooms in that network. Sites in the same network generally have the same software platform. What will be different is that each of the rooms in a shared network will build add-ons which will be specific to that room, in addition to offering bonus and promotions that can be specific to their room.

For many players, the bonus incentives is a key reason to play at a room, with many regularly shopping around to take advantage of bonuses across multiple rooms. Others like to take advantage of different promotions or tournaments which vary quite considerable across the many rooms available online.  So what are the key differences and more importantly how will they affect you when you make your choice?

Player Traffic

This is an important one as the number of players at a room directly affects many factors, such as the buy in to tournaments, the value of promotions being offered, the quality opposition and the amount of development that the room undergoes. In short the more traffic, the more money the site is making. The more money made, means the more that is generally offered to their loyal players.

Take PokerStars for example which boasts the highest player volume of any online poker room, with peak traffic over 250,000. As there are so many players, there are a lot of high value tournaments on offer, including the world’s largest weekly poker tournament (The Sunday Million Dollar). With the number of player buying in the $215 entry fee, the prize pool is regularly closer to $2 million. Similarly they have daily tournaments for  pennies, like their $3 entry to $50K guaranteed or their $10 entry to the $250,000 (on Sunday evening EST). Smaller sites can’t offer this as their player traffic is not so extensive. On the flip side, do you want 5,000+ players playing in a tournament (it can take a long time)? Smaller sites have to charge more but have far less players playing. It really is down to personal preference.

The other consideration is that the larger sites have a lot of sharks (as well as fish) so you should take care if you are new to poker. The benefit of numbers is that there are far more tournaments, higher pay outs and it takes you far less time to get the numbers in the Sit’N’Go’s.

Variation in Poker Games Offered

You will sometimes find quite a large gulf in the availability of games as you look through different sites. Many rooms only host the popular games such as Hold’em, Omaha and Stud games whilst others host some of the not so popular games. Here at Online Poker Codes, we have carried out all the research and within our review pages will show you exactly which games are available. You should also also consider player traffic also as some of the smaller rooms have a frustratingly low number of players and you have to wait too long for Sit’N’Go’s to fill. It is always worth considering this before making a decision.

Online Poker Bonuses on Offer

Consideration of the bonus offers is a must. Poker rooms (especially the larger ones) make a lot of money and bringing in new players as well as keeping hold of the ones they have is essential, and the reason that they always have excellent player bonuses and promotions. Online Poker Codes have made sure that all our negotiated bonuses put more in your pocket than any other site, making OPC a must visit before signing up at any site.

Other Considerations

Shopping around in poker is as important as it is when shopping for anything. The bottom line is that especially when it comes to tournament play, there are a number of not to be missed tournaments across a number of sites so having an account at these sites allows you to tap into the best action online.
Additionally, it is worth noting that if you are in any doubt, you are under no obligation whatsoever when you sign up with a poker room. You are fully entitled to download the software and take a nosey on the site – you are not committed to deposit any money whatsoever.

Ready to get into the action? Check out the best poker sites of the month or compare our best poker bonuses.