Q: What is the Key Difference Between US and International Regulated Poker Sites?

Size is the biggest difference between poker sites regulated at a State level and the international ones. At the time of writing the biggest real money poker site in the US (the combined WSOP.com NJ and NV rooms) see peaks of cash game traffic at 300 players. Compare this with the biggest international site (PokerStars) which sees peaks of more than 14,000. You can view the traffic stats here . You’ll find the best US poker sites have partnerships between brick and mortar casinos and big international poker sites. This means that the software is similar to that of the parent sites – though the number of games and guaranteed prize pools for the tournaments is much lower. As more states legislate, and player pools are joined together, it is possible that a regulated USA poker site will match the bigger international ones in size.

Question 1

How to Pick the Best Online Poker Site?

Accepted Answer

My first recommendation is to exclude non-regulated sites and those licensed in offshore jurisdictions with little oversight. There is plenty of choice with the regulated rooms around the world and in the regulated states.

Which regulated online poker site you choose depends on several factors. First, you need to make sure there are enough of your favourite type of poker games (cash games, tournaments, game variations and so on). Second, you need to check the games and make sure they are not filled with multi-tabling regulars. Once you find great / beatable games – software, payment options and bonus deals can be compared.

Remember, there is nothing stopping you from playing at multiple online poker sites – and maybe taking advantage of bonuses at all of them. Just don’t create two accounts with the same site!

Question 2

How do Poker Site Deposit Bonuses Work?

Accepted Answer

The most common form of deposit bonus at a real money poker room is a simple match bonus. This works for your first deposit. You’ll find 100% up to $500 is the most common. Bigger poker bonuses, both in terms of percentage and size are also available.

You’ll generally have between 30 and 90 days to ‘clear’ your bonus. To do this you need to collect points via real money play. This can be from the rake (small fee for each pot) in cash games, or for the tournament entry fees displayed on MTT lobbies.

Sites usually pay your bonus in increments. For example, you might get $10 for each 100 points collected. Some sites pay in lump sums instead. This can make getting your bonus money difficult if you don’t have time to collect the points – or lose your money before you hit the target.

There are often extras which come with your deposit bonus. The most common of these is entry into one or more tournaments – giving you a shot at some bigger prize money.

Question 3

Which Poker Site Has the Best Software?

Accepted Answer

Poker software is largely a matter of personal preference – at least when you compare the biggest and best sites. Some poker rooms have dated / clunky software which lets you play, though with ‘no frills’ attached.

With the big sites, expect animations, tables that can be resized, compatibility with 3rd party tools and often the ability to add a custom avatar or picture. You will also find the best poker sites offer apps and no-download poker software – alongside the download package.

The real difference with poker software is in the details. For example, the ability to switch between a 2-colour and 4-colour deck – or to set options to top up cash game stacks to the 100 big blind maximum automatically will make a big difference.

Question 4

How Do I Know that a Poker Site is Fair?

Accepted Answer

Many bad players blame poker sites for somehow conspiring against them in a bid to justify their losses. While these players are found at every poker room, there is absolutely zero evidence to back them up.

In fact, legitimate poker sites have a big incentive to keep the games 100% fair. After all, their income is directly proportional to the number of players they can attract. If evidence of unfair games was uncovered, people would simply move somewhere else.

If you hear conspiracy theories about unfair deals, simply look at the numbers. 10’s of billions of hands of online poker have taken place. Monitoring services, personal databases and audits all take place regularly – and no evidence of an unfair deal has ever been found.

Question 5

What are the Easiest Deposit Options?

Accepted Answer

A big advantage to sticking with fully legal and regulated poker rooms is that you have a lot of deposit options to choose from. The ‘easiest’ will depend on your location and your willingness to use your credit or debit card.

I am happy to use my cards at legitimate online poker sites. Popular brands welcomed include Visa, MasterCard and Amex.

Internationally you will also find support for Visa Electron and Maestro – with some sites offering Discover and Diners Club too. Using your card is exactly the same as making any purchase online.

If you prefer to keep your bank and the poker rooms separate, then there are plenty of simple solutions. Credit cards are blocked by popular banks – making 3rd party payment systems like InstaDebit a popular option if you’re playing in Canada.

Alternatives include PayPal (at the biggest brands only) or other e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill.

You can make bank transfers, use voucher systems or virtual Visa cards too. Around the world many countries have local payment options, for example POLi in Australia and Sofort in Germany.

If you see a poker site with only a tiny number of deposit options (possibly unknown ones), this could be a red flag. Make sure there are no scandals / payment issues before joining.

Question 6

How do I Withdraw Profits from an Online Poker Room?

Accepted Answer

Before you can withdraw your profits, a legit poker site will ask you to provide Id documents. This keeps the industry clean (from money laundering) and makes gambling online safer for everyone. You will be asked to accept the withdrawal to the same method you used for depositing where this is possible. There are alternatives if you paid in money with a one-way system (vouchers, some MasterCard credit cards and so on). These include eWallets, paper checks and local bank transfers.

Question 7

What is the Key Difference Between US and International Regulated Poker Sites?

Accepted Answer

Size is the biggest difference between poker sites regulated at a State level and the international ones. At the time of writing the biggest real money poker site in the US (the combined WSOP.com NJ and NV rooms) see peaks of cash game traffic at 300 players. Compare this with the biggest international site (PokerStars) which sees peaks of more than 14,000. You can view the traffic stats here. You’ll find the best US poker sites have partnerships between brick and mortar casinos and big international poker sites. This means that the software is similar to that of the parent sites – though the number of games and guaranteed prize pools for the tournaments is much lower. As more states legislate, and player pools are joined together, it is possible that a regulated USA poker site will match the bigger international ones in size.

Question 8

Are Online Poker Sites Rigged?

Accepted Answer

No, as discussed in the section on fairness above there is zero evidence that the deal is rigged over literally millions of hands. If you had any lingering doubts, you can double check the testing services which regularly audit the RNG (random number generator) software of the big sites.

Corey Goldberg

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