Top 3 Online Multiplayer Poker Sites For 2011

There is a bewildering amount of choices in relation to internet poker. I hope this short article helps just starting out poker fan to acquire a smooth start in the joy of online multiplayer poker. Each of our Top 3, and also being an innovator, offers something unique. I will ensure that you point those unique features over the article. As in any young industry situation is very fluid and relative standings change often. That is why I specifically review the poker room as they are next year. Next year I must revisit rrmprove my conclusions.

What It Takes to Get On The List

What criteria should we use to choose our Top 3? Here are factors that largely separate leaders from the other field:

Game Selection: Availability of cash poker games also free multiplayer poker games. Free games are critical for training and becoming comfortable with the program. Texas Holdem is king of poker. However other, less popular poker games, like Omaha, Razz can add appeal and variety to any poker site.


Table Selection: Full Multiplayer - 9 handed tables as well as short-handed and heads-up tables


Availability: Solid Client software for both Windows and Mac with frequent updates. Bonus points if site now offers good browser based, no download internet poker game. You might not consider it much at first but no download poker client really shines when you find yourself on a break, accessing site from a mobile device or otherwise not are "on the move".


Playability: This is important if you play on-line poker a lot. Here we rate factors like responsiveness of the software program. Whether it hangs a good deal or runs smoothly day after day. Visual layout and the way cluttered screen is. Whether controls are placed conveniently. Do not underestimate these "soft" factors. All together playability is the foremost proxy for software quality. It can either turn your poker session into a struggle or make computer almost disappear by letting you immerse yourself into poker action.


Social features: Capability to chat we other players and invite others to experience a certain game or table. Remember that those who play poker online are often in it for fun around for thrill of winning money. If you play a whole lot, you'll get to understand people as well as have the friends.


Tournaments: Offering Tournaments in several formats including single table (Sit-n-Go) and multi table (MTT).


For the record, I do not feel that beginners should play tournaments. Poker tournaments, especially poker online tournaments, require different poker strategy from regular ring games because tournaments tend to be played short-stacked and make use of antes. To an untrained eye a tournament often appears to be extremely loose even reckless game.


Traffic: Sufficient player numbers. We are referring to players who're currently logged to the site. High traffic sites are excellent in the event you like to sample different games or perhaps become bored easily. On the other hand, if you prefer playing poker online with the same people because you played yesterday, then traffic just does not matter. Note that high traffic sites usually are people that have large promotional budgets. To recoup marketing expense their rake structure may be less favorable.

PokerStars

Run by way of a European company, Rational Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., this is definitely the biggest poker site today. It has grown enormously over the last a few years and pulls all the traffic as 3 of the company's largest competitors combined. Due to plenty of players hanging out the website, game and table selection are extremely good.

I don't have any upfront knowledge about their Customer Service. That said, I have never heard persistent or widely spread complaints about PokerStars. Unlike a few other sites which generate constant outcry from abused and disgruntled players.

Software

They recently revamped their software client to improve online multiplayer poker game experience. In its last software update they clearly modeled themselves after FullTilt poker client. Their lobby offers a streamlined navigation, making an effort to find desired games within 2-3 clicks of the mouse. They also significantly reduced screen clutter. Current version of software is stable and runs smoothly. Unfortunately they just don't provide a no download poker client. PokerStars has the largest pool of players seated in free multiplayer poker tables at any hour of the day.

Best Feature

PokerStar prides themselves on running largest poker online tournaments. They cleverly use offline poker events like WSOP to entice online players to get in through providing them to "qualify" for WSOP and other high-profile live poker events. Being one in the most sophisticated promoters, PokerStar turned even free online multiplayer poker tournaments (called freerolls) into marketing gold.

PartyPoker

One from the oldest on-line poker sites on the Internet. Behind PartyPoker web site is Party Gaming, a world's largest online gambling company publicly operated on London stock exchange. It used to be the biggest internet poker site before 2006. However because of deficiency of focus and domino qiu qiu anti-gambling regulatory actions in US it's fallen behind few of their more nimble competitors. Party Gaming operates a network of gambling websites and aggressively cross promotes them. Its flagship online multiplayer poker site draws traffic from its other properties, which can be mostly Europe based.

Software

Software client is playable, though to never the amount of other sites within this review. A word about PartyPoker's color theme. There was once a period when every casino or gambling related site on the Net had to be green. Since then most sites shifted to develop their own color palettes. PartyPoker is one in the holdovers still presenting you which has a sea of green on its site at the same time as on its software client. Every year they revamp site's main page to tone down the green but today it's a major color.

They recently announced full support for Mac and indeed their Mac poker client is reasonably good. The graphics are a bit cartoonish to my taste but that just stylistic preference. They have a browser based, no download poker client also. Ironically initial thing the thing is that after launching that no download poker client is a download progress bar.

There are many free multiplayer poker games, including Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem and Omaha. Cash games and tournaments are also seen in sufficient numbers.

Best feature

A defining feature of PartyPoker is its soft and loose poker games. I mean softer plus much more loose than most other sites. This is probably because of constant influx of gamblers using their other properties. As always, where there is fish there are sharks as well. Still the website is beginner friendly, providing good poker educational material both written and video.

FullTiltPoker

2011 is incredibly likely the last year when FullTiltPoker might be considered an important force in poker online. Pocket Kings, the organization behind the web page, has come upon serious legal and financial hardships. Our mention of FullTilt is within an easy method honorary yet necessary. FullTilt would have been a solid number 2 in traffic before they lost their gambling license.

Software

Their software client is most beneficial in the commercial. Striking an account balance between feature rich yet playable and uncluttered User experience. Site and client design inspired a great many other online multiplayer poker rooms, including others among out Top 3. Over the years FullTilt invented a number of innovations, such as aptly named Rush Poker. That is a system that immediately transfers you to definitely another table when you're from a hand minimizing your quiet time and allowing you to experience a great deal more hands each hour. Regardless of what you may think of actual Rush Poker experience, that's very creative move. They offer the widest choice of poker including such rare games as HORSE, usually played mostly by professionals.

Best Feature

Marketing angle chosen by FullTilt ended up being assemble the very best team of sponsored professional players, then convert their personal celebrity in to a powerful marketing weapon promoting the website. In fact, FullTilt is partially belonging to some with the biggest names in poker today. Among all the other promo tricks they included possiblity to find and use those professionals continue to exist the website. Due to their good software and smart promotions FullTilt attracted many good online multiplayer poker players. Thus level of competition on FullTilt is probably the highest among our Top 3. The choice will be your, now go a play some poker.