Top 3 Online Multiplayer Poker Sites For 2011

There is a bewildering amount of choices with regards to internet poker. I hope this short article helps a beginner poker fan to secure a smooth start in the joy of online multiplayer poker. Each of our Top 3, and also a leader, offers something unique. I will ensure that you point those unique features through the article. As in any young industry situation is quite fluid and relative standings change often. That is why I specifically review poker rooms as they are next year. Next year I must revisit increase my conclusions.

What It Takes to Get On The List

What criteria should we use to decide on our Top 3? Here are factors that largely separate leaders from the rest of the field:

Game Selection: Availability of cash poker games at the same time free multiplayer poker games. Free games are critical for training and achieving confident with the application. Texas Holdem is king of poker. However other, less popular poker games, like Omaha, Razz may add appeal and variety to your 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 on-line poker game. You might not it's similar to much at first but no download poker client really shines if you are on a break, accessing site from the mobile device or else are "on the move".


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


Social features: Capability to chat we other players and invite others to try out a unique game or table. Remember that people that play poker online are often inside just for fun up to for thrill of winning money. If you play a great deal, you will definately get to know people and also have the friends.


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


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


Traffic: Sufficient player numbers. We are talking about players who're currently logged into the site. High traffic sites are excellent should you like to sample different games or perhaps become bored easily. On the other hand, in the event you prefer playing poker online sticking with the same people when you played yesterday, then traffic just is not important. Note that high traffic sites are usually those with large promotional budgets. To recoup marketing expense their rake structure can be less favorable.

PokerStars

Run by the European company, Rational Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., this is certainly the biggest poker site today. It has grown enormously over the past a few years and pulls the maximum amount of traffic as 3 of its largest competitors combined. Due to a great deal of players hanging around the site, game and table selection have become good.

I haven't any first hand exposure to 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 boost online multiplayer poker game experience. In its last software update they clearly modeled themselves after FullTilt poker client. Their lobby gives a streamlined navigation, helping to find desired games in just 2-3 clicks. They also significantly reduced screen clutter. Current version of software programs are stable and runs smoothly. Unfortunately they do not give a no download poker client. PokerStars houses the largest pool of players seated in free multiplayer poker tables at any hour with 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 penetrate by giving the crooks to "qualify" for WSOP and also other high-profile live poker events. Being one from the most sophisticated promoters, PokerStar turned even free online multiplayer poker tournaments (called freerolls) into marketing gold.

PartyPoker

One with the oldest online poker sites on the Internet. Behind PartyPoker site is Party Gaming, a world's largest gambling online company publicly owned on London stock exchange. It used to be the greatest online poker site before 2006. However because of not enough focus and anti-gambling regulatory actions in US it's got fallen behind few of its more nimble competitors. Party Gaming operates a network of gambling websites and aggressively cross promotes them. Its flagship online multiplayer poker site draws traffic looking at the other properties, which are mostly Europe based.

Software

Software client is playable, though not to how much other sites within this review. A word about PartyPoker's color theme. There was previously a period when every casino or gambling related site on the Net had to be green. Since then most sites shifted to build up their own color palettes. PartyPoker is one with the holdovers still presenting you with a sea of green on its site as well as on its software client. Every year they revamp site's main page to reduce the green but today this is a major color.

They recently announced full support for Mac and indeed their Mac poker client is fairly good. The graphics can be a bit cartoonish to my taste but which simply stylistic preference. They have a browser based, no download poker client too. Ironically first thing the thing is after launching that no download poker client can be a download progress bar.

There are plenty of free multiplayer poker games, including Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem and Omaha. Cash games and tournaments are also within sufficient numbers.

Best feature

A defining feature of PartyPoker is its soft and loose poker games. I mean softer plus much more loose than almost every other sites. This is probably due to constant influx of gamblers from their other properties. As always, its keep is fish there are sharks as well. Still the web page is beginner friendly, providing good poker educational material both written and video.

FullTiltPoker

2011 is incredibly likely the last year when FullTiltPoker can be considered an important force in on-line poker qiuqiu. Pocket Kings, the business behind the website, has come upon serious legal and financial hardships. Our mention of FullTilt is at a way honorary yet necessary. FullTilt would have been a solid 2 in traffic before they lost their gambling license.

Software

Their software client is most beneficial in the business. Striking a balance between feature rich yet playable and uncluttered User experience. Site and client design inspired a great many other online multiplayer the poker room, including others among out Top 3. Over the years FullTilt created many innovations, like aptly named Rush Poker. That is a system that immediately transfers you to definitely another table when you are beyond a hand minimizing your recovery time and allowing you to learn a good deal more hands by the hour. Regardless of what it might seem of actual Rush Poker experience, that has been 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 would have been to assemble the most effective team of sponsored professional players, then convert their personal celebrity in a powerful marketing weapon promoting the website. In fact, FullTilt is partially owned by some from the biggest names in poker today. Among all the promo tricks they included possible ways to find and enjoy those professionals go on the site. Due to their good software and smart promotions FullTilt attracted many good online multiplayer poker players. Thus level of competition on FullTilt is just about the highest among our Top 3. The choice can be your, now go a play some poker.