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Playing poker online is now a very popular form of entertainment. While players once had to visit a land-based casino venue to enjoy the game, poker has become an evolving industry in an ever-changing digital landscape and playing at home from your phone or computer has become easier than ever before.
If you are completely new to the game, you may not yet know exactly how to play poker or how to find the best poker platforms to play on. There is no simple answer to which poker site is best; there are a range of individual factors to consider when looking for new poker platforms to try.
From the security and appropriate licensing to the customer support and payment methods on offer, here is a comprehensive list of everything to look for in an online poker platform:
Licensing and security
One of the first things to check when logging on to a new poker platform is that it has the appropriate license. Many countries require gambling businesses to hold a license in order to operate there. Look at the footer of the website to see what licenses they hold.
An appropriately licensed poker site is being held to a legal standard and has a responsibility to look after its users and ensure games are safe and fair.
Furthermore, as the internet continues to grow and develop cybersecurity is becoming a bigger concern for both users and platform operators. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in their attacks and finding new ways of stealing data or carrying out other fraudulent activity.
Look to see what security measures are in place on the platform. If the website holds a valid SSL certificate this indicates that your sensitive data is encrypted to help prevent it falling into the wrong hands.
Other good security measures to look for include multi-factor authentication (MFA) for logging into your poker account.
Choice of games
If you’re happy with the site’s safety, the next thing you may want to look at is the choice of poker games available. Perhaps you always opt for Texas Hold’em but are open to trying other variants, such as Omaha Hi, Seven Card Stud, or Badugi.
Therefore, it is useful if the site has a good variety of options so you can enjoy them all in one place. Some platforms also offer live poker, where the game is live-streamed and played with a human dealer in real-time. If you are interested in playing this, it is worth looking for before signing up.
Also, if you like to participate in tournaments, be sure to check what tournaments are on offer and what the minimum and maximum betting requirements are.
Promotions and bonus offers.
As the online casino and poker industry is highly competitive, most platforms will offer both welcome bonuses to entice new players and incentive bonuses to reward player loyalty. A deposit bonus is a popular example, when the player makes a deposit the platform will add an additional deposit to that amount.
When making use of any promotion, ensure you understand the wagering requirements and any restrictions on which games are included or any time limits you should be aware of.
Recommendations
The best poker platforms are likely to be those recommended by many other poker players, not just the ones at the top of the search engine results or those with extensive social media advertising.
To see what others are saying about a platform, you can check on review and comparison sites and in poker player forums. You could also consider asking friends and family that you know enjoy poker if they have any favorite platforms to recommend.
Payment options
Financial transactions are an integral part of any poker platform’s functioning, and most offer a variety of ways to make deposits and withdrawals. While debit and credit cards are very popular payment methods, there are many others to consider.
Third party payment providers are often seen as a great way to pay due to their ease of use and extra security measures. Common options of these platforms include PayPal and Skrill, if you are already familiar with these then you will feel reassured using them on a new poker platform.
Another option is sometimes bank transfer, although this is generally not the fastest or most convenient method but might be favored if transferring large sums of cash. A small number of sites also accept cryptocurrency, which has its own pros and cons.
Customer support
Lastly, look at whether the platform has good customer support. This could include a live chat, support email or a phone number. A selection of contact methods could be an indicator that customer support is a priority.