There are countless thousands of different online casinos that offer players a huge range of different poker games to choose from. And while we’ve never lived in an age of more choice, we also have the problem of trying to find the one that best suits out needs. The process is made even more difficult by the abundance of affiliate websites that may publish false or misleading information promoting a site we want to try.
For those players that are wanting to break into the world of online poker, there are a few factors to keep in mind before deciding on a casino to stick with permanently, and can often extend to other gaming genres, such as the best online pokies Australia, blackjack, or bingo.
Country and Platform Restrictions
There are many poker sites that are bound by certain restrictions that are either put in place by the country they’re operating in, or by rules and regulations set in place by the casino and the regulatory bodies that it follows. This can become a serious issue when it comes to countries like North America and a handful of European nations that have fairly strict rules on how a poker site is meant to operator. Some have even outlawed online poker completely, but some loopholes exist allowing players to enjoy the game if it’s offered from foreign territory, although this is very much situational, and sometimes a player will have to forgo playing altogether in order to avoid any legal ramifications.
Along with this, some countries will allow international play, but if the site refuses to pay out, there is not much that can be done legally.
Game Traffic
Another aspect to consider is the amount of traffic that a particular site receives, especially during peak play hours. Some sites can become so congested that anyone attempting to make use of them outside their home country will have difficulty loading the pages properly, which can extend further to gameplay, slowing it down. It’s relatively easy to figure out just how much traffic a site generates, and basing a decision off of that.
Tournaments
Tournaments are often the life and soul of an online site, but they can also become costly in terms of time and money. Massive tournaments that are hosted by the more popular sites can quickly strip a player’s bankroll, and are promoted on the fact that the prize pool is extremely large. And while this may seem tempting to most players, it’s worth bearing in mind that often these tournaments will also have professionals taking part, making it virtually impossible for the average player to have a chance at winning big. It’s far easier and less expensive to stick with average games or much smaller, local tournaments, or even playing for free.
The Fees Most sites will require that the player pays certain fees in order to take part, and while most of the time these fees are fairly low, they can become quite expensive, depending on the site. It’s important to take the fees into account when calculating expenses, along with the costs of stakes and tournament entrance tickets.