5 Qualities to Look for in an Online Poker Site

Not every online poker site is created equal. There are good poker sites and there are poker sites that make me sick to my stomach. Finding the perfect poker site to play on is a tricky task. When I first started playing poker online, I went to Google searching for advice on which sites are the best. I checked out a handful of “review sites”. They all seemed to recommend different poker sites. So I really didn’t know what site to use.

What I did was try out a few sites over the next few years. I learned which sites are good and which sites are bad. I’m not going to share with you a specific list of the top poker sites. Instead, I will give you 5 qualities I’ve learned every poker player should look for in an online poker site:

A trustworthy reputation

Be sure to take every review of online poker sites with a grain of salt. Many reviews are actually written by website owners, who earn commissions when their readers sign-up for those sites. So, obviously they’re going to write positive reviews. As an Internet marketer myself, I know all about writing reviews in order to make a sale. So while reviews may sometimes be helpful in making your decision, they should definitely not be the only factor you weigh when choosing which poker site to play on. Read through the different poker forums online and see what actual players are saying. If the consensus is that a site is untrustworthy, stay away from it.

FOR U.S. PLAYERS: If you are eligible to play on the site

Oh, sure, for about $70 you can spoof your IP address and open a Swiss bank account. Then you can play on any online poker site. But if you live in the United States, it’s best to just play on sites that allow American players. If you’re located in Nevada or Delaware, you’re good to go and there are plenty of legal sites to play on in New Jersey as well. Believe me, as an American poker player, I know there are some quality poker sites for us. Spoofing your IP and getting a foreign bank account just so you can play on PokerStars or somewhere else seems kind of silly – and has the potential to get you into trouble ­– if you ask me.

They offer enough game variety and liquidity for you

They say too much of a good thing is bad. I disagree. I like multi-tabling and I want to play on poker sites that have a plethora of games that I play. I don’t want to wait to hop in a game. I’m impatient. If I have to wait to play 2-3 games at a time, I start getting antsy. My hand starts twitching. Too much is never enough for me.

Easy deposit and withdraw methods

For U.S. players, making a deposit with your bank card might not work. Since the U.S. government is incredibly lame and forces banks to block online gambling transactions, you will likely have to try something else. But don’t worry – there are plenty of other easy deposit methods to use. So, find the poker sites that make it easy for you – regardless of where you live – to deposit. Ditto for withdrawals.

Donkeys, donkeys, donkeys… and fish

Not a day goes by where I’m not craving a large helping of fish. Every online poker site is flooded with fish and donkeys that are begging you to take their money. But some sites tend to have more mediocre poker players than others. Those sites are usually the larger sites. The big poker sites have more top quality players, but they also have more donkeys.

Anything else?

Beyond the 5 main qualities I listed above, there are certainly some other things worth looking for when trying to choose an online poker site. Got suggestions? Go ahead and comment below or on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Facebook page.