If you want to play poker online, one of the first things you have to do is to choose a poker room. One of the advantages of playing poker online is the number of poker rooms available to choose from. When you play poker in a real casino you are forced to choose from a small number of casinos located in your neighboring area, so you don't have too many options. Playing online gives you the possibility to choose any online poker room, so take advantage of this opportunity and find the poker room that best suits your desires. Here are some key aspects that should be considered when choosing a poker room:

It is very important to see if the poker room has enough players at the stakes you want to play at. There are poker rooms with a very large player base and poker rooms with fewer active tables. Most people prefer poker rooms with many players, so they can easily find opponents at any stake. However, there are some who prefer smaller poker rooms because they can track the opponents easier. Another thing that is important for some is the acceptance of US players.

The poker rooms with most players are: Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Ongame Poker Rooms (Poker Room, Euro Poker, Betsson Poker, Bwin Poker, Prime Poker), Playtech Poker Rooms (Carlos Poker, Expekt Poker, Bet365 Poker, Fair Poker, Noble Poker, Windows Poker)

A good poker rooms with fewer players: Collegiate Series of Poker

Good poker rooms still accepting US players: Full Tilt Poker, Collegiate Series of Poker, Microgaming Poker Rooms (Canbet Poker, Captain Cook’s Poker, Doyle’s Room, Unibet Poker, Poker Rewards, Golden Tiger Poker, Virtual City Poker), Cake Poker, Carbon Poker, Iron Duke Poker

When joining a poker room it is recommended to see if it has many payment methods, especially those that you prefer to use. Most people prefer to deposit and withdraw directly with their credit card, but the fastest and most recommended way is by using an e-wallet. The best e-wallets for gambling purposes are Moneybookers and Neteller.

Bonus offers and special tournaments

All poker rooms have a bonus offer to attract new customers. Usually the bonus is a percent of the deposited amount varying from 15% to 100% and capped at a fixed value (from $100 to $1200 in most cases). Some poker rooms offer special bonuses of 200%, but these are not very common. When looking for a good bonus offer, you should look at more things than just the percent and the maximum value. Some bonuses are easier to clear while other are incredibly hard. You should choose a bonus that is suited for the stakes you play at. If you choose a very big bonus that is hard to clear you may find it impossible for you to meet the wagering requirements. Some bonuses are meant only for high stakes players.

For those looking for easy to clear bonuses we recommend PKR. Here you will find a list of bonus codes for PKR, so you can choose the one that best suits your play style: PKR Bonus Codes.

For those looking for a huge first deposit bonus we recommend Carbon Poker. It also offers many freeroll tournaments for new players.

All poker rooms organize special tournaments for their players, with huge prizes or WSOP packages. Some of the poker rooms that regularly give away huge prizes are: Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Carbon Poker, Cake Poker, Pacific Poker

Game software

There are two things players appreciate at a poker software. Some players like the poker clients with nice graphics, pleasant lobby and good aspect of the game. Other players are looking only for practical aspects like multi-table options, game statistics, the possibility of writing player notes, bet pot option or customized avatars.

For those who want a poker game that is entertaining and looks cool, there is one that stands from the crowd: PKR. Known as the 3D Poker Room, PKR is by far the best poker game in terms of graphics and entertainment. You can customize your character's look, use emotes at the table or make chip tricks. There are many cool features that any casual poker player would enjoy at PKR.

Those who want to play multi-table should look for an easy to use software that has all the options they need. Big poker rooms or poker networks usually have all this features, so this shouldn't be something difficult to find.