So, you have decided that you want to play online poker, and your hunt for the perfect site has begun. But alas, there are literally hundreds of poker sites on the Internet. How do you discriminate between all of these available sites, to find that desired site? There are several key criteria that you should be aware of, in your quest to find online poker site that is perfect for you. Understanding these criteria, and being able to use them as a basis for comparison, will significantly simplify your selection process
Free Poker - If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation, and not for money, ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates "free" players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.
Game Features - You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history, multiple simultaneous playing windows, player notes, audible and visual indicators, player statistics, connection status indicator, player chat, turbo games, and screen options should always be considered.
Game Variety - Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety, it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem, but depending on your level of interest, you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker (and all of its variations), Blackjack (not poker, but often included as a game option), Stud (and its variations), Draw poker, Tournament support, and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites, and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.
Bonuses - Most, but not all, of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player, when you initially sign up with the site. Each site's bonus is somewhat different, but of the one's that offer first time bonus, it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally, many sites offer reload bonuses, which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers, beyond their initial deposit bonus, and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.
