Poker Stars

The second biggest poker site after Party Poker, and the site that most regular on-line poker players end up calling home. The reason is simple : PokerStarshas the best software of any poker room, and this is backed by the best support. PokerStars really do seem to care about their players. Enquiries are dealt with quickly and by people who really do know what they are talking about. Payments are made quickly and without fuss. In addition to this, the best multi-player tournaments on the web are hosted by PokerStars. Two former World Series Of Poker winners - Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer - have made it to the finals via low-money buy-in tournaments on PokerStars. At the 2005 World Series, the 106 players who won their seats by playing qualifiers at PokerStars returned with over $7 million in prize money between them. There are also tons of single-table tournaments available at all times of the day and night, and at levels to suit all budgets. The only downside for those who are just starting out playing on-line poker is that PokerStars does not offer any kind of deposit bonus. This means that if you want to play for real money rather than play money, you risk losing your hard-earned cash without the buffer that a deposit bonus offers. Because so many regular players choose PokerStars as their main site, the standard of play is higher at all levels than it is at other poker rooms.

So if you are looking to build up a bankroll while you are learning the game, you are probably better off at a site that offers a high deposit bonus, such as Ultimate Bet. If you are looking for a site full of weak players and don't much mind what the software is like, then Pacific Poker is a good choice. If you want the best compromise between weak players, a good deposit bonus and decent software, then Party Poker is worth a look. But if what you want is the best overall poker room then look no further than PokerStars. The lobby area makes finding a table that suits you easy, and the software has lots of extra features such as the ability to load any picture you like up to function as your "avatar" (the picture others see when you sit in your seat). There's a frequent player points scheme and regular freerolls and money-added tournaments to help make up for the lack of a deposit bonus. PokerStars has been around since 2000, and no other site has been praised more highly for its level of performance over such a long period of time. It is, quite simply, where all serious players go to play.

UPDATE - UK and European players can now deposit and withdraw funds via debit cards - which means no charges and no waits!