When choosing from the many poker websites, there are countless things to consider: is the site available in your country? What kind of bonus do they offer? How easy is it to get money into and out of your account? What kind of rewards program do they have? How do all these different features balance out? Perhaps most importantly, are they safe and reliable (because we all know that sometimes the easiest poker websites are not the best ones for us)?
Not all poker websites are created alike. Many do not cater to certain countries, such as the United States or Italy, due to restrictions from the government. Make sure when you select a site to pick one that caters to your country. Some of the best sites for European plays include PartyPoker, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker, while some of the easiest poker websites for Americans are Lock Poker and Carbon Poker.
Different poker websites offer different incentives to join. Lock Poker offers one of the best sign-up bonuses, a 150% match on up to $600 of your initial deposit, but all poker sites have one. A 100% match is standard, but when looking, be sure to calculate the amount they’ll match and multiply that by the percentage to determine how much free money they’re offering you so that you can be sure to get the best deal.
Getting money into and out of your account can be cumbersome on many poker websites. A lot of sites are really great about taking your money but have a bit of a delay (on average, a little less than a week) before you can cash out. Fortunately, most of the well-established sites are very straight forward about how to withdraw your funds; unlike the Venetian in Las Vegas, there are no optical illusions to keep you trapped in the site forever (or until you run out of money). Lock Poker is known for having the highest credit card approval rate, and their transactions tend to go smoothly, but all of the major sites have found ways to transfer money in and out, even to customers in the US, who experience stringent banking legislation.
When selecting a site, try to do a little research on your own to see how long the company has been in business, if they are related to a larger site that has been around a long time (Lucky Ace Poker is owned by 888 Poker, a giant in the world of poker websites, for example), and what players have to say about the sites. Some sites (such as Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker) have had incidents of cheating or freezing players’ accounts, so it’s important to look into companies before you do business with them.
Overall, the easiest poker websites are the ones that you’re truly happy with, the ones that give you what you’re looking for, whether it be a great bonus or rewards program, heightened security, great customer service, or just the right people with whom to play.