Casino Poker Rooms

(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

bwin poker is not only a part of the Ongame network - one of the largest poker networks in the world - it's actually the owner, as the originally Swedish-owned network was bought by bwin in 2005. The software is very good and comes as both a download and a no-download version, making bwin poker a good choice for players using a PC or a Mac. An added edge is that bwin poker and the Ongame network offer mobile gaming with both play and real money. Sign up through PokerListings and get an exclusive $500 bonus.

The most notable advantage at bwin poker is the three different versions of the software. The download version is for PC only and offers very nice, crisp 3D graphics and excellent game play. The software is both fast and stable and offers a very nice playing experience, although it is a bit resource intensive for multi-tabling. For Mac users or people with slower processors, the no-download or mobile platforms are great alternatives, offering a streamlined version of play that compromises little in quality. The Ongame network is also one of the largest in the business and offers very good volume in both cash and tournament play. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 9,000 ring-game players and 45,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

CD Poker is one of the most popular rooms on the iPoker network, offering relatively loose and easy-to-beat games with highly playable software. CD Poker also offers one of the best bonus and loyalty packages in the industry, giving players every chance to build their bankroll. The game variety is good and the software offers good graphics and playability. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get a $600 bonus at 200% match PLUS an extra $20 bonus with first deposit over $20.

The CD Poker software offers good functionality and is very stable. The graphics are good, and overall the software offers premium playability. The games are generally quite loose, with plenty of opportunity for skilled players to earn money. The site's time clock requires players to act quite quickly, which helps improve the overall game pace. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 10,000 ring-game players, and 55,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

Hollywood Poker is part of the Ongame network, one of the largest poker networks in the world. The player base is widespread but mainly European, and because the network is so big, it offers up a fairly good balance of both soft and tough games. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $500 bonus at 1,000% deposit match.

Both Hollywood Poker and the Ongame network are growing quickly, and offer plenty of guaranteed tournaments and satellites. Hollywood Poker itself is endorsed by many big name celebrities - most prominently acting icon James Woods, who can be found at the tables frequently. There are lots of special promotions as well, including regular money-added tournaments, Top Set and Quad Aces payouts and Celebrity Invitational tournaments. The weekly Celebrity Classic is always a favorite, paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

The Hollywood Poker software comes in both a download and no-download version, and the download version offers great 3D-graphics, featuring nice looking avatars and many pleasing functions. The software is stable, clean and in line with the better software on the market. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 9,000 ring-game players and 45,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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PokerStars is the largest poker site in the world. It offers a particularly good variety of games, including many super high-limit events and some of the rarer mixed games. The room sponsors many of the world’s most famous poker players, including Canadian prodigy Daniel Negreanu and WSOP Main Event winners Chris Moneymaker, Joseph Hachem and Greg Raymer. The site is home to players of all skill levels from many countries around the world, and thus boasts a massive and diverse player pool. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $100 bonus at 200% deposit match.

With a nice look and quality feel, the PokerStars software is among the best in the world. It offers players innovative functions, lightning-fast game play and great multi-table options. It's also fully customizable and very stable. Players can upload their own images for use as avatars and can change the table size of all the poker games. There are three styles of card graphics to choose from, and 11 themes for the overall appearance. Tables can also be cascaded and tiled, and all visual and audio options can be turned on and off.

Overall, PokerStars boasts top-notch software with a great look and feel. Even as the world’s largest poker site, it's still growing quickly and it offers the best volume of guaranteed tournaments and live poker event qualifiers in the world. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 22,500 ring-game players and 155,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

Party Poker is one of the leading online poker rooms in the world, sporting massive player volume in both cash games and tournaments. Party Poker has been able to maintain loose and juicy games over time due to a constant influx of beginners and gamblers looking for action. Party Poker offers great promotions and very reliable software, making it a very good all-around poker room. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get a $500 sign-up bonus at 100% deposit match.

Party Poker became the world's largest site in ring-game traffic in late 2002 and early 2003 after its legendary launch campaign. It has since dropped down in traffic due to American online gaming restrictions, but it still maintains a very solid player base. With its phenomenal growth, Party Poker has added servers and increased bandwidth to secure full reliability for over 100,000 simultaneous players. The software is highly functional, fast and very reliable. In terms of big events, it hosts the flagship "Party Poker Million" annually, and offers many guaranteed tournaments and satellites. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 9,500 ring-game players, and 60,000 tournament players during peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

Betfair Poker runs on its own network which it shares with a sister poker site. The excellent software is stable and, since the latest updates, offers many great features and improved graphics. The time clock is short, which makes the games fast. As the site now offers play at up to 15 simultaneous tables, the room is a great choice for multi-tabling. The game variation is fair and features a lineup of most of the standard games on today's poker sites. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $1,500 bonus at 100% deposit match.

The Betfair Poker software offers great functionality and speedy play and, since its first launch, has been updated 11 times. One of the Web's fastest growing poker rooms, the games are quite loose due to a large portion of the players being sportsbook customers. Overall, Betfair Poker boasts solid software and also features a very nice demo of the new technology's functionality on its Web site. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 1,200 ring-game players and 4,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

Founded in 2004, Mansion Poker was one of few really serious stand-alone poker operators launched in recent years, and it did well to attract a lot of players with massive promotions and highly customizable software. Looking to expand their game variety and player volume, however, Mansion has switched over to the iPoker network, dramatically increasing their traffic volume and overall offerings. The unique high-value guaranteed tournaments they are known for, including weekly $150,000 and $110,000 events, continue though, providing excellent per-player value. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $600 bonus at 200% deposit match.

The iPoker network software is known for first-class graphics, speed and design and offers a great poker experience for low-stakes Hold’em players who want loose and juicy action. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 10,000 ring-game players and 55,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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PlayersOnly Poker is one of the newest additions to the poker world, opening for play in late 2006. The site is backed by Sportsbook.com and resides on the Cake Poker Network, meaning they only accept U.S. players and, more importantly, U.S. credit card deposits. PlayersOnly Poker offers good game variety, good graphics and playability and is growing quickly, although most of the action is still found at the lower limits. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $1,000 bonus at 125% deposit match.

The PlayersOnly Poker software offers great playability with clean and appealing graphics, although tables can be a little cluttered with information. The software runs quickly and reliably and updates take a minimal amount of time. Even though the higher-stakes games and tournaments still leave something to be desired, the games are super loose and quite a lucrative opportunity for a poker player with skill and experience. Aside from the nice sign-up bonus, players also get a good loyalty program, WSOP giveaways and some quality freerolls. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 1,700 ring-game players and 6,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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(Note: this poker room does not allow U.S. players).

Online since 2004, ChiliPoker is a growing room in the iPoker network, offering access to all of the network's high-value promotions, satellites and freerolls - including the $4.15 million European Championship of Online Poker. Games are relatively loose, and network traffic is in the top five of the industry. The rake at ChiliPoker is also slightly better than average. The ChiliPoker pro team is headed by Liz Lieu. Sign up through a PokerListings link and get an exclusive $600 sign-up bonus at 200% match.

ChiliPoker and iPoker have quickly built a strong network with strategic backing from the world's second largest casino-software provider, Playtech. The games at ChiliPoker run smoothly, thanks to good software, although the game pace can be a little slow. Most of the traffic volume is still in the No-Limit Texas Hold'em games, where the viewed-flop percentage is normally in the 30s or 40s, making for profitable play for skilled players. Real-money player statistics as of November 2008 show 10,000 ring-game players and 55,000 tournament players at peak hours.

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