YAPT--Yet another poker thread (online)

[albionmoonlight]

After many arguments and misunderstandings with the cable company, it looks like we will finally be getting cable and high-speed internet in our new apartment early next week. (What I am afraid to admit, though, is how much I don't miss TV. We are still getting cable, but it occurs to me that it is really in the cable companies' interest to not keep people unhooked for too long. You may realize that you don't miss it too much).

Once we get the cable modem, I will be signing up with one of the online sites to play poker. This thread would be really helpful to me if people could summarize the pros and cons of the various sites. Any information about sign up bonuses would be nice, too.

FWIW, I will be playing with real money, but this thread may be most helpful to the largest number of people if people discuss all aspects of the sites.

Thanks. And sorry that I am too lazy to search for this info which may or may not be in all of the other scattered poker threads.

[Radii]

go to pokerpulse.com, look at the sites that have the most traffic. I would recommend against putting real money on a site with limited traffic. They're not as safe and it can be frustrating when you have limited games to choose from.

The big 4 are PartyPoker.com, PokerStars.com, paradisepoker.com, and ultimatebet.com.

I have never played on the last two. PartyPoker is the main site I play on. There is a huge abundance of games, you will never have trouble finding a hold 'em game that suits you. The cons are that their server is reaching its limits and they do occasionally have server issues. Another con is their tournaments, both multi-table and sit-and-go single table. They start you off with less chips than other sites and it gives you less room to maneuver and wait for a good hand. The biggest pro is that its simply the biggest site, the best marketed site, and thus has the most fish. Many people seem to find it very easy to win at PartyPoker because of this.

PokerStars has the nicest, cleanest, smoothest interface of any that I have seen. They have bigger games than PartyPoker (Party maxes out at $100 buy-in No Limit ring games, PokerStars consistantly has games as high as $400 buy-in NL games) if you're a bigger stakes player. The stats that they track for you are better and more signifigant. Their staff is more involved with the players. Their tournaments are better, more starting chips, more room to maneuver. They also offer heads up winner take all matches, which partypoker does not. From what I have read and understand, the play is a little better overall at pokerstars.


I have an affiliate bonus code on partypoker of RADII. It gives you 20% bonus on your first deposit and gives me $65 (at least its supposed to, we'll find out at the end of the month if that is working right). But don't feel any pressure to use it, i don't want to advertise or anything, I got it b/c a few IRL friends and I were trying to figure out how to maximize our bonuses and that seemed to be it.

Other bonuses on party include a free entry into a partypoker million satellite (value: $25). I think there is one other flat-rate bonus that is pretty standard.

I'm not sure about pokerstars. The bonus I took advantage of there was a limited time offer that ended last Sunday. But 20% up to $100 bonus seems standard(requiring a $500 deposit).


I don't know which site I'll play on long term. I really enjoy them both. Hope that helps some!