There are poker site reviews on all online poker sites on the planet, not just in the US. So finding a poker site that is worth signing up to that is safe and secure can be a difficult task.
We’ve decided to make the process easier for you by listing of poker site reviews, ones that we recommend on this page. There is a heavy emphasis on poker sites that allow US players.
And below that list you can read our explanation on what we look for in a poker site and why it matters. We have poker site reviews for what we believe is the best online poker room for US players, here it is:
Top Real Money US Poker Sites
| Rank | Poker Site | USA | Bonus | Bonus Code | Play Now |
| #1 |  |  | $1000 | NEWBOL | Visit BetOnline Poker |
| #2 |  | | $500 | N/A | Visit Bovada Poker |
| #3 |  | | $2000 | N/A | Visit Ignition Poker |
What We Look For In US Poker Site Reviews?
Here the things that we look for when reviewing a poker site. They aren’t in any particular order.
Poker Deposit Bonuses
Bonuses come in all shapes and sizes. The most popular poker bonus is the deposit bonus, which is offered to new players who are signing up for the first time. These are usually match bonuses, which means the poker room will match so much of your deposit up to a maximum dollar amount. For example, a common match bonus would be 100% up to $600.
What you want to look for with deposit bonuses is not only the size of the deposit bonus, but how easy it is to “clear” it. Most poker sites will have some sort of play through requirement, where you’ll have to generate so many dollars in rake for every bonus $1 they give you. It’s possible to come across a room that is offering a smaller bonus, but is much easier and faster to clear than a site that might offer twice as much.
You also want to be aware of other games that are available to play, and whether or not they apply towards the completion of your bonus. Some poker sites have casinos attached to them, but if you try to play blackjack or craps, that money spent might not apply to your bonus, and it’s possible that it will void your bonus altogether. So that’s something you’ll want to check for first.
Poker Games
The games that a poker site has is huge. After all that’s why you’re there in the first place.
This is going to be a case-by-case basis, all depending on what games you like to play. What I personally look for is a site that offers at least 2 different games that I prefer to play. If they only have one, then I’ll more than likely keep them as a backup site (if possible).
VIP Programs
Depending on your goals a VIP program may or may not be important to you. If you’re going to play more than a couple hours a week then it is something that you’ll definitely want to look into. That’s because a VIP program can offset any variance that you might experience, not to mention add to your bottom line. Things that you might consider looking for in a VIP program include the ability to exchange points for cash and perks such as no withdrawal fees, trips or buy-ins to live poker events.
Poker Site Reputation
Reputation is huge too. If you’re planning on playing at a larger, more well-known poker site, then this is something that you don’t have to worry too much about. Most of the larger poker site such as PokerStars, Party Poker, 888 etc. are going to be as trustworthy, safe and secure as an online poker site gets.
However, if a poker site isn’t as well-known as one of those sites, then it’s going to be in your best interest to do some research. Check out some online forums such as Part Time Poker or 2+2, some affiliate forums or even talk to your peers to find out if the poker site you’re considering is a room worth (or safe to be) playing at. Because the last thing you want to happen is to sign up to her room that will steal your money as soon as your deposit.
Banking Options
Another thing to look into is what banking options you have and how quickly payouts are made. This is especially important if you are in the US.
So, the more options that you have available to you the better. Because if one option goes down, or if it’s too slow, then you can try another one. Again, if you’re in US this is especially helpful since banking options are more limited.
What I would worry most about is how quickly payments are made. Lately, setting up a bitcoin wallet and funding it has proven to be the best, quickest and cheapest option for making deposits and requesting winnings. Just comb through the threads in each the major poker forums and you should see how quick (or slow) each room is.
Traffic Levels
The amount of traffic that a poker site has is one of the most important factors to consider before signing up. No players = no games running. US players will have to deal with what they can get, though, at least for the most part.
However, for everyone else you’ll definitely want to find a room that has several thousand players at any given time. The best time is usually after work/dinner which is roughly between 2 pm and 8 pm in the USA.
The number of players I look for is around 10,000, although you’d be much better off with 15,000 or 20,000. The reason being is that even with 10,000 players, you might find that only a handful of games are running. The more players there are, the more variations of games that are running, and that includes the lesser popular games such as Omaha and stud.
Poker Software
There are couple of things to consider when looking into a poker site’s software.
The first thing to look into is the poker sites actual software. Things I like to look for are the lobby filter options, how easy it is to multi-table, how many tables you can play at once, what options there are for multi-colored decks and labeling opponents.
The other thing that I look for is whether or not the poker site allows players to use heads-up displays or hotkey software. For me this would be a deal breaker, however for you, it may not be. But you can usually find this out by contacting their support or checking out their terms and conditions.
Poker Site Reviews of Customer Support
The best rooms to play at will have support staff 24/7 by email, phone and live chat. Most emails are returned within 24 to 48 hours. That said, I prefer live chat since in most cases you can have your question answered in 10 or 15 minutes.
I would avoid poker sites that have super slow e-mail that take a week long to get back to you, as well as sites that have very rude or not so friendly staff.
That about wraps it up for what I consider to be the most important factors when choosing a poker site to play at. If you are a US player, the most important things to look at are reputation and banking, since either of these will be much harder to come by.
More Poker Site Reviews: