Choosing the right online poker casino is a serious business as the market place has become increasingly crowded in the last few years. Each site will offer a different experience and a different set of incentives, so you need to make some key decisions before you set foot online:

Free Tables vs Playing For Money

The biggest decision you’ll need to make when looking for the right online poker casino is whether you want to play for money or just for a bit of fun. Most sites offer both options, but typically the free games on these sites have restricted features to encourage you to spend money. If you don’t want to play for cash at all, look for dedicated free sites. Otherwise, make sure the website’s limits are in line with what you’re willing to spend on gambling.

One-Off vs Tournament Play

In the world of online poker, you have two main options; a series of one off games where the winner takes all, or tournament play where you can stand up from any table with your cash in hand and enter another round. If you prefer to play more cautiously at the table, tournament play is probably best for you as you can get out if you’re on a bad streak, but if you like playing for high stakes, then choose sites that offer the last man standing one off games.

Social vs Serious

Many people play poker just as a fun way to pass the time with friends, and doing this online makes it so that you can get this social experience at any time of day or night. Online casinos that are more focussed on the social side will have built chat features into each game round as well as their lobbies. However, players who are more interested in poker as a way of making money will choose to play at more serious sites where in game chatting is frowned upon and the avatars are more functional than cutesy.The best way to get an idea of whether an online poker casino is right for you is to watch a few games in progress. You’ll quickly get an idea of the feel of the site as well as the level of competition you’ll face if you sign up.