Top Online Poker Software Options
The exalted best poker software
label was once the domain of pricey CD-based packages like Turbo
Texas Hold'em or Poker Academy. While those simulation programs
still have a place for offline research or condensed tournaments,
free online poker software has improved in the past decade to offer
enough variety and stat tracking to serve almost any player.
Features that once seemed like exotic selling points such as
resizable windows, customizable avatars, and speed tables can now be
taken for granted as passé software standards.
While the next generation of poker
software competition brings intriguing possibilities such as Rush
Poker, 3D playing environments, and advanced stat tracking the best
poker software usually relies less on unique gimmicks and more on
functionality, speed, and customization.
Our overall goal with this site is to
provide players with enough information to make their own decisions
based on their own priorities. Below we'll rank what we feel are the
all-around best poker software packages based on numerous factors
such as average speed, graphical quality, tournament formats,
security, and overall cohesiveness from our dozens of hours of
personal experience with each poker room.
♠ Bookmark This Page ♠
More US poker information:
•
Why
Online Poker Isn't Illegal
•
US
Poker Reviews
•
Poker Rooms Accepting US Credit Cards
 
Advantages of Full Tilt Poker (full
review |
visit)
Our best poker software rating:
5/5
Customizable background, table shape, and individual emoting avatar.
Full Tilt Poker is the only room with Rush Poker for over 300 hands
per hour.
Software lobby filters to easily find desired game types.
Accepts US players and checking account deposits with 100% bonus.
Advantages of PokerStars (full
review |
visit)
Our best poker software score:
5/5
Customizable table graphics and personal player image.
PokerStars
offers speed tables with minimal delays between hands.
Detailed hand history, table stats, and filters to find desired
games.
Open to US players, eCheck deposits, and includes 100% bonus.
Advantages of Sportsbook Poker (full
review |
visit)
One of our best poker software ratings:
4.5/5
Features not found at other rooms like showing one card and
rabbit-hunting.
Sportsbook Poker software also supports emoticons, player
accolades, and all-in winning percentages.
Resizable tables, mini mode, tabbed tables, and customizable player
image.
Highest US credit card processing rate, 100% bonus, extra 10%
instant cash.
 Advantages of
888 Poker (full
review |
visit)
One of our overall best poker software score:
4.5/5
The only poker room offering glasses-based 3D effects at the tables.
Offers a Flash-based no-download option for any browser, including
Mac and Linux.
888 Poker
has seamless table graphics and multiple table styles..
No US players but offers an $8 no-deposit bonus and 100% deposit
bonus.
 Advantages of
PKR (full
review |
visit)
Our best possible poker software rating:
5/5
Highly-detailed 3D playing environments.
PKR is the only
room to feature fully customizable 3D player avatars.
Extremely immersive and unlike any other poker software online.
Does not support US players but offers 100% bonus.
Advantages of Bodog (full
review |
visit)
Earned one of our best poker software scores:
4.5/5
Table color customization and individual player image
Bodog has
a minimalistic graphic design, little bloat, and quick game speed.
Table-in-table view, detailed stats, and a spotlight on the active
player.
Accepts US players with 100% bonus and another 10% instantly.
Best Poker Software by Category
•
Speed: No poker room can compare to
Full Tilt Poker with its Rush Poker
offering. This ingenious new mode
eliminates the wait-time between
hands by immediately taking you to a
new table full of players ready to
go. Players can easily accomplish an
incredible 300+ hands per hour at
Full Tilt Poker. The runners-up for
best poker software speed would
probably be
Sportsbook Poker,
Bodog,
and
PokerStars, which all offer an
average of more than 70 hands per
hour.
•
Graphics: The obvious winner in the
best poker software graphics
category is
PKR, which doesn't
really have a competitor on the same
level.
PKR offers highly-rendered 3D
environments that are more akin to a
video game than the traditional
birds-eye view of every other online
poker room. At
PKR, players are even able to
customize their personal avatar's
bone structure and clothing. The
only drawback is that they don't
accept US players. For US players,
you can find the best poker software
graphics at
Sportsbook Poker,
PokerStars, or
Full Tilt Poker, all
of which offer clean looks and
customizable features.
• Unique Features:
For best poker software in terms of
unique features, it's tough to vote
against
Sportsbook Poker. The number
of poker software features it offers
that aren't available at any other
room is impressive. While some neat
features of
Sportsbook Poker such as animated emoticons
and player accolades like trophies
for tourney wins are purely
aesthetic, some of them affect
strategy such as the ability to only
show one card or to rabbit-hunt on
non-showdown hands. Other unique
features for
Sportsbook Poker, one of our best poker
software choices, include average
winning percentages displayed when
players are all-in and the ability
to tag other players with icons that
denote their playing style.
• Longevity: Two of
the most trusted of our best poker
software packages have also been
around the longest in
Full Tilt Poker
and
PokerStars. Both of these poker rooms
have built player trust and comfort
with years of reliable service and
excellent software design. The core software designs
for both rooms have
maintained the same "look" for years
yet under the hood they've continued
to keep up with industry advances.
Bodog may not be a household name
but they've also been around since
the early online poker days and
they've consistently earned some of
our best poker software scores.
If you enjoyed this, you might also like:
 ♥
Poker Rooms Accepting US Players
♥
Texas Hold'em Hand Strength
♥
Poker Rooms with Low Minimum Deposits
♥
No-Download Poker Rooms
|
