# Online Poker Dopers: What is the best poker site? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 12, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005 "2008-04-12T04:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/1 "2008-04-12T04:44:28Z")
I’m most interested in which has the best engine/most intuitive architecture. A client of mine may want to add poker to a site we’re working on (not for real money) and we’re hoping we can just buy the technology and then just apply our design over it. So, who has the best ones out there? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/2 "2008-04-12T05:17:36Z")
I think this is best suited for The Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/3 "2008-04-12T05:25:16Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] I think this is best suited for The Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator [/QUOTE] Right you are. I forgot about this new forum. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/4 "2008-04-12T05:38:44Z")
PokerStars used to be the best, but they haven’t done much lately. Plus I doubt this is something that answers the OP. The SDMB Thursday night game is on the Microgaming network (specifically, most of us are on CrazyPoker), which works pretty well. I keep getting emails from Doyle’sRoom (also on Microgaming), claiming a new interface, so I may have to check that one out. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/5 "2008-04-12T13:43:53Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] The SDMB Thursday night game is on the Microgaming network (specifically, most of us are on CrazyPoker), which works pretty well. [/QUOTE] Is the site Mac-compatible yet? ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/6 "2008-04-12T15:51:34Z")
I have always liked the interface at Full Tilt Poker. I like the icons they use for the players and I like the way they display past hand info. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/7 "2008-04-12T22:57:04Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Is the site Mac-compatible yet? [/QUOTE] I thought it used to have a Flash player, but it looks like it is gone. Check some other sites on the Microgaming network. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/8 "2008-04-12T23:27:35Z")
[Poker.com](http://Poker.com) has a quite slick interface. I always hated the microgaming network sites, but Absolute Poker must have been named for the fact that it looks like Absolute Shit. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/9 "2008-04-13T03:42:50Z")
Quick question: Is online poker for real money still illegal in the US? Follow-up question: When it WAS still legal, how come ALL of the sites had weird methods of online payment? None of them directly took credit cards, or even well-known online payment sites like Paypal, they all had weird payment methods that made me think I was getting swindled or something. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/10 "2008-04-13T05:10:56Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Quick question: Is online poker for real money still illegal in the US? Follow-up question: When it WAS still legal, how come ALL of the sites had weird methods of online payment? None of them directly took credit cards, or even well-known online payment sites like Paypal, they all had weird payment methods that made me think I was getting swindled or something. [/QUOTE] It is only illegal in 8 (or is it 11?) states. What is now taboo is getting a US financial institution to transfer money to or from a poker site. Our Thursday night game survives only because players win money from other nonDoper players. AFAIK none of us knows how to get new money onto the site. If you can find a poker site that has cash-prize freerolls, and are prepared to invest a **huge** amount of time playing them, that is one way to fund an account. Be prepared to play a lot of hyper-aggressive Lithuanians. I think most Visa/Mastercard institutions were always leery of gambling sites, thus the alternative means. I have had success since the UIGEA using a prepaid card bought at a Mobil station to get money into an offshore site. And, yeah, the fees charged by some of the methods amount to a swindle. A hair-raising tale: some guy went to the Caribbean and placed 2nd in a major tournament for $800K. Rather than taking cash or a check, he had his winnings deposited in his NeTeller account. This crap came down, and he couldn’t withdraw the money for something like 9 months. :eek: :mad: Knock yourself out [here](http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/forumdisplay.php?f=57). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/11 "2008-04-13T13:50:00Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] It is only illegal in 8 (or is it 11?) states. What is now taboo is getting a US financial institution to transfer money to or from a poker site. [/QUOTE] Full Tilt still takes direct payments from credit and debit cards. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/12 "2008-04-13T17:05:52Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] It is only illegal in 8 (or is it 11?) states. What is now taboo is getting a US financial institution to transfer money to or from a poker site. Our Thursday night game survives only because players win money from other nonDoper players. AFAIK none of us knows how to get new money onto the site. [/QUOTE] Do you know which states in which it is currently legal/illegal? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/13 "2008-04-13T19:49:06Z")
So…let’s say it’s legal in my state (I don’t know if it is…), it’s still federal law that a US financial institution can’t give my money to the poker sites though, right? So that’s why there are sketchy third party dealers? They’re off-shore companies that take my money from the bank, which is legal since they aren’t the poker site, then they send that to the poker site? Hence why there are fees and whatnot? ---
**Author:** ![buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8edcca/32.png) [@buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttons)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/14 "2008-04-13T21:17:59Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I’m most interested in which has the best engine/most intuitive architecture. A client of mine may want to add poker to a site we’re working on (not for real money) and we’re hoping we can just buy the technology and then just apply our design over it. So, who has the best ones out there? Thanks. [/QUOTE] After reading Pokerstar’s terms and conditions, I found out that every individual’s click influences the card that comes up next, which means that it’s not completely random. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/15 "2008-04-14T17:45:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Full Tilt still takes direct payments from credit and debit cards. Are you positive about this, **Otto**? I had to use ePassporte to make my initial deposit, and now that ePassporte is no longer making transfers to poker sites, regulars on the Two Plus Two message boards are bemoaning how there’s no good way to make deposits at Full Tilt and other sites. Seems like they would know if credit and debit depositing was a viable option. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/16 "2008-04-14T21:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Full Tilt still takes direct payments from credit and debit cards. [/QUOTE] I think it’s your CC or debit card company declining the payment that’s the problem. I know mine haven’t gone through…which has probably saved me a bit of money, I can’t win for shit online. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/17 "2008-04-14T23:34:28Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Do you know which states in which it is currently legal/illegal? [/QUOTE] [Here ya go](http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Law-Summary/): Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin. [This site](http://www.compatiblepoker.com/usa.php) adds a couple: VI. 11 States Strongly Affected by Poker / Casino Ban Many sites have issued an 11 state ban not allowing players only from the following states. Illinois - felony to play online poker for real money Indiana Louisiana - felony to play online poker for real money in the US Michigan Nevada New Jersey New York Oregon South Dakota Washington - felony to play online poker for real money in the US Wisconsin ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/18 "2008-04-15T13:26:07Z")
[QUOTE=buttons] After reading Pokerstar’s terms and conditions, I found out that every individual’s click influences the card that comes up next, which means that it’s not completely random. [/QUOTE] I fins this odd myself, but as I understand it, it is still random, it’s just that the cards are being constantly shuffled whilst the involved players are deciding to check, raise etc so the next card will be different if you spend 10 seconds thinking instead of 9. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/19 "2008-04-15T14:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] Illinois - felony to play online poker for real money [/QUOTE] No kidding? I didn’t know that. Granted I don’t play for real money, I just screw around for play money on PartyPoker, but still I had no idea that I’m that close to making a huge boo-boo. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005/20 "2008-04-15T15:45:36Z")
So ridiculous. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-dopers-what-is-the-best-poker-site/445005.md?page=2)