Guide to the Best Real Money Poker Sites Online

With so many online poker sites to choose from, how do you know where to play? I’ve played online poker for around 10 years and have seen it all. This guide will outline in my opinion the best real money poker sites based on factors such as integrity, traffic, software, and rewards.

If there is any question regarding a poker room’s withdrawal policy or safety, they have not been considered for this article and I have been especially strict (omitting some US facing rooms for example and some smaller / new sites, that might otherwise make the list). It does not matter how great a poker site is if you cannot withdraw your money.

William Hill

UK based gaming giant William Hill was a relatively easy pick for this list. Ticking all the key boxes, William Hill offers players genuine safety and reliability.

As a member of the iPoker network, William Hill enjoys good traffic and if you play during European hours in the evenings there is also a great selection of MTTs available. The games are relatively soft, and although I could not claim William Hill has the weakest opposition of all online poker rooms, it is my opinion that it represents the best overall combination of factors that make a great online poker site.

Keep in mind that the iPoker network is home to poker rooms like PaddyPower, Betfair & many other sports books. In general the traffic are not poker experts, although of course professionals frequent the network.

Finally, William Hill is rewarding: Signing up today will get you an instant $20 free (no strings attached) straight after you deposit. This is on top of all the usual trimmings such as a deposit bonus, VIP scheme and a few more things. However, this $20 deserves a mention because in this day it is quite rare to get free money (not a bonus) without any over zealous terms attached to it. Maybe this says something about William Hill’s confidence in their product? They know you are going to stick around!

Betfair

Best known as the world’s largest betting exchange, Betfair recently completed a merger with PaddyPower to create hands down, the largest gambling company in the world worth over €5bn!

Like William Hill, Betfair is a member of the iPoker network, so there is nothing new to report here.

However, by signing up to Betfair today and depositing only €10, players receive a €40 goody bag. There are no strings attached, but this goody bag is not only cash (unfortunately). For example there is also a €5 casino token, but we’re not complaining, we’ll take it!

In conclusion; Betfair is safe, games are good, traffic is good, and they have a very good offer for new players. A deserved number two position.

Unibet

Unibet is a Scandinavian company founded in 1997 - almost 20 years ago!

Previously Unibet was a member of the MPN (Microgaming Poker Network), but in Feb 2014 released their very own software and this has proven to be a real success story.

Completely banning tracking software, HUDs and any other tools, Unibet is one of the most friendly places to play online poker, especially if you do not consider yourself a shark.

On top of all of these great things, Unibet offers new players from most countries free money, but it comes in the form of cash game tokens and you are slightly limited with what you can do with it. Anyway, we cannot complain.

Their standard rakeback rate is 40% via VIP and of course there is the usual deposit bonus and other promotions on top. Overall, when you compare this reward package to the likes of 888Poker for example, Unibet probably gives the average new player back 3 times as much!

Bet365

A privately owned UK betting company, Bet365 is also a member of the iPoker network like Betfair and William Hill mentioned above. But, there is an important twist.

Bet365 has exclusive tables that are only accessible to Bet365 players and not those who play at other rooms on the network.

In addition to this, new sign ups get €5 completely free - so give it a go without risking a penny.

PokerStars

Many will argue Pokerstars should have been top of this list and maybe they would be right. It trounces the competition in terms of traffic and most acknowledge their software to be the best in the business. However, it depends why you play online poker - Personally, I only need a certain level of traffic, whether there are 10,000 or 100,000 players online my room doesn’t make a different - I’m only human.

Anyway, the reason Pokerstars comes in at number five is because I consider the cash games there not as easy as any of the other poker sites in this guide.

However, Pokerstars is the undisputed MTT champion if you are look for big guarantees.

Recently bought by Amaya (traded on the Canadian stock exchange), Pokerstars is the world’s largest poker company, have a great record with regards to safety and even recently hired Cristiano Ronaldo to do some marketing! Talk about making poker cool.

That’s a wrap guys - Did I miss any rooms out? Are you upset that Pokerstars are number five? Leave a comment below.