Despite initial software issues, 888 Pacific Poker was a room that experienced great success in the early days of online poker, especially among US players. However, 888 Pacific Poker was one of the rooms hit hardest by the UIGEA and has since had to improve not only their software, but everything else as well.

Many of the changes – including offering 8 different languages – have paid off for Pacific and have helped them to win over new players.

Absolute Poker is one of the big names in online poker: established in 2001, it has remained one of the largest poker rooms, and it weathered the UIGEA storm by still allowing US players to deposit and play.
Absolute Poker’s software is top-notch, with options for different OS. Represented by the beautiful Serinda Swan and the lethal Liv Boeree, and endorsed by poker celebrities such as Annie Duke and Mark Seif, Absolute Poker balances attractiveness with poker power for an exciting poker experience.

Bodog exploded onto the poker scene in 2004, bringing its combination of gaming knowledge (their sports book and casino have been in action for some time) and the affluent lifestyle of owner Calvin Ayre. They have sent players to many of the top international tournaments and 2006 World Series champion Jamie Gold once called Bodog his online home.

Cake Poker is part of the CakePoker Network which was established in 2004 when – according the site – a small group of poker players “set out on a mission to design a better poker site.”
Consequently, Cake Poker is one of the most aesthetically impressive gaming sites with well-sculpted 3D human avatars, an organized lobby and a generally muted color palette designed for the player who is looking to play in extended sessions without hurting their eyes.

The numbers speak for themselves: CD Poker is an outstanding poker room for both beginners and seasoned players. Part of the large iPoker network, CD Poker has plenty of loose games (thanks to fish swimming in from their casino), stable software and an eye-popping variety of Sit & Gos.
CD Poker does not accept US players, but it more than makes up for it with its software and they provide support in 16 languages.

There are few poker rooms that have a recognizable face to them and Doyle’s Room is one of those. None other than ten-time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time World Champion Doyle Brunson is the backbone of the site.

Everest Poker is up and coming in the world of online poker after signing on to replace Full Tilt as the primary endorser of the World Series of Poker for the next 3 years. It is rapidly gaining in players and looks to keep up with its forthcoming increase in exposure.

Celebrity-studded Full Tilt Poker was founded in 2004 and designed by some of the world’s top pros, including Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson. The former founded TiltWare, a software company that originally developed Full Tilt Poker’s proprietary software. With a roster of over 65 sponsored players and an excellent variety of games, Full Tilt Poker has gone from strength to strength and looks set to keep its place among the top poker rooms.

Hollywood Poker is a popular skin on the Ongame network, and it’s known as one of the top bonus destinations in online poker.

Established in 2004, Hollywood Poker is endorsed by WPT spokesman and cash game specialist Vince Van Patten as well as actor and famous poker player James Woods.

Ladbrokes is a household name among those familiar with the European gambling community. Powered by the company’s popular brand name, Ladbrokes Poker has become the largest room in Europe despite not allowing US residents to play at their site.

Party Poker is a monster among online poker sites. They are one of the biggest rooms with tremendous player action at any time of the day. They did suffer a costly hit to their player base when they decided to exclude US customers as a response to US legislation towards online gaming. Party Poker’s outstanding marketing efforts have resulted in a rebound of player traffic and they are once again on the rise.

PokerRoom is the top room of the popular OnGame Network, and it is known for being the 5th most popular room for ring games, with a special focus on 6-seater Hold’em tables. They unfortunately do not accept US players as per OnGame policy, but for all others it offers good software and a generally nice poker environment. PokerRoom is licensed in Gibraltar and also by the Kahnawake Commission.

PokerStars sets the standard for poker rooms across the internet: right now in the world of Online Gaming there is PokerStars and then there is everybody else. PokerStars alone represents between 20-40% of the total business in the entire online gaming industry.
It boasts a top notch security team, very strong player friendly software and is more than twice as popular as the most popular network online. Remember that PokerStars is more than twice as popular as the most popular network (iPoker) and PokerStars is not even part of a network itself! PokerStars is the best place to play poker online.

RedKings.com is a skin on the popular Ongame network, and not a particularly inventive skin at that: while it is a step up graphically over many of its fellow Ongame skins, it lacks any sense of communal warmth, opting instead for a slick advertisement-driven look. Of course, the network itself is very strong: high traffic rates, good game variety, downloadable in 16 different languages and with a live 24/7 customer service telephone line.

Sun Poker is not a room that uses huge promotions and fancy pro player endorsements to boost themselves towards the top of the industry. Instead, Sun Poker is a place that has risen to the top of the CryptoLogic Network by merely being solid and reliable in many areas that people look for when choosing a poker room.

Titan Poker is one of the most important poker rooms on the iPoker network, launched in 2005 with Playtech software. The network received a tough blow when US policies caused them to ban US customers, which affected their player traffic. However, Titan Poker has fought to gain its traffic back by creating promotions, tournaments and freerolls to attract new customers. Another bid for new customers is the multi-lingual interface: Titan Poker is available in English, Spanish, German, Italian, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Dutch and French.

One of the oldest poker rooms, Ultimate Bet has been around since 1999. Originally launched with help from Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth – who remain involved with the site’s operations – UltimateBet is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada and it is rated among the top 10 poker rooms in terms of player traffic. One of the largest, most popular sites, Ultimate Bet has survived a few major ups and down and it remains committed to offering a superior online poker experience to poker players in the US and the rest of the world.

Unibet Poker has been a good addition to the Microgaming Network; the room is backed by an extremely successful online casino/sportsbook and 23 different languages are offered here, which really gives the room an international flavor!

VC Poker (Victor Chandler Poker) is yet another sportsbook operation that decided to open a poker room. Since its inception into the online world, VC Poker has become one of most popular European rooms and is heavily skewed towards cash game players.