"Suitable competition" does not necessarily mean weak opponents per se. Aggressive fixed limit Hold'em players might be looking for passive-short handed games, just as a " tight number cruncher" could be looking for loose-aggressive pot-limit Omaha High-Low games. The style of play that wins the most money will vary between sites and also at different limits. Some of the toughest and tightest rooms overall (like Poker Stars and Paradise Poker) are actually often the most easy rooms to win in short-handed games, as some players do not adapt well and play way too tight!
Very strong players can prefer tight tables with semi-good opponents to be most effective in their style of play. That way they can create a dominant table image, pick up a lot of pots and make a lot of " moves" . This type of table would on the other hand be very unprofitable for the average beginner.
Software playability becomes important if you want to play at multiple tables and/or sites. Some rooms are more compatible than others, meaning that you can play at multiple sites at the same time without any bugs or annoying hang-ups. A few rooms do not allow you to play at multiple tables or have limits on how many tables you are allowed to play. Also, the statistics (table statistics, hand history etc) given out by the poker room and easy-to-use player notes can be deciding factors.
The software stability and security is important as you do not want to be involved in big pots and then experiencing connection problems, collusion or other cheating from opponents. Also, some poker networks have been notorious for keeping big winners bankrolls of up to $80,000 for alleged collusion or affiliation with other suspect players.
Here below is an " Advanced player's room short list" for your convenience. The focus has been to choose rooms which have both very soft games and good game volume (where a good bonus does not hurt).
Note that we have not included Poker Stars and Paradise Poker as they have much stronger average players and tight games. Their bonus and promotions are also below average.
To read in-depth reviews and ranking on 12 relevant criteria on all poker rooms, see poker room reviews.
End Of Key Criteria For Advanced Player
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