For millions of people in the United States, poker is considered a favorite pastime. As one of the most popular games on the planet, gaming operators from all corners of the globe have launched their own online poker platforms, offering players several different versions of the game from a myriad of software providers.
While online poker rooms have been all the buzz as of late, the market is yet to be saturated, meaning there’s still plenty of room for even more operators to venture into the very lucrative online poker market.
Naturally, to move forward with such an initiative, the gaming operators will eventually need to partner with various software platforms. This decision is vital to the success of the online poker business especially in this day and age where consumers and regulators are more conscious about who has access to their online information and funds.
What Do Players Want?
This question basically sums up what an operator needs to look out for when choosing a software platform. After all, it is the players themselves that will be the end users of the poker sites. Since we are dealing with players in the United States in this case, the points that we are going to list are primarily specific to that particular gaming market even though a number of them may be applicable elsewhere.
By answering the question about what players want, we are basically looking at the aspects of a poker site software platform that make the players prefer it over all the rest. Some of the top considerations include:
Fairness – This, of course, has to be a key consideration. All poker software platforms should be fair to the players not just in the United States, but everywhere that the platform is used. In many cases, this often goes hand in hand with safety and security, that is, a provable fair software platform will be regulated and licensed which means that it will also have passed the test for safety and security.
Customizability – The best poker site software platform should be customizable enough to allow the players to enjoy advanced levels of control when it comes to tailoring the experience to suit their personal tastes and desires. When we’re talking about millions of players, a good level of customization will certainly allow a site to stand out from the competitions.
Robust selection of payment options – The United States has some very stringent policies when it comes to the handling of payments by online gambling sites. In most states, it is impossible to use certain payment methods. As such, it is very important that the software platform is able to handle payment using a wide range of services to make it easier for players to choose.
The Top 5
As mentioned earlier, there are a plethora of online poker providers relying on a large number of software platforms. However, just a handful of the these can be considered the best in class for US players.
1. BetOnline
BetOnline has been in the casino business for over a decade under various names. The platform also survived very well in the rather hostile United States online gaming environment thanks to its independent platform and consciously aggressive marketing techniques. This makes it one of the most authentic brands for US poker players as it not only promises all the best features but also stands out from all the rest.
More information on the features of this amazing platform can be found on the BetOnline review here.
2. iPoker
First introduced in 1999, iPoker has had time to evolve into the enormous network of poker rooms that it currently boasts of. Right from the day it debuted, iPoker has continued to improve while testing the limits for what is possible in the world of online gambling. This means that the US players will not only enjoy a simple and intuitive user interface but stable and almost faultless performance. It is, therefore, safe to say that the platform checks all the right boxes and deserves its spot among the leading poker site software platforms tailored for the US audience.
3. IGSoft
Known to be an innovative and very competitive software company, this software platform’s name is analogous with the creation of world-class gaming software products. That said, the company has been able to become a force to be reckoned with in the industry thanks to its emphasis on adaptive and powerful multiplayer online gaming platforms which makes it a great choice for online casino gamers in the United States, especially those that enjoy the thrill of multiplayer poker tables.
4. Merge Gaming
Merge Gaming is best known for being the platform that quickly became the largest in the United States after Black Friday. The Merge Network is very versatile and happens to feature a decent number of customization options that make it a favorite among US players. It is a fairly basic service but this is perhaps what makes it stand out – in an age where complexity in design is becoming a trend, a decent number of players always prefer to have access to simple or vintage-style gaming platforms. That is exactly what Merge Gaming offers.
5. Microgaming Poker
Microgaming is a top player in the online gaming industry and this can even be seen from its outstanding online poker clients. The platform is known for its superb graphics which are optimized to work flawlessly across a wide range of devices including tablets and smartphones. Furthermore, being linked to the Microgaming Poker Network means that the software platform offers US players access to massive multiplayer options and huge jackpots. What more could you ask for?