UK Players have a big choice of poker sites to play on, enjoying light regulation for offshore networks. This article looks at the different choices, ranging from household names through to smaller but cool networks to determine which is the best poker network for UK players. I will also highlight the risks of some networks – both from the operators themselves or from the armies of pro grinders who often infest the tables at some sites!
While the sites often pretend that their welcome bonuses are the key reason to join, it is the quality of the opposition in the games which you should consider more carefully. Sites with cross-over traffic from casinos and online bookies are that much more profitable, that you will make many times your bonus while you play. Conversely, sites like PokerStars, which are full of small stakes pros, are far less profitable on average. This is not to say that they can’t be beaten, it is just that the softer games give you a far bigger hourly rate.
With this in mind there are 2 key networks which are perfect for UK players. 888 Poker have a huge casino brand which feeds inexperienced players into their poker room. Titan Poker are part of the massive iPoker Network, and give you access to tables full of people crossing over from the online bookies like William Hill and PaddyPower. I have explained the pros and cons of each one below.
Best UK Poker Network – 888 Poker
The cross over from the casino does keep the games soft, though this is not the main reason I give 888 Poker my highest rating for UK poker fans. This is the combo of cool software and their promos and give-aways, which focus on the more recreational players.
While some poker networks only reward people who play 12 hours a day, the extras at 888 include the chance to win VIP sports tickets, gadgets (yeah, iPads, I know!) and entries into live tournaments like the UK based Shane Warne invitational.
UK Players can grab £5 free (well, $8, comes as 3 tournament tickets and some cash!) to check out the games with no obligation or card details needed. If you then like what you see you’ll still get a 100% matched welcome bonus on your first deposit up to £400.
You’ll love the games – the difference in skill level compared to some of the bigger sites is easily noticeable. Check out 888 Poker for yourself now.
Alternative Best UK Poker Network
I could not write an article for my fellow Brits without including the awesome iPoker Network, and in particular Titan Poker. iPoker are a group of brand names who pool together their poker players on a common software platform. These include household name brands like Betfair, William Hill and Paddy Power.
You need to be careful with iPoker, and make sure you get into the right ‘tier’ – called iPoker2.
What happened was that the big brand names got fed up with the little sites on the network stealing away their big volume players with promises of ‘exclusive VIP cashback deals’ and so make sure that the games they shared were separated from the small guys.
This top tier is much softer, with the players from the betting brands playing there… while the smaller tier is mostly just grinders playing against each other.
My pick is Titan Poker, the single biggest poker site on the iPoker network and the founder member of the top iPoker2 bunch. Titan have the super-soft games, but they also know how to look after poker players better than many of the more sports-focused brands. This includes a 200% matched welcome bonus, $20 in free cash from me (with bonus code PBCLUB) and access to the excellent Titan Treasures system and the extra cool Jackpot sit and goes – which rewards you for completing challenges.
I’ll get the $20 added to your player account within 48 hours for all first deposits of $30+ using bonus code PBCLUB – check out the giant player pool over at TitanPoker.com now!