Online poker has become one of the most popular hobbies among strategy and card game lovers. The convenience of being able to play poker games from the comfort of your sofa, without having to travel to a casino and using devices we all have at home, such as computers, tablets or smartphones, has led to an increasing number of players looking to join an online poker room.

However, there are so many poker apps out there that it can be overwhelming at the outset to find one that meets all our needs. Which one is the safest? Which one has the widest variety of games and tables? Which one has the most enticements to join?

All these and other aspects are what you need to consider when choosing an app to play poker that is comfortable and allows you to develop at a recreational or professional level, depending on your expectations when playing poker.

How to choose an app to play poker online? Basic tips

There are several aspects that you should focus on before you start playing. We discuss them below:

• Security. This is the main concern when it comes to online gambling. Given that you play with real money in cash games, it is important to choose a poker app that has everything in order: certifications, deposit methods, withdrawal conditions… Honesty and transparency are crucial to give the user the confidence they need.
• The variety of modalities. OK, the app you’ve looked at seems to have everything in order. But what about the game? Although Texas Hold’em is the most played variety of poker, in reality there are fans who prefer to change the game or have enough variety of cash games or tournaments in which to play games to their liking. It is important to know what each app has to offer, as each app has a different repertoire of tables, even if the variety of games is essentially the same.
• Clubs. You need to ask yourself what your aspirations are when you play online poker – to have a good time, do it for fun, do you have a weekly profit target, do you aspire to start your own poker club, or do you want to join a poker syndicate? Depending on your answer, you’ll have to choose one app or another. Some are aimed at recreational players, while others offer everything you need to start your own poker club.

What is the best poker app?

It is somewhat complicated to talk about the best poker app, especially considering the number of factors that can influence this perception. As mentioned above, the range of poker apps on offer is so vast that it is difficult to sift through the ones that we can consider the best according to our expectations, so we have to rely on other data to define our list of the most attractive poker apps.

The diversity of poker player profiles, the very different tone of the apps that can be found in today’s digital shops and the gathering of varieties and types of games make each app “from its own father and mother”. It is difficult to find two alike, so the selection has to be careful.

Talking about the best app for playing poker is difficult, but we can point out which ones are among the most acclaimed on the main download platforms, App Store and Google Play. And be careful, because if you are looking for a platform that allows you to create your own poker club, you will find more than good options in this list:

• PPPoker. It was one of the most innovative poker apps at the time of its launch. Since 2016, PPPoker has been one of the leading poker platforms for those looking for a private, international, club-based poker experience.
• The result? A huge community of players from over a hundred different countries. It is one of the best applications and has been among the highest rated by users since its launch almost seven years ago.
• X-Poker. One of the main problems with online poker is that it can be somewhat disconcerting for those who want to learn and play at a level far removed from professional poker. X-Poker was created with the idea in mind of combining the best of professional poker with the accessibility of the amateur rooms.
• That ambivalence has seen its community expand since it was launched at the end of 2020, bringing together players of all levels and offering what not many poker apps have been able to offer so far: poker games adapted to the skill level of each player.
• PokerBros. Playing poker without exposing real money is something that many poker fans have been asking for. In that niche, PokerBros has managed to stand out since its launch in 2019, attracting the attention of an ever-growing community thanks to its premise of online social gaming without real money services. For learning and fun, it’s one of the best poker apps. In fact, one of the best pieces of advice we can give to newcomers to online poker is to focus first on learning without exposing your bankroll, and in that respect, PokerBros has the upper hand.
• PokerTime. PokerTime was launched in China in 2019 and is now one of the best-known and most highly rated apps. It has a large and growing traffic, offers a varied and wide range of tournaments, has one of the best security systems to ensure the stability of the app, allows the use of multiple accounts and its withdrawal and deposit system guarantees immediate movements and transfers.
• Suprema. Its origin is in PPPoker, where it began its journey and from where it draws all its experience as a poker platform. After its separation from the well-known platform, Suprema Poker Alliance created its own affiliation with more than 300 poker clubs. It is very focused on recreational players and, as a large part of its community comes from Brazil, the peaks of play are mostly found in the central hours of the day in the South American country.
• ClubGG. ClubGG is just one of several online poker platforms created by GGPoker, the world’s largest poker network. It is a platform designed for lovers of multi-table games (it allows you to play on up to 4 tables simultaneously), it has a very high level of traffic for how young it is, its offer of games is really wide and it has the backing of GGPoker, so security and transparency are guaranteed.

Which is better: starting a poker club or joining a poker club?

It depends on what your expectations are. Both options have their own advantages, but depending on your preferences you should either start your own poker club from scratch or join one that already has established members.

The first symptom you should consider when answering this question is that you may not find a club that fully satisfies your preferences. Searching for a suitable poker club can be costly, but if you find that you don’t quite fit in with any of them, it may be a sign that you should consider starting your own.

Another important aspect of boosting the social side of online poker is whether you have friends who enjoy online poker as much as you do. If so, starting a poker club can be a good idea, as you will have a group of friends who will help get the club off the ground, laying the foundations for it.

However, if you are looking to join a community of players and benefit from the constant traffic, it may be best to join a club. As they are private, you will have to apply for access and wait for the administrators to accept.

And what about the game itself? Of all the tips for playing poker in a club that we can give you, perhaps the most important is consistency. Contributing to the club with your play and your consistency is one of the most valued goals, it’s what gives these groups their meaning, so you should take your interaction with the other members seriously when you join one.