Why New Poker Sites Can Be Good Options
The biggest reason why new online poker sites can be a great option for skilled players is due to curiosity. Believe it or not, when new websites start, especially online poker sites, there is a big buzz. Many players will almost immediately flock to the site to check it out and start playing. Most unskilled players will probably even do this without doing much research other than finding out the proper deposit methods and the type of poker games offered.
This means a pretty decent initial swarm of traffic dominated by low skilled players. It should be clearly stated that this type of initial traffic is very different from the mix you are going to find at mature online poker rooms. Those real money websites are going to have a decent mix between both skilled and unskilled players. Newer sites offer a great opportunity to make a real cash profit due to the much higher percentage of fish.
Another great thing about these poker rooms is that they might still actually have a fair amount of experience at running poker sites. New websites may be owned or operated by companies that were involved in the online poker market prior to the crazy laws taking effect which forced many to shut down, especially those in the US market. Well, they are now re-branding themselves and opening again, but effectively starting from zero in terms of name recognition.
Why New Poker Sites Keep Popping Up
New poker sites keep springing up due to popularity. It would seem online poker is a trend whose time has come. Of course, we have known this for a number of years already, as evidenced by the popularity of Texas Hold’em and various televised national and international poker tournaments. After Black Friday which essentially closed the door on major poker rooms opening their websites to the US market (until quite recently), there has been a lot of pent-up demand that can only really be satisfied by the redistribution of the huge amounts of player traffic looking to jump online and engage in one of their favorite pastimes.
Popularity equals more players which equals more money. As we all know, if there is money to be made in the online poker market, there will be websites looking to jump in and capitalize on that trend. As mentioned above, there are also many previously top US poker sites looking to take advantage of the new legal environment and open up again, under a different name.
A very interesting trend right now is a number of land-based casinos thinking about starting online poker rooms. They see this as a trend they can't stop and instead of fighting it (which is the approach Las Vegas and Atlantic City have taken for a long time) have finally decided to get on board. This could be a tremendous opportunity for skillful players to make some serious real money. Plus, any of these poker rooms backed by a land-based casino would have the utmost in credibility.
Can You Trust New Online Poker Sites?
The trickiest part of dealing with any online poker sites is in determining which ones are trustworthy, and which aren't. Just like anything else, be sure to do your research and focus on those sites with legitimate licenses that are backed up by a recognizable authority or government. Also make sure the websites themselves are audited and monitored on a regular basis for things like privacy and security issues and that their random number generators are legitimate.
One of the typical scams run by 'bad' poker sites is to either outright say or suggest they are affiliated with a reputable online poker network. When dealing with a newer site, always go ahead and check out these credentials; the poker network itself should have a site (if doesn't, you can bet the first website is an outright scam) where you can check out all of their registered members.
Also look around the actual poker rooms and the site in question before handing over any of your real money. Compare the look and feel to the best and top rated websites you are familiar with (check our listing if you have any doubts). Consider if they have a live chat system, and if it works well. Read through their rules, terms and conditions, and banking options to see if everything looks legitimate. Maybe even take a look at some forums to learn the experiences of other online poker players.
Of course, you can always start your research of new 2023 online poker rooms with our list below.
Pros & Cons Of New Poker Rooms
Starting with the pros of new poker rooms, you will typically see some very strong bonuses and other initial promotions offered. Obviously, the site must meet still meet all your other standards; if everything else is equal, having a great bonus could be the deciding factor in sticking around a while and playing. On the down side, these bonuses and promotions are often temporary so you might need to take advantage of them (and meet their terms and conditions) quickly. Always read the fine print on these websites.
The main advantage of these newer online poker sites is that they attract a large portion of unskilled players. In many cases, these are completely brand new players, which is exactly what you want when scouting for a place to play poker online. New sites are GREAT for bringing in hordes of new and unqualified fish. It might sound brutal, but online poker is one of those endeavors that really is pretty close to a zero sum game—to win money, it has to be won from someone who loses.
Some of the more ancillary advantages to these site might be having some interesting new themes and looks to their online poker rooms. You may even find yourself having some new experiences, learning how to use different online poker software. There could even be some new poker games not offered at any of the other places you currently play.
As far as the disadvantages, you might find these newer poker sites to be more difficult to research, at least in the beginning. Some of them might be from newer gambling authorities and districts that do not yet have a lot of credibility. Obviously, in many cases, the ownership of the sites will be difficult to determine and it might be a little bit of a gamble as to whether or not there is the financial backing should the site run into challenges.
Our Vetting Process For The Best New Online Poker Sites
The online poker industry continues to grow every year and new poker rooms are launched quite often. Some of them come with a lot of promises but not all will keep their word and actually deliver.
It can be a bit difficult to know which new online poker sites have the potential to become great and which will not last to celebrate their one year anniversary. And so, our team of experts is always looking for a new poker site that ticks all boxes and can become one of the best in the business.
The vetting process aims to answer several important questions before even allowing poker rooms to make it on the list. Every new site should be reliable and have the backing of an established operator that ensures fair gaming. Trust is a fragile thing, especially when it comes to real money poker online so new options must eliminate all concerns from the start if they are to compete with the already established poker rooms.
We also believe that it is very important for the best poker sites to have a good community of players where newcomers can experience the joy of the game. The top new options for 2016 must also have nice bonuses so that when players start, they can get something like a 100% match on their deposits.
