UK Poker Sites

In the current world of online poker there are more and more regional online poker sites –sites that focus more on specific regions of the world even though many of them still serve a worldwide market—and one of the largest regional markets is in the UK. In this article I will detail the top UK online poker sites, based on the usual criterion such as software, promotions, and player base, but also in regards as to how well they serve the UK market specifically.

My goal in this article is to steer you towards an online poker room that caters to UK players. Whether it’s featuring satellites to live tournaments in the region, utilizing deposit and withdrawal options available throughout the UK, and most importantly offering a safe, secure, atmosphere for UK players to partake in, this article will outline the factors you should take into consideration when deciding what online poker room to join.

Once you have determined that an online poker site has all of the features you want; from the games and stakes you regularly participate in, to an adequate player-pool, to the right deposit bonus and VIP rewards program, to a solid software platform that accommodates your playing needs. Once all of those questions have been answered, you can then move on and start looking at different aspects of the site that might be appealing only to a UK player.

Here is a list of some of the most important questions you can ask of an online poker room to see if it is up snuff when it comes to dealing with UK poker players.

Does the site offer satellites into UK poker tournaments?

If you are a UK poker player you are probably not overly interested in winning a seat to the Latin American Poker Tour event in Chile or a Heartland Poker Tour event in Choctaw, Oklahoma. This is why you should look for sites that offer satellite tournaments into events like the Paddy Power Irish Poker Open or the PokerStars United Kingdom Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT).

A number of UK poker sites offer entries into local events as well as events across Europe: Party Poker, PokerStars, Paddy Power and other sites are all very good options for UK tournament poker players.

What makes these satellites a better value for the player is the sites do not have to offer a prize-package that includes travel and accommodations, so there are generally more seats up for grabs. For example, if a site can hand out one seat for every $5,000 in entry-fees (the cost of the buy-in for the tournament) or one seat for every $6,500 in entry-fees (the cost of the buy-in AND airfare and accommodations) a player who lives in the area will have far more value in the first example, where only the buy-in is up for grabs.

Does the site offer UK specific deposit and withdrawal options?

There is a number of deposit and withdrawal options that UK citizens like to use that are not available in other corners of the globe, so if you are a regular user of Bacs/Chaps or PaySafe Cards than you should look into the funding and withdrawal options a site offers beforehand.

Even though most residents in the UK will have quick and easy access to other funding options like Credit Card and large online payment processors like Neteller and PayPal, sometimes the more options you have, the better off you will be.

Offering localized payment processors also shows a focus on a particular by the site. I’d feel far more confident that an online poker site had the best interests of UK players in mind if they offered these deposit options compared to a site that doesn’t even realize they exist.

Does the site offer all of the perks and promotions of global online poker rooms?

Although you may find the satellite tournaments and funding options a little more to your liking at more localized online poker sites, there is a balancing act you will need to do in order to make sure you are receiving all of the perks offered by larger global entities. Fortunately, many of the top UK poker rooms are also among the top worldwide providers of online poker.

Global online poker sites not only have larger player bases, but they have more money to spend on marketing and promotions, as well as keeping their software up to date and user friendly. Fortunately, most of the UK-focused online poker sites are able to compete in the worldwide market thanks to the favorable gaming laws throughout the UK, so all of the sites we have listed below (as the best UK poker sites) offer excellent promotions and bonuses for their players.

Site like Party Poker, PokerStars and Titan Poker do an excellent job of balancing their promotions and features between UK players and their larger global market.

Is the site licensed and regulated under UK law?

Obviously, a major factor in your decision of which online poker site to choose should come down to the sites licensing and their track-record in the industry. In a post-Black Friday online poker world it’s important for players to know that the site they are trusting with their money is fully licensed and regulated, and that their funds are kept in a segregated account, away from other operational funds.

Not only is this good policy for you as an individual, but it is also an attractive selling point to players who may be a little skeptical about the legitimacy of online poker, so you’ll also see a slightly larger influx of new, recreational, players at sites that tout their safety and security.

Summary

While all of the above factors are important, don’t forget that things like software, in-game features, game selection, the skill level of the players, and things like deposit bonuses, rakeback deals, and VIP Loyalty Programs should also weigh heavily into your decision.

All of the sites listed below are among the best in the world, but they also go to great lengths in order to appeal to UK players, which is why we have no problem recommending any of the following sites for UK residents.