If you’re interested in playing online poker, the choices can often be more than a little intimidating! Every site seems to offer the same things: free games, big deposit bonuses, and a staggering array of game choices. How can you find out what’s the right site for you? Here’s some things to look for.

Do they talk to their players?
Before you even download the software, you want ot make sure that a site is on the up and up. Many online poker rooms are just shell sites for generic software run out of a data haven. This means that you won’t get the player support you deserve. A sure way to make sure a poker site is legitimately player-oriented and not just a generic rake-scraping software site is to look for certain things. Does the site have a blog that’s regularly updated and written specifically for their players? Are they on Twitter? Do they talk to their players in comments and respond to questions in a publicly-accessible manner?

What games do they offer?
With Texas Hold Em’s ascendancy as the most popular poker game in the world, you’ll find many sites that offer the game. But playing just one type of poker can be boring and repetitive, and many players feel that the best option is to rotate through games to keep their game fresh. At the very least, any online poker site should offer its players Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha along with a Stud game, but we also recommend making sure that they offer Pineapple and HORSE, because each of these games really expands a player’s repertoire and gives them a chance to stay sharp.

What stakes are being offered to players?
If you’re new to the game of poker, you’ll likely want to stick to free poker games, but what about real money games? Most “good” online poker rooms offer stakes as low as $.02/$.04 and while the stakes on higher-end games can vary wildly, with some offering you the opportunity to play with blinds of $20,000/$40,000. Yes, we gasped too. The thing is, you don’t become a poker room that can offer such high stakes to players without legitimacy.

These are just three things you should look for in an online poker room, but they’re three of the most important. Take time at each site before you download their software!