Online Poker Networks

 
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Chico Poker - is a network that accepts American and Canadian players. Along with the WPN network, in Chico you can safely play with Americans, smoothly depositi and withdraw funds through Skrill, Neteller and Bitcoin.

Most Online Poker Rooms are Part of Networks: This is How They Work

Known online poker networks around today. The software is provided by Playtech and it’s widely considered to be some of the most user-friendly and functional poker software available. Poker Networks - Best Poker Networks Online. Listing and Reviewing the Top Online Poker Networks. If there are two groups of online poker players that have a particularly hard time finding compatible poker sites, it would have to players from The United States, and poker. Online Poker Networks If you play online poker, chances are you’re playing on a network-operated skin that shares player pools, liquidity and often the same cashier backend. These “poker networks” exist to.

Most online poker rooms are part of networks. This simply means that one or more brands share a pool of players. Whichever room you join, you might find opponents from completely different ones at your table.

Poker networks make a lot of sense. With bigger pools of players, the rooms offer much more choice – and often bigger tournament guarantees and better promotions. This page takes you through everything you need to understand about both poker networks and stand-along rooms:

  • How Poker Networks Operate: An overview of how both big and small networks are set up.
  • Pros and Cons: A quick overview of the pros & cons of playing at poker networks.
  • US Poker Networks: A look at the biggest networks of poker sites welcoming US players.
  • International Poker Networks: The biggest brands around are often part of established networks.
  • Poker Network FAQ: Your questions on deposits, multiple accounts and bonuses answered.

How Online Poker Networks Operate

To run a successful poker room, a lot of players are needed. Not only does a room need to offer a choice of games at different buy-in levels, the tournaments and poker variations need action too. Without enough games (and big enough tournament prize pools), players look elsewhere. In short, real money online poker rooms need a critical mass of players to become viable.

This is where networks come in. Many brands looking to open a poker room opt to join an existing pool of players.

There are many advantages. Not only can a new brand ‘hit the ground running’, with plenty of games on offer, they can use established software. Development costs can be high for new poker rooms who go it alone.

Sports betting sites often join poker networks. They want to offer these games for their players, without the overhead of starting their own software. Internationally, you’ll find brands like Bet365 and BetFair pooling players on the iPoker Network. For the offshore US brands, BetOnline and Sportsbetting.ag are part of the Chico Poker Network.

You will find some brands are big enough to offer exclusive tables within the network infrastructure. They still share tables with other sites – and ringfence certain games for their own brand only.

Pros and Cons of Playing at a Poker Network

From the players’ perspective, you have a choice between joining a network or sticking to a stand-alone poker room. Here are the pros of joining a network, compared to the benefits of a stand-alone brand?

Benefits of Poker Networks:

  • Bigger Choice: You’ll find more games and bigger tournament guarantees compared to if that brand had created its own poker room.
  • Switch Easily: If you enjoy the games, though find the service is not up to scratch at your site, then you can switch brands quickly. If you choose another room on the same network, you will still be able to play against the same opponents.
  • Cross-Over Traffic: This applies to the poker networks linked to sports betting sites. These rooms often contain more players who are recreational gamblers compared to the number of poker pros. Networks linked to sports brands can be the softest poker games online.
  • Multiple Bonuses: There is nothing to stop players clearing a bonus from multiple members of the same network. Note that security will stop you logging on to the same network more than once on a single device.

Drawbacks of Poker Networks:

  • Slower Pace of Innovation: with the big stand-alone rooms, innovations and new developments may be easier to implement. On networks, up to 20 separate brands need to be involved in the decision making.
  • Brands Incentivizing Grinders: If one ‘Skin’ on a poker network starts to reward high-volume play, the whole group can suffer from nitty games. This happened a few years ago with the iPoker Network. A split, then a ban on volume-based incentives eventually solved the problem.
  • Older Software: Networks tend to have older, downloadable software clients. With the brands not in direct control, you’ll need to play on ‘plain yet functional’ clients to get the benefits of joining a network.

Poker Networks List

What Are the Biggest US Poker Networks?

All the major offshore sites are networks. This does include sites where the owners (or at least chain of companies involved) are linked.

PaiWangLuo: This network has a strange name, though is more popularly known as the Bodog (or Bovada) poker network. Here you will find players from the Canadian Bodog.eu, Bovada and Ignition Poker sharing a back end. This is the single largest US poker network by a huge margin.

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Winning Poker Network: With brands like America’s Cardroom and Black Chip Poker combining forces, the WPN is large. They are known for their tournament events – including the popular ‘Online Super Series’ of big buy-in tournaments. WPN does incentivise higher volume players, making the games tighter than at the other big US networks.

Chico Network: This is a back-end poker network for Sports Betting giants like BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag. It is a smaller network, though the cross over traffic means that you will find recreational players at the tables.

Horizon Network: This is a small network, made up of Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes poker. While the games here are relatively soft, it is currently too small to recommend. Things do change fast in the world of poker networks – so watch this space!

What are the Biggest International Poker Networks?

Outside of the US, online poker is dominated by 3 huge brands. These are PokerStars, 888 and Party Poker. While none of these are networks in the sense discussed here, PokerStars does share a player pool with Full Tilt Poker. They own this site, and only allow an individual to have an account at one site. The games reached through each site are exactly the same, with different graphics the only difference.

The biggest true network is known as ‘iPoker’. This uses back-end software powered by PlayTech. It allows many (mainly sports betting) brands to offer a pooled poker room for their users. These include Bet365 and BetFair. Many other high-street bookmakers have ‘skins’ on the iPoker Network.

MicroGaming (known as MPN) is one of the oldest poker networks. This also powers many sports betting brands. These include BetSafe and Red Kings. The MicroGaming has had scandals in the past, involving rogue ‘skins’ that disappeared without paying players. These were many years ago, and with many big named brands supporting this network – your money is safe these days.

Poker Network Frequently Asked Questions

#1 Is it Legal to Play at (US) Poker Networks?

Yes. Federal laws concerning online gambling apply only to banks and the site operators. The poker networks welcoming US players are legal in their own locations (Caribbean / Central American nations). State laws may vary, though even in the strictest states (Utah for example) nobody has even been indicted for enjoying real money online poker.

#2 How Can I Deposit at Online Poker Networks?

The methods available to you will depend on your location. US players can use Credit Cards, Bitcoin, Money Transfer services and sometimes bank wires. Outside of the US, many more deposit options are available. These include eWallets, voucher systems, virtual credit cards and local bank wire services.

#3 How Can I Withdraw from Poker Networks?

US players who deposited with credit card will be sent a paper check, usually by courier. Bitcoin can be used for both deposits and withdrawals. If you are international, the default is to return the money back to the method you deposited with. If this is not possible, a local bank transfer usually works.

#4 Can I Join Multiple Sites on a Network?

Yes. There is nothing to stop you having accounts at more than one site. What you will never be able to do is play on more than one account at the same time. This will be blocked if you try it on the same computer. With different computers, security will quickly spot that the log-ins come from the same location, any interaction / collusion like play between accounts will result in them being blocked – and possibly your money frozen.

The main reason people would join multiple sites on a network is to enjoy extra bonus offers. Note that networks which offer rakeback may restrict this to your first account.

#5 Which Poker Networks are Compatible with Mac / Linux Devices?

Mac users will find software to download on many of the major poker networks. For Linux users, there is no dedicated software. You’ll either need a Windows Emulator like WINE or stick to the ‘Instant-Play’ client instead. With a limited game selection, instant-play is not ideal – though it does allow you to access the games at the major networks on the go.

#6 Which Poker Networks Support Mobile Play?

For US players only Bovada / Ignition (the PaiWangLuo network) support mobile play. You will have access to Zone Poker via their instant-play mobile client. Outside of the US, you’ll have many more choices, including bigger sites with dedicated mobile apps for both iPhones and Android devices.

#7 Which US Networks have the Easiest Poker Games?

Bovada are considered the easiest place to enjoy poker games for US players. Their recreational player model keeps grinders and recreational players in balance. There is also a lot of sports betting traffic crossing over from the huge sportsbook.

#8 Which International Network has the Easiest Poker Games?

At the lower limits, you will find a lot of easy games on the big international sites. The PlayTech-powered iPoker Network has an additional advantage. Most of the sites on this network are the big high-street bookmakers. This means many new poker players find their way to the tables after placing a bet – keeping the games loose and lively.

#9 Where Can I Find Out More About the Individual Brands on Poker Networks?

The reviews section here at GambleOnline.co has detailed overviews of the biggest sites on both US and international poker networks. You’ll be able to compare the games, bonuses, deposit method and security of each site side-by-side,

Online Poker NetworksOnline Poker NetworksBy
April 30th, 2018 Last updated on January 6th, 2021

There are two types of poker sites, generally speaking. One is a standalone site, such as 888poker. It operates on its own software around the world, and it doesn’t have any skins – other sites that share the platform but operate under a different name. The other is a site that belongs to a poker network.

Essentially, a network is the group of poker sites that operate on the same platform or client. Some have the same parent company, but this is not a requirement. For example, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker operate on the same software and are both owned by The Stars Group. Others simply share a network for a variety of reasons, as there are many benefits

Sharing player pools enables smaller sites to offer more game choices and tables and bigger guarantees when players from various sites share those tables.

Networks enable bigger poker tournaments with more players and larger guarantees. Large tournament series are also possible on networks because the sites join to offer more options and money to make it worthwhile for players. Coordinating cashier programs enables quicker payouts and a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options. All sites on networks do not share cashiers.

Smaller poker sites are able to build their name, brand, and reputation without investing in new, proprietary software, which makes it more affordable for startup poker sites. Sites maintain individual brands on most networks, with their own graphics and designs. Some sites even keep their own promotions and VIP programs.

Players should choose poker networks as they do their individual poker sites, based on reputation, reviews, and opinions of fellow poker players.

American players’ online poker options include networks. Some sites open to the US market, like Americas Cardroom and Ignition are parts of networks. Even in states that now regulate their own online poker sites, such as in New Jersey, sites like BorgataPoker and PartyPoker share the same network designed for the new US market.

Poker Network Reviews

Horizon Poker Network The poker sites presently on the Horizon Poker Network were developed and previously associated with the now-defunct Cake Poker. That became Revolution Gaming, which also went out of business, but two sites survived. Through it all, the one site that never lost its reputation as a safe and honest poker site was Intertops, still open to American players.

Online Poker Networks Sites

PaiWangLuo Network Previously known as Bodog, PaiWangLuo is under new ownership as of 2019 through a Hong Kong-based company. It has expanded its offerings beyond Canada to various areas of the Asian, American, and European markets. Not all sites share player pools, but many do. The primary sites on the network that are open to American players are Ignition Poker and Bovada Poker.

Chico Poker Network – This is one of the smaller networks, but Chico has done much to grow through the years. One of the biggest improvements in the past few years is its upgraded software by Connective Games, which allows games on Macs or PCs and via iOS or Android mobile devices. The two most prominent poker rooms on the Chico Poker Network are BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag.

Winning Poker – What started as a relatively small poker network has grown exponentially in recent years, mostly due to its flagship site, Americas Cardroom. Its popularity with American players is almost unparalleled into today’s poker environment. With the increasing player numbers, WPN has upgraded its software, game variations, and tournament opportunities. The four sites on the network share player pools, which allows for large tournament series like OSS Cub3d. The largest sites that are a part of the network are Americas Cardroom and Black Chip Poker.

Poker

Separating Grinders From Recreational Players

Online

Players have mostly become accustomed to the new online poker atmosphere that tries to even the playing field for all competitors. Network and site operators continue to implement changes to adapt to the evolving poker arena, which has largely brought all players to the same tables again. Grinders have found ways to make a living, and more recreational players have joined the sites to grow the market.

Biggest Differences From One Network to Another

Each network has taken its own approach to anonymous player pools and sharing player pools. But there are still differences that players may find among the networks.

Online Poker Networks Online

Games and Stakes – Since Americas Cardroom’s latest growth, it has come to offer more poker variations and a wider range of stakes than most other poker sites that currently cater to US players. This site also has higher stakes than Ignition and Bovada, which previously dominated in that arena.

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Tournaments – Americas Cardroom also dominates with regard to tournaments and series. Its first OSS Cub3d series of 2020 offered 220 tournaments with $13 million in guarantees. That’s only expected to grow in 2021. Ignition does well with its Black Diamond Poker Open, the event has offered more than $6 million. BetOnline has increased its offerings of late and has a great many benefits for those willing to play for somewhat lower stakes. Each network has daily, weekly, and semi-annual series.

Online Poker Networks App

Non-Poker Offerings – Some players choose a network based on the gambling and betting options available in addition to poker online. For example, Ignition players enjoy being able to use the same account for casino games, virtual sports, and online poker. Americas Cardroom has increased its offerings to offer more sports wagering options that most other US-facing poker sites.