Robert DellaFave is a devoted online poker player, and he recently had the chance to check out six of the new Atlantic City-based legal New Jersey online poker sites. New Jersey finally launched a test phase for its new Internet poker operation at around 6 PM on November 21, with plans to go full-fledged and state-wide with its online poker offerings on the 26th of November. The Hudson County resident said he experienced a wide range of geolocation security issues and disconnects, as well as the predictable software speed bumps that you expect to find with any initial launch online. These reviews may or may not influence your decision to try one of these new online poker sites, or stick with the trusted and tried US friendly poker rooms that have been welcoming USA players for years.
However, DellaFave was able to stay online long enough during that first night of legal Garden State Internet poker to get a feel for the pluses and minuses of the separate websites offering real money gambling on your favorite poker game. Remember, this is just one person's experience. The only way you can decide whether New Jersey's Internet poker offerings are for you as part of the burgeoning online poker industry in the United States is to log onto a PC or smartphone inside New Jersey state boundaries, belly up to the virtual felt, and play for yourself.
Back in 2006, the UIGEA spelled doom for Internet poker at large, and that was when Party Poker decided to leave US markets altogether. The company operates both NJ.PartyPoker.com and BorgataPoker.com in New Jersey, and both of those websites have a common interface. DellaFave pointed out that the user interface is much less intimidating than some, and will appeal to the casual poker player. Cash games can be filtered by table stakes levels, and there are plenty of tables available. He also noticed that competition levels were rather high, leading him to believe that veteran players were present in a higher ratio than would normally be the case. He said that both of those sites offered a clean interface, and also plenty of free roll opportunities. While the UIGEA bill did frighten some brands out of the market, several legitimate and trusted online poker brands remained and simply learned to operate within the confines of the law's new regulations.
Another website offering New Jersey online poker is 888Poker.com, with Mr. DellaFave stating that this particular poker room had fewer cash games and the lack of a VIP structure, as well as a smaller sign-up bonus than most of the other sites. However, the "Beginners" and "Quick Seat" tabs at the site will definitely appeal to casual players. And 888 does offer an attractive $10,000 free roll. BetfairCasino.com took what he felt was entirely too long to install on his MacBook Pro, but there may not be that problem with a Windows computer. He went on to state that there was virtually no one at the site, so it is tough to give BetFair a serious review. The VIP program at BetFair is, however, very attractive according to DellaFave.
On the plus side, the WSOP.com experience for this particular poker player ranked this site as the cream of the crop in New Jersey online poker. You can filter cash games and SNGs by stake and game type, upcoming tournaments are listed, and a beginning players section is offered. If you want to take a seat immediately, there is a "Quick Seat" tab just like that offered at the 888 site, and he enjoyed four straight hours of poker play without any disconnection. He also noted that the software was more responsive and quicker than most, with extremely fast page loading and minimal lag at the WSOP site.
Ultimate Poker runs a site in Nevada, but even with that previous experience, DellaFave said that even though the site offers great incentives, it has less than enjoyable software. He did say that the rake was one of the best he found among all the sites, running at a 4.50% clip, or roughly a 1 cent rake for every 22.2 cents in the pot. The VIP structure, he believes, is appealing to serious grinders, and features eight monthly and two yearly tiers. Overall, DellaFave feels that Party Poker offers the best new player bonuses and is the most well-designed site, serious players will probably prefer WSOP.com's lower rake and other features, with UltimatePoker sporting a low rake and excellent incentives programs.
Bear in mind that New Jersey is just entering the United States online poker industry, and has less than one week under its belt in delivering real money gambling through several different sites. Connectivity and lag will differ between devices, as well as depending upon where you are located in New Jersey, and individuals will often feel differently about certain features. The best way to find out if New Jersey online poker is right for you is to log on and play for yourself. As the newest entrant into the three state industry delivering legal real money gambling poker to the virtual world in the United States, New Jersey will no doubt improve its operations over time, and it is good to have one more state on the US Internet poker bandwagon.