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- Are US Online Poker Sites Really the Best?
Ever since the US government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, the best poker sites seem to be forever split into "US online poker sites" and sites that don't take American players, commonly referred to as "European sites," despite the fact that many of them reside in Australia or the Caribbean. What's an online poker player to do? Which sites are really better, and if you have access to both kinds of sites (because you live outside the US or like to live dangerously by using a proxy server), which should you choose? If you live in a European country with stringent internet gambling laws (like Italy), and you can only play on sites geared specifically for your country, are you missing out by not being able to play on sites that accept US players?
US online poker sites are now subject to stringent rules regarding the way that they can accept payments and from whom. Likewise, US banks also experience the same problem, which makes depositing money into many of the best poker sites somewhat of an ordeal, but offers Americans some measure of stability when making deposits. Many of the leading sites for US players have gone above and beyond to make sure that your money is secure and can be transferred without a hassle, but the same can be said of some of the best poker sites for Europeans as well.
888 Poker, for example, one of the top poker sites for non-Americans, is owned and operated out of England by 888 Holdings PLC. The company is public and is traded on the London Stock Exchange, which therefore means that their financial records are open to the public, and the company's well-being is closely monitored not only by shareholders, but by the government. 888 Poker also has its random number generator audited by a series of independent third parties regularly, to make sure that all games are legitimate and fair for the players. Sites like 888 Poker can offer an added level of security for players who are planning to make a sizable deposit, and 888 offers enough significant bonuses that it remains one of the best poker sites for non-American poker players.
All of the best poker sites, regardless of whether they accept US players or not, offer Texas Hold'em, but the US rooms often offer a wider range of poker styles and enough players who play them that you won't encounter much of a wait, regardless of what you want to play. The primary benefit of US online poker sites, however, is the American players. Poker has become the new American past time, and some of the best players in the world (including a large percentage of the professional players) are American, so sites that accept US players will likely have more players and have more players that are highly-skilled.
It's hard to declare a clear victor when deciding between US online poker sites and those based in Europe or elsewhere, as the best poker sites are scattered all over the globe. Finding the perfect site for you may just come down to who you really want to play with.
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