Fishest Poker Sites Online
Lists the top online poker sites with the most fish
Playing poker may be mostly about having a good time, but most people can agree that it's a lot easier to have a good time when you're winning than when you're losing. That's why poker players are constantly on the lookout for easier games and softer competition. Online poker players are no different, but they have a much broader area to cover: Of the hundreds of available online poker rooms out there, which is home to the most fish?
That's a question with no simple answer, but we're going to try to get you closer to the goal by discussing what makes a poker site attractive to weaker players and then suggesting some starting points for your search.
Are There Still Fish at Online Poker Sites?
Some people have the idea that online poker no longer has any soft spots. With training sites, software and math whizzes playing dozens of tables, it can seem like the easy money all dried up years ago.
That's just what good players want you to think so they can keep making money.
The truth is that the major online poker rooms are literally spending tens of millions of dollars a year to attract new business - business that they need to survive. A poker room can't get by on just good players, because eventually the rake would just dry up the money on site. The health of a poker room is directly related to how much new business the room can bring in, and new business tends to mean weaker players. Thanks to that fact, there are still plenty of fish at online poker sites.
What Contributes to Fishier Games? What Makes the Games Fishy?
Knowing that fishy players exist somewhere online is one thing. Finding where that somewhere is can be quite another. You could probably build an entire website - maybe even a business - answering the question, but we're going to opt for suggesting a few basic factors that should get you started on the right track.
Does a Connected Sportsbook or Casino Matter? Some people believe that poker rooms with attached casinos and sportsbooks tend to have fishier games, and there's a definite appeal to that logic. One thing's for sure - such a poker room definitely draws a broader range of players than a standalone poker room, and therefore certainly has the potential for a fishier player pool. The lesson: Poker rooms that naturally draw customers who aren't poker players - no matter how they draw such customers - could be profitable targets.
What About a Mainstream Brand? Poker rooms that only know how to market to existing poker players are simply going to have tougher games overall. Poker rooms that have figured out how to get their brand to a mainstream audience and how to transcend the poker community in their marketing and branding are going to appeal to the right kind of player for your purposes - the inexperienced one.
What Promotions Appeal to Fishy Players? Are casual players taken in by complex VIP programs or by jackpot-style promotions? Do they like promotions that require a significant time commitment (like rake races) or bonuses that offer instant gratification? You can tell a lot about the kind of player a room already has by the promotions the room is running, and rooms with promotions geared toward grinders aren't going to reel in the fish.
Online Poker Site With the Most Fish: bet365 Poker
bet365 checks all of the above boxes and then some. The company is a massive mainstream brand with growing global recognition, has what many consider to be the most popular sportsbook online and operates a very active casino lobby to boot. Their VIP program is simple, pays solid rewards at the low tiers, and other promotions and features are clearly designed with the recreational player in mind.
What really sets bet365 Poker apart, however, are the "Premium Tables" that only players on bet365 can access. With Premium Tables, you get the best of both worlds: You have the massive traffic base for all other games that comes from being a part of the iPoker Network, but you also get to take your fairly exclusive shot at some of the weakest players on the site.
Which US Poker Site is the Fishiest?
With an attached casino and sportsbook, Bovada offers a steadier stream of less-experienced poker players than its competition. The site also focuses promotions almost entirely on casual players, with the lowest-paying loyalty program for high-volume players of just about any online poker site. Anonymous tables may be another draw for recreational players, although it's unclear so far exactly what impact that unique feature of Bovada's poker room has had on the general toughness of the games.
Overall, Bovada has the more singular focus on recreational players of any US-facing online poker, making it the room likeliest to have the greatest amount of fish at the tables.
