A few 3D poker rooms have come and gone over the years, but it seems that 3D poker has had a tough time catching on in any meaningful way. The only 3D poker room that has done well for itself is PKR. PKR isn’t the biggest poker room on the internet, but it does have steady traffic and games at a wide range of levels.

As a long term grinder, I was skeptical when I first heard about real money 3D poker on the internet. I thought of it as a gimmicky marketing trick that wouldn’t catch on. I was right for the most part, but one poker site (PKR) did manage to do it right. I’m not completely sold on 3D poker yet, but I do think it can be worthwhile if it is done right.

One of my primary concerns when I first heard about 3D poker was how quickly the games would move. The first couple of poker sites that attempted 3D poker had mediocre graphics and they still moved slower than peanut butter through a straw. And even if the graphics had been done correctly, the slow pace of the games killed off any action before it could even get started.

PKR was the first 3D poker room to address this issue. Instead of trying to keep the download small and give players a mediocre 3D experience, PKR went all out. They provided up to date graphics and fast-moving animations. Sure, the download itself is a lot bigger than your average poker room, but high speed internet is so common now that this isn’t a problem.

Even more importantly, PKR gave players the option to use a traditional overhead view. This was huge for a couple of reasons. First of all, the overhead view makes it easy to concentrate on the game and play at multiple tables after the initial 3D “wow factor” has passed. Secondly, the overhead view makes PKR more appealing to a wider cross section of players, which keeps traffic healthy.

Another flaw that I’ve seen from other 3D poker sites is the owners thinking that their job is done after they give players a 3D experience. The 3D experience may be appealing, but you have to do more than offer pretty graphics to keep a poker site alive over the long run. You also have to run regular promotions, keep the games fair and respond quickly to player complaints.

So far, PKR is the only 3D poker room that has gotten it right. They have not only focused on pretty graphics, but they also keep the games running smoothly. The poker room offers new promotions all the time and places a good deal of attention on the social aspect of poker. If you want to try 3D poker, the only recommendation I have for you is PKR. Nobody else has gotten it right yet.

So here are a few lessons that other 3D poker rooms could learn from PKR:

• Give players the option to use a traditional overhead view
• Keep the games moving quickly
• When it comes to graphics, go big or go home
• Do not lose focus on the game itself
• Give players reasons to return other than pretty graphics
• Make multi-tabling possible