Despite troubles in the USA poker market, the international poker market continues to grow to this day. Inexperienced poker players are signing up for poker sites every day and the games continue to be soft at certain poker sites. After doing our own research and talking with other poker players, we have come up with this list of the softest poker sites for non-USA players.
1. Party Poker
Is this really a surprise? Party Poker has been one of the softest poker sites ever since I can remember. The very name “Party Poker” appeals to casual poker players. Colorful graphics and a very strong marketing presence across the world has nearly made “Party Poker” a household name. When inexperienced poker players begin their quest for an online poker room, Party Poker is one of the first names they inevitably come across.
One of the nice things about Party Poker is that is has rock solid software. You can play at multiple tables here and experience no slowdowns or technical problems. This is a very good thing because Party Poker has a huge player base with lots of tables running around the clock. You will not find it difficult to sit at multiple soft tables and grind out some easy money.
The big traffic numbers at Party Poker further help by making it easy for you to practice table selection. With dozens of ring games running at all levels and new tournaments starting all the time, you can be as picky as you want. Current game full of rocks and sharks? No problem – there are about 30 other tables running at those same stakes.
2. 888 Poker
I would not have included 888 Poker in this list a few years ago, but 888 Poker has been doing amazing things over the past year or two. The company has invested heavily in marketing and has taken huge steps in becoming a more “social” poker site. What I mean is that 888 Poker has added features such as player communities, webcam tables, private tournaments and personal blogs.
As a result, 888 Poker has become extremely attractive to casual poker player. 888 Poker does not have an image as a hardcore grinder’s paradise. With its private tournaments, bonuses for inviting friends and webcam tables, 888 Poker is a poker site where players go to have fun.
The good news for serious players is that 888 Poker still has crisp and responsive poker software. You can play at multiple tables, keep stats on your opponents and grind it out just like you can at any other poker site. So you get the easy-game benefits of playing at a soft poker site without having to give up functionality or multi-tabling.
3. PKR Poker
PKR Poker bills itself as the world’s first truly 3D poker site. That alone is a good indication that PKR appeals to a different crowd than most poker sites. Instead of bragging about big bonuses and advanced features, PKR likes to talk about how cool its 3D poker experience is. Not surprisingly, PKR has huge appeal among casual poker players – the kind of players who want the “experience” of poker rather than the opportunity to grind out VIP points at 24 tables at a time.
And just like 888 Poker, PKR has worked hard to create a social community around its poker room. PKR organizes in-person meet-ups, it has private blogs for players, discussion forums, leaderboards and friend lists. Rather than appealing to the hardcore grinder, PKR targets the casual poker player who wants to play a few hands with his friends.
But grinders also have it good at PKR. For one, you are not forced to play 3D poker. You can always switch to a traditional overhead view and play at multiple tables. The poker software actually works well (compared to other 3D poker sites that have come and gone) and you can get good number of bonuses and rewards. You won’t find many poker sites softer than PKR.
Closing Thoughts
Soft poker sites are characterized by weak players and easy money. At the same time, you have to be ready to accept the fact that bad beats are going to happen at soft poker sites. Inexperienced poker players make random plays, pay no attention to odds and will call your bets at random. Just remember that every bad beat you experience is a sign that you are playing at a juicy poker site.
If you ever start to feel frustrated by playing against weak players, I recommend you take a five minute break to cool down. The good thing about poor players is that they are easy sources of money. The bad thing about poor players is that they can really irritate you when they get lucky. Keep in mind that if it wasn’t for the occasional lucky break, weak poker players would have no incentive to ever come back.