PokerStars

Featured in commercials during broadcasts of World Series of Poker events, the website of pokerstars has been the route by which 2003 World Series winner, Chris Moneymaker, and 2004 World Series winner, Greg Raymer, earned their seat at the World Series. PokerStars holds satellite tournaments in which winners get to compete in the World Series of Poker located in Las Vegas, Nevada. PokerStars gives its members the ability to play for real cash or use play money. PokerStars is based in San Jose, Costa Rica. All real money transactions are done through NETeller, Central Coin, Firepay, Visa, or MasterCard. To ensure that card shuffles are as random as real life shuffles, PokerStars uses a hardware system developed by Intel as well as the unpredictable mouse movements of online users as a randomizing agent. This allows PokerStars to ensure that the maximum amount of realism is achieved in the shuffle of cards. In addition to offering the basics of poker play online, PokerStars offers players the ability to chat with one another as well as makes available detailed hand history and player statistics. In order to gain revenue, PokerStars takes a small amount of each pot that is played using real money but never takes more that three dollars from any given pot.

PartyPoker

Partypoker has been online since 2001 and is subject to regulation by the Government of Gibraltar. The iGlobalMedia system operates all Partypoker games and has been independently tested by iTech Labs in order to verify that all shuffles and other aspects of game play are fair and accurate. The company has been a member of the Interactive Gaming Council since 1997 and adheres to their Code of Conduct. Thawte Security provides Partypoker with 128-bit security encryption to ensure that all financial and personal information is kept confidential. The site offers members the chance to earn money by getting another person to become a Partypoker member. Those members who get another person to join and make a real money deposit receive $50 for their efforts. All players must be 18 years old to legally participate.