Pokerstars sister sites Pros and cons
- Play tournaments and live dealer poker
- Texas Hold ‘em, Three Card and Stud Poker available
- Other live casino options and slots to play
- Too much choice when finding a replacement
Looking for sites like Pokerstars
Finding sites like Pokerstars is a hard task, but not for the reason you think. It’s easy to assume, especially after reading our
Pokerstars review, that it’s a tough act to follow but that’s not the case at all. There are a number of Pokerstars sister sites around, but it can be hard to find the right one as there are so many platforms that offer poker in various forms.
This guide will look at what Pokerstars has to offer, and compare it to what is available and come up with some possibilities for you to take a closer look at. Of course you won’t want something that is exactly the same, as you might as well just stay with Pokerstars, so I’ve sought out platforms that have plenty of poker options - and something extra as well.
What types of poker games are available?
Pokerstars has several options for playing poker, most notably in tournaments. This is where you play against others and can be knocked out in various rounds and stages. There are different tournaments so you can pick one for your skill level, and this is what a lot of players join Pokerstars for. This isn't available at all sites like Pokerstars, but they will have plenty of live dealer options you can play around the clock rather than waiting for the next tournament to start.
These options will include the three most popular online poker games:
- Texas Hold‘em
- you’ll get 2 hole cards and you team these up with the 5 community cards to form the best hand possible, and each casino will have several variations of this for you to play
- Three Card Poker
- Here you simply need to beat the dealer's hand to win, so possibly one for newbies as there is not the large psychological factor there is playing against others. You are dealt just three cards, so it’s quite fast paced as well.
- Stud Poker
- This is one to progress to as you form your hand from a mixture of face up and face down cards. There is where strategy and tactics come into play, so more for experienced players than those giving it a try for the first time.
You will also find that these casinos have a wide range of other games like roulette and baccarat, and if you want to widen your scope a little further, many sites will also have a sportsbook attached.
Which are the best sites like Pokerstars?
Now you know what to look for you can see how hard a task this could turn out to be. Luckily, I’ve done some of the hard work for you and found 3 possible sites like Pokerstars for you to take a look at. These have been chosen as they are three of the most highly rated on this platform, and offer much of what Pokerstars does, and should fit your needs exactly.
You can get a detailed breakdown of what they have to offer in the full reviews you’ll see elsewhere on this site, but I’ve given you an overview here as well:
| Site like Pokerstars | Welcome bonus |
| BetMGM | Bet £10 Get £40/Play £10 get 100 free spins |
| Bwin | £20 Back-Up Bet as Free Bet |
| Betano | Bet £10 Get £30/Wager £10 get £30 in slot bonuses |
Get an all-round experience at BetMGM
BetMGM is a big name and you get a big site to go with it as it has plenty of options. There isn’t a standalone poker platform like you might find in some states in the USA, but there is a wealth of live dealer options available. This gives you plenty of chance to play with others, and while these aren’t tournaments you can still play:
- Texas Hold ‘em Poker
- Three Card Poker
- Stud Poker
Over a total of 13 variations so you will never be short of something to play as this runs pretty much 24/7. Of course, a site like BetMGM has more than just poker games so expect a fully loaded live casino, table games and a host of slots. To top this all off, you also have a sportsbook as well which you can explore using the easy to claim welcome bonus.
Dedicated poker software at Bwin
Bwin is very close to Pokerstars, and has dedicated poker software you can download easily and should work on just about any laptop you happen to have as it is very low spec. All you need to do is connect it to your Bwin account and you are good to go. This gives you access to tournaments, which are regular and can last several days. In the regular casino there is also video poker with 10 different variations available among all of the usual blackjack, roulette and slots. There’s a sportsbook here too, so you might consider this a proper one stop solution to your search for a Pokerstars sister site.
Betano offers excellent live poker games
Betano is another site that majors in live dealer poker, so you won’t necessarily miss the tournaments you had at Pokerstars. There are more than a dozen options here, and like BetMGM they concentrate on 3 card and Stud poker in various forms. You’ll also be spoilt for choice if you enjoy other casino games as there are plenty to choose from with a £30 bonus available once you have wagered £10. As with the rest of the sites like Pokerstars I’ve listed here, there is also a substantial sportsbook, so you have much of what Pokerstars gave you, plus a little more besides.
Looking for something else - use this ‘essentials’ checklist
If you haven’t worked it out already, you’ll quickly find that some Pokerstars alternatives are better than others. I’ve handed you three of the
best poker sites online
already, but if you are looking for something different, then you’ll need this checklist.
Don’t worry it’s quite brief, but it contains some short but essential pointers on what to look out for in a Pokerstars sister site and help you make an informed and safe decision about where to go after Pokerstars.
🎁 Look for a generous bonus
Look for a generous bonus - regardless of which Pokerstars alternative you pick, there will be a welcome bonus, and it’s likely to be quite large. This will be especially true if there is a casino or a sportsbook present, but make sure you check out the small print. These bonuses can come with wagering conditions that can turn the whole thing into a chore if you’re not expecting it, so look for a bonus that fits your playing style as well as boosts your balance.
It’s 100% legit - there aren’t too many full on scams out there, but you should always do your due diligence before signing up. Checking out the reviews on sites like this one can help, as they can be more informative than individual customer feedback which tends to focus on a single good or bad event. You should also check that the platform is licensed to operate where you are, which should be detailed in the T&Cs, which, as you might have guessed, is required reading.
Tournaments and games - See if the tournaments on offer are right for your experience level, and how often they are played. Also look at other factors that make up the whole experience like the rake, which can vary greatly between sites and even games, depending on the stakes you are using.
Try out the software - many sites like Pokerstars will have software to download to play, and the quality of this can affect your playing experience. It’s typically quite low spec and easy to download, so it can be accessible to the greatest number of players, but at the same time you need to check that it’s not too old and slow that you don’t want to use it.
🎲 Check out the other games
Check out the other games - as you’ve no doubt seen, it’s not all about the poker at Pokerstars, as there is also a well stocked casino. If this is part of the reason why you went to Pokerstars in the first place, you’ll want the same from any Pokerstars sister sites. Take a look around the site to see if it has casinos like Pokerstars so you know that you won’t be disappointed.
💳 Look at payments and support
Look at payments and support - these might not be the first things on your mind when looking for a site like Pokerstars, but they are vital to your overall experience. Check that your preferred payment method is supported for deposits and even withdrawals and you’ll also need to know what to do if you encounter problems. Test out the live chat to make sure you get proper answers, and even send an email to support to see how long they take to respond.
Long term benefits - another thing that might not occur when you are staring at a big, shiny bonus, but you need to consider what other benefits are available. See if there is a VIP or loyalty program, and if the rewards are ones you’ll use - also look at other promotions to see if they appeal to you.
Yes, this is quite the laundry list of things to check out, but you need to be sure you’re signing up in the right place. Our reviews here can help with this, as we cover all of these points when we put together a detailed report of any betting sites like Pokerstars.
Conclusion - your one stop guide to finding the best sites like Pokerstars
Moving on from Pokerstars might not be easy as there is simply too much choice out there. You can spend a very long time looking for Pokerstars sister sites, or use what you’ve discovered in this guide to make the whole process a lot easier. I’ve identified three sites that offer a similar but different experience to the one you’d get at Pokerstars, and you can slip into any of those as soon as you are ready using the links on this page.
If you’d rather seek one out yourself, you can use my handy little checklist so you’re not going in blind. Either way, I wish you all the best on your search and hope you find the Pokerstars alternative you are looking for.
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Pokerstars sister sites FAQs
🃏 Which sites make good Pokerstars alternatives?
Pokerstars offers a variety of poker games and tournaments, as well as a range of casino games. The best Pokerstars alternatives will have this as well, and our expert team have rated BetMGM, Bwin and Betano the highest in our onsite reviews, so these would be a good starting point.
💰 Do sites like Pokerstars have no deposit bonuses?
No deposit bonuses are rare at casinos and sportsbooks, and the same is true for Poker focussed sites. So, while you won’t find any
poker no deposit bonuses
at the moment, you will find generous welcome bonuses at Pokerstars sister sites like BetMGM, Bwin and Betano.
🏆 Can you play in tournaments at Pokerstars sister sites?
Yes. Most Pokerstars sister sites will have a similar set-up so you can play in tournaments when you move to a new casino. Always check in advance though, as many sites that say they have poker often mean they have multiple video poker or live dealer games rather than tournaments.
