There are hundreds of poker rooms all over the internet, and each one of them is vying for your attention with a horde of offers and promotions on offer. That choice becomes somewhat narrower if you have set your sights on playing poker without downloading any software that you must install in order to play. For some customers it is simply not an option to do this, it may be down to wanting to play on a computer that you do not own, or have administrative rights to, but for the most part it is due to the fact that most online poker providers develop their softwares exclusively for Windows. Unfortunately, this leaves customers who are using MAC or Linux operating systems out in the cold. A few online poker rooms are cottoning on to the fact that there is a very large market of customers who are now using Apple’s machines, and are developing software accordingly, however, progress is slow and they still remain in the minority.
There is no reason to despair and give up on the dream of a few hands at the table, as there are some poker providers out there who are aiming to bypass the problem of what type of computer or operating system you use altogether, by making their poker rooms instantly accessible from your web browser.
Instant poker works by utilising the ‘flash’ program plug-in which should already be installed on all the leading internet browsers. There are many benefits to this, such as speed and simplicity. In fact, all you need to do in most cases is spend five minutes creating a new account and within minutes you can be seated at a table with likeminded players from all over the globe. Id you are so inclined, this enable customers to have a cheeky game at work or home, making poker a much more accessible and casual affair.
The two main instant poker providers are the UK-based company Sky Poker and 888poker. With Sky being part of an enormous brand that includes television and all elements of gambling, their instant poker rooms are sleek and efficient, coming highly recommended. 888Poker, however, also offer a downloadable poker room, while their instant poker comes across as more of an afterthought. The games are slow and the interface in somewhat frustrating, with a few niggling bugs to be found. All in all though, it gets the job done.