Best Mac Poker Sites for US Players
Back in the day everyone used PCs. The Mac computer wasn't that popular. As a result, you didn't see many poker sites that offered a Mac compatible version of their software, let alone an alternative browser version. So if you were on a Mac, you had a hard time finding a place to play poker online.
However, that's not the case anymore. Mac users have been becoming increasingly popular over the last couple of years. So much so that operators can't ignore them without turning away a lot of business. So nowadays you'll have no problem finding a site that is Mac compatible.
How to Play Poker on a Mac
There are many ways to play poker on a Mac.
One option is to use an emulator. This was the original solution to the problem. What you do is install a program like Boot Camp that is capable of running Windows based programs. This allows you to download the PC software that poker sites and casinos offered. The downside to this solution is the lag, which I can only imagine was made worse if you played on graphic intense sites or multi-tabled.
Your second option is to play flash or browser based games. Like the name implies, you are able to play on the site itself from your browser. This is still a widely used solution (especially for casinos), as opposed to creating a download specifically for Macs. The upside to browser-based poker is that you don't have to download all these programs. The downside is that the software isn't nearly as good looking, and that there may be fewer options/features. Getting started is easy enough though -- just create an account and choose what game you want to play. It'll load in your browser window.
The last option is a full download. Many poker sites now offer this which is a big change from just a couple of years ago. The download will be identical to the download for Windows. The benefit to using the full download is that you should have access to all the options that Windows players do.
Real Money Poker Site for US Players with Macs
Finding the best real money poker site for Mac poker players is subjective. A lot of it comes down to you and your preferences.
I mean, the basics are the same. You want to find a solid poker site with a good history, license and a variety of deposit/withdrawal methods that will work for you, as well as positive feedback on processing times.
After that it's up to you. Ask yourself a few questions. What games do you want to play? What stakes? How much do you plan to deposit? How often will you play?
You should also determine what option you want to use on your Mac; emulator, flash/browser or download? I recommend skipping the emulator option, but there are pros/cons to both the browser and download options. And not every poker site offers one option or the other. So that will play a role in your decisions, too.
Once you finally chose a poker site, getting started for real money is simple. Just create an account and make a deposit. US players will a handful of banking options available to them including credit/debit cards, prepaid Visa cards, e-wallets and money transferring services. Each method will have it's pros and cons. I recommend trying your Visa/MasterCard credit or debit cards first, as those will be the fastest. But you can't go wrong with a prepaid card or money transfer either.
