3D poker sites attempt to bring the feel of a live card room to the online poker experience. As well as having advanced 3D graphics and multiple camera angles to view the action, players can use highly customizable avatars to make their on screen persona unique to them, rather than the standard option at most poker sites of a small static picture avatar.
3D poker feels more like a video game than most 2D online poker sites and has a much more social feel to it. In game the players’ avatars can perform chip tricks and use gestures, taunt their opponents and give off fake ‘tells’ at the table. All of these novel features put a lot of the fun back into online poker and are the main reason why 3D poker is very popular with recreational players.
Most online poker sites stick with the traditional 2 dimensional overhead view of the table, and there are only a few players in the 3D poker market. The biggest and best of these is PKR, which typically has about 600 cash game players online on average. The other main 3D poker room is True Poker, which is open to US players, but has quite low levels of traffic and less sophisticated software than you’ll find at PKR.
Welcome to PKR Poker. Welcome to the best online resource for information on PKR Poker, one of the world’s top online poker rooms with amazing 3D graphics.On this site, you’ll find all the information you need to get the most out of your online experience, including everything you need to know about PKR.com. If you’d like to jump right in, you can download PKR Poker.
PKR were the first 3D sites, beginning operations in 2006 and experiencing rapid growth. After the UIGEA legislation was passed in the USA, they immediately withdrew from the US market and concentrated on Europe. Today they are sponsors of World Poker Tour events and show the final tables of some of their big online multi-table tournaments on satellite television complete with commentary.
One of the best things about playing at 3D poker sites is the number of recreational players with very poor fundamental poker skills that you’ll find at the sites. The way these sites are marketed and the software gimmicks are both very effective at bringing in casual players who typically play live poker and want a similar experience online.
Furthermore, the software is quite busy and the action is slower than you’ll find at other sites, as players spend more time ‘hollywooding’ and performing chip tricks during hands. The result of this is that multi-tabling professional poker players tend to stay away from the 3D sites because they don’t like the low hands-per-hour rate, meaning the tables are mostly filled with fish.
Of course this works both ways and even though you might have a huge edge on the fish, your hourly rate might be a little lower than it would be at a more traditional online poker site due to the slower pace of the game.
Another downside to the 3D poker sites is that they are very resource intensive and will require a relatively modern PC to play on without the software lagging, particularly if you want to play multiple tables. You can play up to 9 tables at the biggest 3D poker site ‘PKR’, but the screen will be very crowded and the display options require some heavy customisation to minimise lag on even the best computers.
Traditional poker sites, with their top down view and basic animation, don’t use a lot of processing power and even a basic PC can run most poker software packages without too much trouble. 3D poker sites are a little more demanding. The slick animations and detailed graphics will put a little more strain on your hardware and to enjoy the 3D experience to its fullest, you’ll need a PC capable of dealing with the increased load.
To ensure things run smoothly, you’ll want a processor with a speed of at least 2GHz, and with a minimum of 2 GB of RAM. On top of this you’ll need a good 128 MB Nvidia or ATI graphics card, with DirectX 9 compatible drivers.
The last important thing to note is that you’ll also need a better internet connection for 3D poker. As well as sending and receiving data about your cards and bet sizes, 3D sites will also be transferring other input like chip tricks and player movements, which take up much more bandwidth than standard online poker. We recommend a broadband connection with a bandwidth of at least 1 Mbps for playing 3D poker.
3D poker sites are a rising trend in the online poker world, and are quickly gaining a market share and making their presence known to the traditional 2D poker sites. At the moment there are only a few 3D poker rooms, but the top one, PKR.com, is miles ahead of the rest, and blows away all of the 2D poker rooms when it comes to graphics, game play, and user interactivity. We highly suggest PKR if you are looking for a three-dimensional poker room:
Rank | Poker Site | Bonus | Referral Code | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 100% up to $800 | PK800 | www.PKR.com |
Unfortunately, none of the 3D poker sites accept USA players for real money play. If you are an American you can still sign up and play for play money, but you won't be able to deposit or participate in freerolls. If you would like to play for real money, check out this list of American poker sites.
If you would like to learn more about the 3D poker sites, read the summaries below:
888 Poker is ranked as the best 3D poker room because of their unique and customized software, along with the seamlessly integrated tools and multi-table features. The poker room offers the standard game selection in addition to a wide variety of online tournaments with massive guarantees. Additionally, 888 Poker is a great option for Mac or Linux players that want to play at a 3D poker room without being forced to use the Windows version.
All new players qualify for our exclusive $600 first deposit bonus. The bonus gives you cash upfront, in addition to a match offer. This allows you to immediately boost your bankroll on your first deposit and a bit more leeway when hitting the tables. You don't need a bonus code. Simply join 888 Poker's 3D poker room using the links on this page.
$600/€400/£400 Bonus at 888 Poker
PKR is our favorite online 3D poker site because of their smooth game play, video game-like graphics, and extensive player customization options. Players can choose from over a dozen different view points at the table, including a camera option which follows the action from player to player, just like you would see on a poker TV show. Also, each player can customize their character with new clothes, accessories, expressions, and more. One of my favorite tournaments at PKR is their PKR yearly championship. The winner gets a huge payday, as well as a golden bracelet that they can sport at the virtual tables.
The only drawback with PKR is the fact that the software is resource intensive, so you'll need a computer that is relatively new. As long as your computer was made within the last five years, it should be able to handle the PKR software. Learn more at our PKR.com Review.
$800 Bonus at PKR Poker with Bonus Code: PK800
Besides PKR, there are a few other 3D sites including TruePoker.com and World3DPoker among others. However, any 3D poker sites that aren't listed on this page can't compete with PKR, and you can be sure we've reviewed them and deemed them to be sub-par. If you try out any of the other rooms you are certain to find horrible software and scarce player traffic, so we really suggest you try out PKR.
If you have only played at traditional 2D poker rooms, you have probably gotten used to the overhead table view with small icons to indicate each player at the table. Now that you are considering 3D poker though, it is time to throw that idea out the window. 3D poker sites give you a truly three dimensional view of the table, and you can move the camera around to find the best angle for you. It is hard to explain - check out this video for a first hand experience:
Now you can see how truly amazing the PKR software is, and why it is a ton of fun to play at PKR.com.
One issue that 3D poker has had throughout its rise is the fact that the software is a lot more resource intensive than a normal 2D poker room like PokerStars. If you have an older computer, you might have an issue with running the 3D software. Luckily, PKR has developed a 'low-spec' version of their software that is much less resource intensive, but even that might stress a really old computer. Here are some specs provided by PKR.com - if your computer meets these requirements you'll have no problems running the software.
If you aren't good with technical stuff, basically we can sum it up like this: if your computer was made in the last five years it will have no problem running PKR, especially on the low spec version. If the computer is older than that, you can try it out but we can't guarantee it will work.