Mac Poker

One of the worst things about those funny little Mac computers is that it can be tough to find a good poker site to play Internet poker at.  It used to be almost impossible to find poker rooms that supported Macs, but luckily times have been a-changing.

Top 2 Mac Poker Sites

Two things have helped to change this.  First of all, the Mac following has grown over the years and poker sites have seen the advantage in supplying them with Mac friendly software.  Additionally, the online poker industry has matured and poker sites are now able to focus on things other than just survival.

There are three ways to play poker on a Mac.  You can find a poker room that offers no-download poker, you can use a PC emulator to run the software of any poker site, or you can find a poker room that offers Mac-friendly software.  There are advantages and drawbacks to all three, so read on for the full story.

No Download Poker

No download poker is the easiest solution to playing on a Mac.  This is where a poker site allows you to play through your web browser, similar to playing a Java based game online.  The good thing is this is easy to do; all you have to do is type in the address of the poker site and you’re in business.  Party Poker, Pacific Poker, Poker Room and Absolute Poker all offer no download poker.

The disadvantages of no download poker are somewhat numerous.  First, playing through your web browser is usually slower than playing on the software.  Second, it’s difficult to browse the lobby while playing at a table.  And last, multi-tabling is severely limited if even possible.  I highly recommend you find a different way to play.

PC Emulator

The most complete solution to playing poker on a Mac is to use a PC emulator to run Windows-based poker software on your Mac.  PC emulators are designed to let Macs run all the same software as PCs.  One of the more popular emulators is Boot Camp by Apple.

This program will run Windows and all the programs designed for Windows on your Mac computer.  You can learn more at www.apple.com/macosx/features/bootcamp.html.

The biggest drawback to this solution is its $130 price tag.  If you can get past the price and any trouble you have getting started with the software then this solution will get you up and playing poker at any room you wish.

Mac Friendly Software

The last option you have is to find a poker site that offers Mac friendly software.  Two of the biggest sites that offer Mac poker downloads are Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars.  Once you find a site you like that offers a Mac download, you’re good to go.

The only drawback to this option is the difficulty in finding poker sites that offer Mac software downloads.  Once you find one you like, however, your Mac poker troubles are finished.  I recommend this solution whenever its possible because its easy to implement and it doesn’t cost anything.

Hopefully some day soon it will be the standard for poker sites to offer Mac versions of their software.  Until then, it may be a little difficult to get up and going – but it is possible.  Just keep this guide handy and check your favorite poker sites for updates.