Online poker players seeking a good game should bear in mind traffic levels when deciding on a poker site to join. Poker sites with higher numbers of online players will consequently have more tables open and more variety in terms of game options. Traffic levels also have an impact on the standard of competition; with every increase in traffic, comes an increase in experienced professional players, and inexperienced fish.

PokerStars, which exists on its own independent network, has a hugely impressive rate of traffic to its site. PokerStars is a giant in the online poker world thanks to its legion of diehards fans who have been steadily flocking to the site for years. The site has a 24-hour peak of 23,513 players visiting, while its average sits at around 15,000 – a figure which blows its competitors out of the water. The number of average players tends to multiply several times when PokerStars holds its regular tournaments. No other poker site comes close in terms of traffic. It ensures that there is always a wide variety of multi-table and sit ‘n go poker games running at all times, to suit every player.

888 Poker is one of the top poker sites in the UK with arguably the best bonus for attracting new players. They have a respectable level of traffic to their site, with 2,300 being their 7 day average, and they can boast of a fairly impressive 24-hour peak of 3,458 players. Players visiting the 888 Poker site can be assured of always finding a high number of tables running in Texas Hold’em and Omaha, with a few going in Omaha Hi/Lo. Players seeking a game of 5 or 7 Card Stud may have to resort to peak times to find any tables however.

PartyPoker, operated by bwin.party entertainment group, also run on their own network. They average around 1,100 players at any given time, with a 24-hour peak of almost 2,000. Their traffic levels are sufficient to keep a healthy number of tables running at most times of the day, with more players naturally opting for the more popular options of No Limit Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.

Full Tilt operate on their own network and run a fairly successful and popular poker site. They maintain an average of around 800 players at any given time, and are recorded as having an average 24-hour peak of 1,256 players online (but this can usually is to 1,400 or higher). For 5 and 7 Card Stud games, as well as other Full Tilt options like Razz, Irish Poker and Triple Draw, players would need to try at peak hours to find any tables running on the site.

Bet365, Ladbrokes, and William Hill poker sites all run on the iPoker network, and therefore share their  traffic figures with other sites co-existing on the network. The iPoker network (operated by Playtech) records an average of around 1,400 to 1,500 players online, with a 24-hour peak of over 2,600.

PKR, the innovative 3D poker site, attracts players for its unique video game-like playing experience and its advanced graphics. While it doesn’t enjoy the same high levels of traffic as some of the bigger poker sites out there, it records a respectable 7 day average of 200 players online and a 24-hour peak of 352 players. Most likely to find active tables in No Limit Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.