Welcome to this comparison post between 888 and Pokerstars. which one is the best poker site? Both are fully legal & secured for UK players, but worth reading our comparison to find out which one fits you the best.
Contents
PokerStars vs 888 - which is better? - Compare the differences between the two poker sites in our full review to decide which one is best for your poker needs. PokerStars does offer more in terms of a variety of games including 5 Card Draw, Badugi, HORSE, HEROS, HOSE, Mixed Games, Razz, Single Draw Lowball 2-7 and Triple Draw Lowball 2-7. PokerStars does a better job incorporating these other poker games with tournaments, so they'll get the nod in this section.
Poker – PokerStars wins
888 Poker – 4/5
by choosing 888 as your poker gaming site, you can participate in a range of 10 different tournaments. this provides a very good selection, as you can play everything from sit & gos to progressive knockout events. the interface to play these poker tournaments is quite simple with 888 as well, which does make it easy to use, but at the same time, it does somewhat take away from that professional feel.
PokerStars – 5/5
after checking out the poker selection on this site, there is clearly a reason that PokerStars is one of the most trusted online poker brands in the UK. there are over 20 different tournament varieties that you can participate in on this site, and PokerStars actually allows members to take part in the first sections of professional events as well. this gives a great connection between amateur and professional poker players, and even if you are brand new to poker, you can make use of the poker school to get up to speed on how to play.
Welcome bonus: 888 Poker wins
888 – 5/5
we have chosen to give 888 full marks for this category because you do not need to deposit anything at all to claim a nice £20 bonus. there isn't a whole load of sites in the uk that currently offer a no deposit bonus for brand new customers, but as you can see, 888 is one of the few exceptions. needless to say, no deposit bonuses are always advantageous because it gives you a chance to try the site without investing your own money first of all.
you may use this bonus to enter any of the 888 poker tournaments as well, so you can somewhat control what games you enjoy through this offer. finally, you can make use of this offer through the 888 desktop site or through the mobile app, which provides you with even more flexibility to begin your 888 journey.
PokerStars – 4/5
PokerStars actually has the same value for its welcome bonus that 888 does, as you can unlock £20 as a new player bonus with this site. however, the reason we have awarded 888 with the win over PokerStars is that you have to actually make a deposit to grab this offer. this is different from the 888 welcome bonus, where you can trial the site without investing a single pound of your own money. with PokerStars, you are required to deposit at least £10 so that your account is credited with the £20 bonus.
Bonus for existing players: PokerStars wins
888 – 4/5
888 has respectable bonuses for existing players, but we feel like the randomness and the probability of actually getting rewards from them is not as great as with PokerStars. this is because the promotions are typically ‘luck of the draw' style bonuses, like ‘get £8 each time the number 8 appears on the roulette wheel'. there is certainly no shortage of existing player offers, but they do need to be adapted before we could award 888 with full marks for this category.
PokerStars – 5/5
on the whole, we feel that PokerStars offers a better variety of bonuses for existing customers, and they are slightly more creative compared to 888. what's also notable is that these bonuses are consistent and easy to claim too, as seen through promotions like spin and go 10, as well as spin and go 50.
Mobile application – PokerStars wins
888 – 4/5
the available mobile apps for the 888 brand are just as visually appealing as the desktop counterpart, however, there is a bit of a learning curve with using this app. we should stress that there are separate apps that you are required to download depending on the product you are wanting to use. specifically for online poker, there is a stand-alone poker app that you may use to play, although it's not quite as self-explanatory as the PokerStars mobile app is.
it takes a bit of getting used to the interface and how to filter through the available cash poker tournaments on the app. in addition to this, we don't feel like the poker interface is particularly appealing, despite the fact that the app itself has clearly been designed by professionals. 888 also falls short of PokerStars with its app because there is no exclusive mobile offer.
PokerStars – 5/5
you can download the PokerStars app right now for android and ios, so that should cover the majority of members on this site. we feel the app itself has been designed perfectly to facilitate online poker play, as it's incredibly easy to use, even if you are a beginner. just like 888, there is a separate app for poker gaming and casino play, but this does aid in the overall performance of the app.
the app is pretty quick to load up poker tournaments once you actually enter, and the interface for the poker tables is significantly better than 888. it has that nice professional feel without trying to incorporate too many features, which can often lead to confusion. in addition to all of this, by downloading the PokerStars casino app, new players can kick things off with 25 free spins, which is a mobile-only offer.
Pros & Cons
888 | pokerstars | ||
pros | cons | pros | cons |
no deposit bonus | different url for different products | easy to claim welcome offer | existing player offers could be better Casino salle de jeu paris. |
great aesthetics | loading times not ideal | huge jackpots on offer | stringent account verification process |
many payment options | poker interface not overly appealing | plenty of casino games to enjoy | no bingo gaming |
mobile friendly | high wagering conditions | trusted and reliable brand | customer support not always quick to respond |
Other Games Comparison
We have already established that both the 888 and PokerStars sites have a pretty solid range of online poker opportunities, but we also wanted to point out that both of these brands have other gaming products to offer as well. specifically, you can find a tasty selection of casino games whether you sign up with PokerStars or 888, although the providers and how the games operate is obviously different between the sites.
we have looked into four key gaming products for both of these brands in the categories below, and it really does show you that there is more to these sites than what initially meets the eye. if you are looking for a site that provides online poker opportunities combined with online casino gaming, then you do not want to skip through these sections. simply read on for full details.
Slots: 888 wins
888 – 5/5
Moving away from the poker offerings, it is quite clear that 888 dominates PokerStars in the slot gaming department. you can find games from leading software providers with 888, including games by red tiger, netent, and play n' go. you also have the luxury of more filtering options with 888, which allows you to find your desired games much quicker than you can with PokerStars. then concerning how the games actually function, the graphics are incredible with 888, and there are often new games added to the library on a daily basis.
PokerStars – 4/5
just like 888, PokerStars has plenty of online slot games that you can play once you sign up. the difference between the two brands, however, is that you can't really apply any filters to search specific games with PokerStars, and the graphics are nowhere near as good. of course, when you have these factors together, it is only logical to award 888 with the victory for this category. before we continue, however, we must point out that PokerStars has some truly awesome jackpot games, which you should definitely check out once you have registered for a new account.
Live games / live casino: PokerStars wins
888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Reddit Match
888 – 4/5
888 has a very respectable range of live casino games, with more than 20 that you can currently play. these games are open at all hours of the day for members to enjoy, and there is quite a selection of dealers to keep things from becoming stale. you can interact with these dealers and other players through the live chat functionality on each game, and concerning the quality of the live stream for the games, it is generally very good.
you can play a whole range of games for roulette, blackjack, and poker here, but the wagering minimums are not quite as friendly as they are with PokerStars. this means that in order to enjoy live casino play, you will need to invest much more money than if you chose to play any of the virtual games.
PokerStars – 5/5
PokerStars has an incredibly similar range of live casino games, with just over 20 that all members can play. however, we feel that the selection is better than 888 due to the variety of games that are available, as well as the relatively low bet minimums. there are games within this live section where you can bet for just 10p or 20p, which is lower than 888, and therefore friendlier to a wider range of players. Texas hold'em flush tie breaker. it's also quite cool that PokerStars has chosen not to stick to the traditional games like blackjack and roulette, for it also has a unique range of gameshow style titles, as seen with dream catcher and crazy time.
Bingo – 888 wins
888 – 4/5
While 888 does offer online bingo, it almost feels like this is one of the forgotten products of the site. once you navigate to the bingo section, the aesthetics are nothing like the main site, and the general appeal is not particularly fantastic. on the plus side, at least there is a respectable variety of 90 ball and 75 ball bingo games to play.
PokerStars – 1/5
Given that PokerStars does not offer any form of online bingo, we have to award them with a 1/5 for this section, unfortunately.
User experience – PokerStars wins
888 – 4/5
If we were to base our decision on visual appearance alone, then 888 would undoubtedly steal the show. however, despite all of the advanced features and the awesome colour scheme that has been used, we feel that it isn't actually that easy to navigate. in addition to this, we experienced a few technical glitches when switching between the product categories on the site.
PokerStars – 5/5
PokerStars just has to receive the top grade available for this category, as this site is pretty much flawless in every aspect. it doesn't have the same vibrant and professional aesthetics that 888 does, but it's a site that is far easier to use and the performance is exceptional. needless to say, this then adds up to a fantastic user experience whether you are brand new to online gaming or well versed in it.
Best casino: Pokerstars
888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Reddit Streams
If online poker gaming is primarily what you are searching for, then it really doesn't get much better than what PokerStars has to offer. This site is a poker player's dream, as there are tournaments galore and even a poker school that you can check out if you are brand new to online poker play. we love that PokerStars is set up in a way that it performs exceptionally well on both desktop and mobile platforms, and concerning the popularity of this site, you can regularly see thousands of players online at any one time.
of course, as you have seen through this post, 888 also has a respectable poker setup, but we feel that it isn't quite as advanced as what PokerStars has. in 888's favour, however, it has a generally better supply of alternative games besides poker, which is a major strength of the 888 brand overall. it is also a site that is loaded with bonuses, and as we have discussed earlier, and these bonuses are regular, as well as easy to obtain.
888 Poker Vs Pokerstars Reddit Play
To conclude, from an online poker playing perspective, PokerStars has to be the site of choice in 2020. If you are searching for an all-in-one gaming site, try Bet365 instead has it offers everything: sports betting, poker, casino, …