Poker is a timeless card game that combines skill, strategy, and luck and has endured for centuries. It comes in many variants, most notably Texas Hold'em and Omaha, and is played casually and professionally worldwide. In the late 90s and early 2000s, poker began transitioning into the digital realm with the advent of the internet. Since then, countless poker websites/apps have come and gone, with varying models–Real-money poker, free poker (chip-based), sweepstakes, and ad-supported, among others. Despite the many options, navigating and using them can often be challenging for players. For this article, we will focus specifically on free poker offerings.
Free poker sites offer players the ability to enjoy the game risk-free. These sites provide a variety of poker variations and often include tutorials, practice modes, and community features to enhance the learning experience. While they are a great way to hone skills and enjoy casual play, many free options have complications, including intrusive adverts, spammy chip-upsells, and complex interfaces that can intimidate new players. Despite these challenges, free poker sites remain popular among enthusiasts looking to play and improve their skills without spending money. In a world of cluttered free options, Poker Patio stands out.
Their homepage describes the site as “A free online poker website developed with the intention to make the game of poker simple and fun for all players to enjoy.” Poker Patio is a simplistic site, rapidly evolving into a more feature-robust platform. On the site, you can play Texas Hold’em with three options:
- Public lobbies: Browse the list of public games and play poker live with players worldwide. Hop into a lobby at any time. Games range from 2-10 players.
- Private games (play with friends): Start a lobby and play poker with your friends without the hassle of registration. Players can join or exit as they please. Games can be played with up to 10 players, making it a perfect platform for your poker nights. Start a game and play with friends in less than 15 seconds!
- Bot game: Compete against easy-medium bots. It’s a perfect place for beginner-intermediate players to practice their skills. Hard mode is coming soon.
Aggressive monetization can kill a great platform. One aspect that makes Poker Patio unique compared to other free poker websites/apps is its unobtrusive monetization strategy. There are virtually no ads, chip sales, memberships, etc. The only ads are reward ads for rebuying with a full stack in public games. Hopefully, they will maintain this level of unobtrusiveness in the future.
According to their changelog, it’s become clear that the next major update is free registrations. Allowing players to create an account to reserve their username, avatar, save stats, add friends, etc. Registration is a pivotal step for Poker Patio, as they continue to build out new features. It’s been exciting to see the continued growth and innovation of the site over the past year, and I’m sure there is so much more to come!