There Are Different Kinds of Mac-Compatibility
PC users don't even have to consider what kind of software they'll be presented with at major poker rooms. They can generally choose to download the full package or play the streaming version online. Mac users, however, cannot find downloadable Mac software everywhere. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; many players still actively prefer no-download poker rooms. But if you do have your heart set on downloading Mac software, you simply have to be more selective. Check out our review section for more information about all of the Mac-friendly poker rooms listed above for the technical software details.
Mac poker software
As most poker players would know, a lot of sites require
you to download their game software in order for you to
play poker online. Traditionally the software was made
for Windows, as it was the most popular platform when
poker sites started getting popular. Mac, in fact, was
on the decline at one point and the company was on the
verge of disaster. But post 2002, Windows came up with
a bloated and not very impressive operating system called
Vista, whereas Apple went on to make brilliant computers
and operating system in the form of iMac and Mac OS X.
It was at this time that people started turning to Mac
as a computing solution. It was natural that the players
who turned to Mac would want to play poker on their new
computers. This led to the rise of Mac compatible poker
software. This being said, Mac poker sites are by no means
as popular as the standard Windows compatible sites. Mac
users have to opt for sites that run on Java or flash
and allow them to play without downloading the software.
Mac poker software is in no significant way different
to the Windows poker software. It provides the same features
and same functions. So Mac users do not get an added advantage
or any disadvantage. If you have a Mac and are unable
to get the Mac version of your favorite poker site's software,
then, either you can use Boot Camp to install Windows,
or you can use third party software like VMware to install
Windows on your Mac machine and then play on your favorite
poker sites.
Mac poker rooms
There are several good Mac poker sites out there. Here
are a few that you can play at:
- PokerStars: PokerStars is the biggest
online poker site in the world, with more than three
times the number of players of its closest rival. So
it’s obvious that to keep such a large customer base
happy they would need to provide a Mac version of their
software.
- PartyPoker: PartyPoker does not provide
downloadable software, but rather provides a different
solution. It offers its poker games through Java, which
is pre-installed on a Mac.