Online Poker begane about 10 years ago with one site...PLANET POKER. The software was limited to playing one table...and the lobby didn't stay open because many computers couldn't run too many windows at a time. Players had to pay the credit card fees up front, and the sites gradually paid back the fees as the player pid more rake.  Gradually the sites began to absorb the fees and this encouraged players to deposit.

PayPal was the preferred method of funding for most players for a while until EBay purchased PayPal and stopped dealing with gambling sites. Neteller filled the void and allowed players to keep their bankroll ready to move back and forth from site to site, and even allowed players to transfer money to each other.

DELTA POKER CLUB and the HIGHLANDS CLUB were similar software to PLANET...the real innovation in software was PARADISE POKER. PARADISE permitted players to play two tables at a time and later four tables.  Customer service was quite difficult to work with when players had problems in the beginning, and it was their way or the highway!

There was no real choice until PARTY POKER came on the scene and had great software, and a dedication to guaranteeing that plaeyrs would always find a game. The PROPOSITION PLAYERS in the early day would start games any time of day or night. As a result of massive advertising to publicize the original PARTY POKER MILLION CRUISE, Party initiated many innovations besides the use of proposition players....Instead of a ONE TIME PAYMENT for REFERRALS, PARTY shared the rake every month with AFFILIATES who were  really encouraged to get players to play at PARTY.

• cashier/deposits/withdrawals
• software/lobby/table/cashier/hand histories
• affiliates/referrals/.rakeback
• multi table tourney software/pokerstars
• customer service
• deposit bonuses/
• pokertracker/poker edge
• proposition players
• skins/networks
• skill/games of chance
• WSOP entries
• mega multi tabling/monitors/miniview
• poker on tv/wpt/wsop/hole camera
• poker books/aggressive play