Online Poker Networks

Many online poker rooms share tables and payers with other poker sites. This is called a ‘poker network‘. Often, these poker rooms that operate on networks are called ‘skins’.

What exactly is a poker network, and how does it work?

Poker network skins recruit and manage their players individually, but when a player logs onto the poker software, they are sitting at the same tables and playing with the same players from all over the network.

Think of a poker network as a big poker room with lots of doors. People enter the room through many different doors (skins), but they can all interact with one another once they are inside the room. They can sit at the same table together, chat with each other, and exchange money with each other that they won at the tables. Once they want to leave, they walk back out through the same door with all of the money they acquired.

What is the point of a poker network?

Poker networks are necessary for smaller poker rooms to accumulate enough players to run enough poker games consistently. Without sharing tables, many smaller online poker rooms would not be able to operate without directly paying people to play.

With over 600 poker rooms in existence online, there just aren’t enough poker players to go around. If each site had to attract their players individually, then the number of poker sites would decrease dramatically. Another advantage of poker networks is that with multiple poker rooms advertising to increase a common pool of players, poker networks can grow much faster than an individual poker room.

Does this mean every poker site on a network is the same?

While each poker site on the same network shares the same tables and players, each individual poker site has its own strengths and weaknesses.  The best poker sites on each network add value and have their own feel.  Many poker rooms on the same network offer their players different sized sign up bonuses and player rewards programs.  It is important to choose a poker site that gives you the most bang for your buck, especially since everything else is the same.  If you are going to play in a game, you might as well be playing at a room that gives you a big bonus and lots of extras and promotions. Check out or list of online poker reviews before signing up at any poker room.

List Of All Online Poker Networks

Network US Avg.Traffic #of Skins Software Provider
iPoker Network 5400 80 Playtech
PartyPoker 3950 4 PartyGaming
Ongame Network 3050 27 bwin Interactive Entertainment
UltimateBet / Absolute Poker CLOSED CLOSED Cereus
International Poker Network 1820 77 Boss Media
CakePoker Network   1400 29 Cake Gaming
888Poker 940 6 888 Holdings
Microgaming Poker Network 920 47 Microgaming
Entraction Network 900 100 Entraction Holding AB
CryptoLogic Network 500 12 CryptoLogic Inc.
Ladbrokes 500 1 Microgaming
Merge Gaming Network   390 25 Merge Gaming
Yatahay Network 114 9 Yatahay
PokerNexus Network 110 3 Chartwell Technology
Everleaf Gaming Network 106 47 Red Planet Gaming
Action Poker Network 93 27 Playsafe Holding
Melita Gaming Network 70 5 Playmaker AG
The Flash Poker Network 54 6 The Flash Poker Network
BugsysClub Network 50 1 PokerPages / PokerSchoolOnline
Gold Chip Network 37 24 DobroSoft
*note – All traffic numbers are from pokerscout.com.