Mac Poker Websites

I´m not one of those annoying Mac users that jump up and down and say how much better playing poker on a Mac is than playing poker on Windows. I use a Mac because I have to for my job (this job), and I generally find it more reliable than a Windows PC. Where I think there is an advantage to playing poker on a Mac is its superior processing speed, which can come in handy if you are multitabling on a poker website that requires a lot of RAM – for example Party Poker.

These days finding a poker website that is compatible with a Mac is far simpler than it once was; although several sites advertise that they are Mac compatible and then you find that they have created some substandard Flash version of their Windows poker software, and you would be better off playing online poker with a Windows emulator.

So, this page is all about which online poker sites genuinely provide a native Mac client, which provide an acceptable Flash product that you can play in your web browser and I have also dropped in a short Q&A at the bottom of the page to answer a few questions about Mac compatibility and some of the more technical questions I have encountered in the past which may help you if you want to play online poker on a Mac.

Where to Play Online Poker on a Mac

PokerStars

Without a shadow of a doubt, the poker website which has always provided the best service for poker players with a Mac is PokerStars. PokerStars may not have been the first poker website to offer online poker for a Mac (they were a couple of years behind Full Tilt Poker when their first Mac compatible poker download was made available in 2008), but their software was the best available at the time and still is in my opinion.

There are pros and cons of playing at PokerStars which you can read in my PokerStars review; and, if you are a Mac owner who is new to the game of online poker, you need to be a little bit careful about how much money you bring to the tables. Mac owners tend to be more creative than stuffy PC owners, but creativity in online poker can work out to be a little bit expensive if you are not sure of what you are doing!

Party Poker

As I mentioned above, if you are looking for a challenge, then multitable 16 Party Poker cash game tables on a Mac (I doubt it can be done on many Windows PCs). Party Poker´s Mac compatible software used to be a bit iffy in terms of reliability, but it has got much better in recent years and the site went through a massive software upgrade in September 2013 to improve their poker software for a Mac even more.

Party Poker has traditionally been the poker website at which many of today´s leading stars of the game cut their online teeth, and in my review of Party Poker I explain why it is still a good place to learn how to play online poker. Furthermore, I can offer new players to Party Poker an exclusive Loui Levino poker bonus in which you can get a Party Poker bonus of up to $500.00, rather than the $50.00 offered directly by the site.

888Poker

888Poker provides a native Mac poker client for players in the US on its All American Poker Network and for WSOP.com, but – because the software in the US is not as good as it is in the rest of the world – doesn´t provide poker on a Mac for anybody else! Instead it has a fairly decent Flash version of its software that you can play in your web browser, but if you want to experience the best that 888Poker can offer, kick your kids off their Windows PCs and play on there instead.

I found in my review of 888Poker, that the site tends to prefer tournament players and you can play up to eight tournaments simultaneously on the Flash version of the software or if you are using a Windows emulator to play 888Poker on a Mac. Again, I can offer you an exclusive 888Poker bonus which is 50% more valuable than you can get directly from the site and some free poker money to try the software out first before you commit any of your own funds!

Mac Poker Sites FAQ

Can I play poker on my Mac OS?

Yes, PokerStars and Party Poker have Mac compatible software that is developed specifically for Mac players. You will have access to all of the same poker games and deposit options that Windows users have access to. 888Poker offers a Flash version of their software, but it does not have the full functionality that you would find on a Windows poker download.

Which Mac operating system versions are supported by these poker rooms?

Most sites will recommend that you use Mac OS X 10.6 or later, but you can get away with playing poker on a Mac on PokerStars with a Mac Tiger 10.4, and on Party Poker with a Mac Leopard 10.5.

How can I deposit money into my poker account if I have a Mac computer?

There are many sites that will accept credit card deposits. I recommend that you set up an ewallet account; this will allow you to easily move money between your online poker account and your back pocket. Check out a full list of poker deposit options here: Poker Deposits Online