{"id":23721,"date":"2020-07-31T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=23721"},"modified":"2021-06-24T07:59:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T12:59:15","slug":"pokerstars-vs-ggpoker-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/pokerstars-vs-ggpoker-review\/","title":{"rendered":"PokerStars vs GGPoker \u2013 Which Is Better?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More poker site comparisons by Casino.org include PokerStars vs 888poker<\/a> and PokerStars vs Party Poker<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many things have changed over the years, there is no doubt that PokerStars helped shape up the online poker world as we know it today. (You can read more about its history in our Stars vs 888 review<\/a>; we won\u2019t be covering that today.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, ever since Amaya (later named The\nStars Group Inc.) took over the site, PS has been moving further and further\naway from its original agenda. Nowadays, it\u2019s been moving in a direction that focused\nmore on recreational players, drifting away from \u201cpure\u201d poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed that no one could pick up where\nPokerStars has left off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If such a giant decided that online poker as\nthe world knows it was no longer a viable option, who would dare defy the idea?\nBut then, almost out of nowhere came GGPoker, clearly looking to take over the\nspot once held by PS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GGPoker was initially launched in 2014 as a\nprimarily Asia-facing room, but over the last couple of years the site has been\nmaking the play for the market \u2013 and they\u2019ve been doing a great job at it so\nfar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its roster of professionals is starting to look\nreally serious. It even includes the former PokerStars number one ambassador,\nDaniel Negreanu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negreanu, \u2018ElkY,\u2019 Bryn Kenney, and Fedor Holz<\/a> now make up the core of the GGPoker Team Pro, which clearly shows the site means business. A small poker room with no ambition wouldn\u2019t enter partnerships with such big names. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to choosing between\nPokerStars and GGPoker, which one should you pick? This PokerStars vs GGPoker review\nwill try to answer some of the most important questions to help you make that\ndecision.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While both have their pros and cons, the best choice\nwill depend on what exactly it is that you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software: PokerStars vs GGPoker \u2013 PS Wins (Only Just)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the longest time, PokerStars was the\nabsolute leader in terms of online poker software. For whatever reason, no\nother room could come close to offering a client that was as good-looking and\nplayer-friendly as that of PokerStars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sheer number of customization options at your disposal in the Stars client is quite impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can choose from different table layouts, select your preferred seat, set up auto-rebuy options for cash games and tournaments, and do much more to make the platform your own. (We go into more depth of the options in our PS vs 888 review<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of all this, the client runs smoothly\nwith no serious glitches to hinder your experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then came GGPoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, the brains behind this site know exactly\nwhat it takes to attract players and build a loyal community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They didn\u2019t repeat the mistakes of their predecessors by launching substandard software. They made sure GGPoker was almost as good as that of PokerStars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"GGPoker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lobby of GGPoker is nicely organized to\noffer an overview of main options, such as Hold\u2019em and Omaha cash games,\nscheduled tournaments, Spin & Gold games, Rush & Cash, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game filters aren\u2019t as detailed as the ones\noffered by Stars, but they definitely do the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both sites also offer mobile apps for all types\nof devices, but PokerStars outshines GG here. This isn\u2019t to say that GGPoker\nmobile app isn\u2019t good, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s quite decent – you\u2019ll be able to play your\nsessions just fine – but it\u2019s not as advanced as the PokerStars mobile product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game Variety: PokerStars vs GGPoker – PS Wins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One thing that PokerStars has always done\nbetter than the rest on is its games selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stars has gone well beyond providing players with Texas Hold\u2019em and Omaha games. These days, you can find almost anything you can think of over there, from Seven Card Stud and Razz, to Five Card Draw and Badugi \u2013 and anything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GGPoker isn\u2019t as colorful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find Texas Hold\u2019em and Omaha, both as\ncash games and tournaments. Beyond this, there is also Short Deck (6+ Hold\u2019em)\ntables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you\u2019re an 8-game specialist looking for\nsome high stakes action, you won\u2019t find it here. For the time being, GGPoker\nisn\u2019t offering any of the more \u201cexotic\u201d variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why in this section, Stars takes the\nwin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, GGPoker may be expanding its\noffering in the months and years to come, especially if its upward trajectory\ncontinues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the time being, though, Stars is the only\nreal option if you\u2019re looking for games that can\u2019t be described as mainstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tournament Schedule & Cash Game Options: <\/strong>PokerStars vs GGPoker<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Both PokerStars and GGPoker offer some exciting\noptions for the players. However, depending on your personal preferences, one\nroom might be the better option than the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how they compare in two of the most\nimportant categories, scheduled tournaments and cash game tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule MTTs &\nSpecial Events<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to multi-table tournaments, no\nroom can stand up to PokerStars (for now).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to its huge traffic and the fact they\u2019ve\nbeen the go-to place for tournament grinders and casuals with a dream for\nyears, Stars continues to reign supreme in this category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for daily and weekly events\nwith big fields and huge guarantees, PokerStars is the place for you. Whether\nyou want to play high buy-in events or build your bankroll playing small-stakes\nMTTs, all options are on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For serious players, PokerStars organizes regular major online events like Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) and the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), featuring multiple tiers catering to all bankrolls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It offers massive guaranteed prize pools across dozens of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GGPoker may not be as rich when it comes to\ntournaments, but it\u2019s certainly done a great job in creating a schedule that\nbeats the rest of the competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find a very good number of events\nstarting around the clock, with decent prize pools every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because GGPoker has stable player traffic, it\u2019s\nable to offer MTTs with generous guarantees without fear of overlay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like PokerStars has Sunday Million,\nGGPoker has GGMasters. This is its flagship tournament taking place every\nSunday, with a guaranteed prize pool of $500,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The buy-in is $150, so most players can afford\nto take a shot once a week. Those who don\u2019t can try and earn their seat through\none of many satellites running every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GGPoker is showing that it\u2019s very interested in\nattracting tournament players. The room has also launched its Multi MILLION$\nseries, featuring three significant events every week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global MILLION$ features the guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000 (and the buy-in of just $100), and High Roller MILLION$ guarantees $2,000,000 in prizes for the buy-in of $500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"GGPoker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, while PokerStars remains the leader in this\nparticular category by its tournament offers, GGPoker is definitely an\ninteresting place to explore, especially due to much softer competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re an MTT player, you\u2019ll find plenty of\nevents here, especially if you already have a decent bankroll to work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to play very small buy-ins,\nthough, PS is probably still a better choice as you\u2019ll find more events in\nevery bracket, including micro stakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cash Games \u2013 GGPoker Wins\n(For Those Looking To Make Money)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to cash game action, GGPoker is seriously<\/em>\nthreatening to take the top spot and become the go-to place for many players,\nespecially high rollers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars still leads the way here, but the team\nat GG knows what it\u2019s doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And players seem to be loving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start with Stars, you\u2019ll find a great range of tables starting as low as NL2 and going as high as NL40,000. However, you won\u2019t find many games over $25\/$50 actually running. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to special functions, PokerStars\noffers a \u2018run it twice\u2019 feature as well as an all-in cash out feature that, as\nyou might have guessed, lets you cash out your equity when you\u2019re all in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use this whenever as it doesn\u2019t depend\non your opponent\u2019s decisions, and you simply cash out your mathematical EV and\nget the money – regardless of what happens with the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At GGPoker, the lowest stakes available are $0.02\/$0.05,\nso if you are on an exceptionally tight bankroll, you\u2019re probably better off\nstarting over at PokerStars. As for the higher stakes, regular games go up to\n$5\/$10, which isn\u2019t crazy high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, GGPoker also offers VIP high stakes\ntables where players can start their own games and go as high as they want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an awesome feature that could attract many high rollers, especially as GG gains more visibility and reputation through sponsoring well-known players like Negreanu and Holz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"GGPoker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After Full Tilt Poker shut down, no room took\nover in terms of real nosebleeds. But GGPoker seems to be making a play for\nthis space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of this, GGPoker also offers a variety\nof fun features that let the players enjoy their sessions more and make the\nplay more like that at the live tables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the perks available at GG cash game\ntables include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n