Poker sites in 2012 are mostly compatible across the board, with some exceptions. That doesn’t create all compatible poker sites equal though – as the qualify of user experience can vary greatly. This is especially true when comparing compatible poker site software that is available to download compared to instant play versions.

Expect this page to be full of relevant information about poker sites compability issues for 2012, focused mostly on the subjects below:

• Java Poker Sites – Java is not an operating system but it gets its own page here because it is compatible with all operating systems. Most computers and operating systems can display Java, so many online poker sites use Java as a sort of catch-all solution to compatibility. If you have a computer and can browse the internet, you can play at Java poker sites without having to download anything to your computer.
• Linux Poker Sites – Linux is loved by many but its following hasn’t yet attracted the attention of online poker sites. To date, we have not found a single poker site that has software designed specifically for Linux computers. The good news is that no-download and emulator solutions make it easy to play through your Linux. Visit our Linux poker sites page for more details.
• Mac Online Poker Sites – Mac is the second-most used operating system after Windows and most online poker sites know this. As a result, it’s not too difficult to find poker sites that are compatible with Mac computers. Some Mac online poker sites have actual Mac software and others simply use a no-download option to satisfy Mac users.
• Ubuntu Poker Sites – Ubuntu is another popular alternative to Windows but it too is neglected by the online poker industry. There are no online poker sites that cater to Ubuntu users but there are still options such as no-download software and emulators. You can read more about these solutions on our Ubuntu poker sites page.

Online poker compatibility is a non-issue for PC users, but it is a major concern for those of you who use other computer operating systems. Fortunately, the online poker industry has made big strides in recent years in the compatibility of their poker sites. In these top lists, we have ranked the best poker sites for each of the most popular operating systems in use.

Most non-PC users have a few options for finding compatible online poker sites. Mac users have it the easiest, but Linux and Ubuntu users aren’t completely out of luck either. There are several solutions for you too – most notably Java poker sites. In any case, there is always a way to get online poker to work on your computer. It may not always be an instant fix, but it can be done.

Take a look at our pages dedicated to each computer operating system to find out more about playing poker on your setup. We also have a page that talks about playing poker through Java technology, which is included in all current internet browsers. As the saying goes, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Ranking Online Poker Sites By Operating System

There are multiple poker sites that are compatible with each operating system and we have ranked these sites according to their compatibility, security and game selection. Compatibility is the foremost factor but security and game selection are also important in their own rights.

The level of compatibility varies from one poker site to the next. Some poker sites may claim they are compatible with Mac computers, for example, but then fail to mention that important features are missing. When we rank online poker sites by compatibility, the first thing we consider is how well that poker site works with the software in question.

Security is always equally important because without security, there’s no point in playing poker in the first place. Fortunately, we’ve been around long enough to know which poker sites are trustworthy and which ones should be avoided. If you go with any of the online poker sites we recommend here, you will be in good hands.

Once the compatibility and security of a poker site have been established, we can then look at the game selection as the final ranking factor. It’s nice to play at safe, compatible poker sites, but it’s important to have opponents to play against. A good thing we’ve noticed in this regard is that the largest poker sites with the biggest game selection also tend to be the most compatible with various operating systems.