| Online Poker Center | ||
|
||
|
||
|
||
| Support the FAQ | ||
|
Four Options to Play Poker on a Mac
1. Use a Java Based Poker Room
A poker room that runs on Java is compatible with Macs. Mac poker players who choose Java will be running the software in the browser. Most new Macs come installed with Java Runtime. If Java is not installed on the Mac users can download Java for free at Java.com. The first online poker room to become Java based and support Macs is a placed called PokerRoom. This poker room uses a download feature and gives Mac and Linux users the opportunity to play their site using the Java version. PokerRoom has used this Java software since 1997. This site is connected to Ongame Network. Ongame Network is notorious for their popular Java based poker rooms. Sister sites of PokerRoom are HoldemPoker, EuroPoker, and EcardRoom. All of these sites will run on Macs. Other popular poker rooms that run on Java include Pacific Poker and HollywoodPoker. Some downfalls of using Java to play online poker include lagging software and potential disconnects. Java poker software is also stripped of added accessories such as table sorting, excessive graphics, and note taking features.
A recent combat against banned poker software and cheating online players is the use of DLL injection by larger poker rooms such as Party Poker to detect this BOT like software. Poker rooms are allowed to do this on their own software but can not do so on Java. These llh.dll injections by the poker room capture information about what programs you are running and then sends them back to the poker servers or websites. The poker rooms then take this information to see if you are running banned software to cheat the system such as Poker Edge or Poker Prophecy. Some players say this is a violation of privacy and are employing their own blockers of this DLL such as Anti-hook. In any case the owner of Java poker clients can not run the DLL files to capture your information because it is protected by the Java runtime sandbox model. It's really a privacy versus security issue. Some players would rather block these DLLs from spying on them and some users like the fact that poker rooms are employing these methods in their ongoing effort to get rid of cheaters.
2. Playing at Native Poker Rooms
A native poker room consists of software that will allow Mac users to actually download the software. Native poker rooms give users more abilities and accessories when playing the software. Note taking, avatars, table sorting, and added features are some of the positives that native software has over Java based poker rooms. Some players also notice more stability when playing a downloadable poker room that runs on a Mac. There are fewer native poker rooms that run on Macs than on Java. Fulltilt is a new addition to the native Mac poker software. Bugsysclub and Gamesgrid are long time owners of native Mac poker software.
3. Using Virtual PC to Play Poker on a Mac
Virtual PC is a component produced by Microsoft that allows Mac users to run Windows based programs. Common complaints made by Mac Virtual PC users are that it runs very sluggishly and is prone to viruses. Virtual PC is also commonly referred to as a PC emulator. Costs of this software range but the average cost is near $100. Users must also purchase Windows software in order to run Windows programs. This option is similar to performing a dual boot as Mac users can run both OS X and Windows on the same computer. Non-Intel users must use this option as opposed to performing a dual boot because dual boots can only be done on Macs that have an Intel processor.
4. Performing Dual Boots to Play Online Poker
This is the most recent advancement in the Mac poker community. The idea has been long sought by Mac users wanting to perform Windows programs on their Mac. Macs that use Intel can perform this dual boot nicknamed “Boot Camp”. Boot Camp can be downloaded from Apple for free. One requirement for Mac users to perform this dual boot is that they must have a licensed copy of Windows in order to proceed with the dual boot commonly referred to as partitioning of a hard drive. Once the dual boot process is complete players can run poker programs such as Party Poker and other large Windows based sites.
DLL Privacy Invasion Potentials
It should also be noted that now you will be running Windows you are susceptible to Trojans, viruses, and worms commonly infecting Windows applications. These viruses and bugs can not affect your Mac applications but it is recommended to get some sort of Virus protection software for your Windows application side. As we talked about above some poker rooms are employing there own Trojan like DLLs to spy on you. This snooping around by the poker room is meant to keep you safe but you must be aware that once you download software that is not Java these poker rooms do have the capability of snooping around your applications to see what you are doing. Using illegal software to cheat at online poker will be detected and you must understand that these poker rooms can also view other private applications on your computer. This is not meant to scare users but rather to keep you aware of what poker rooms are doing with an intent to keep you safe. If you are worried about a potential invasion of private material on your computer we do recommend using Java clients instead.
Knowing Which Option to Choose
It all depends on the user's ability to understand operating systems as to which option above to go forward with. Online poker for Macs can also be expensive if users choose to go the Windows route. More complicated processes such as the “Dual Boot” will allow for greater flexibility in the long run but users must understand the technical aspects of partitioning a hard drive as files can be lost during this process.
This article piece was written by Roger Shriver the owner of Compatiblepoker.com which is the largest source for Mac poker players. Online poker for Linux is also addressed at CompatiblePoker.com. Full technical directions on performing Dual Boots, running Virtual PC, and finding a Java poker room are listed at the site (www.Compatiblepoker.com).