International · Poker Network
888
888 is one of the largest operators in the world, running its own proprietary software rather than sharing a third-party platform. The player pool skews casual, with a strong promotional and bonus focus that tends to attract recreational traffic — a favourable environment for players who aren't looking to grind against a field full of regulars.
888 traces back to 1997, when two pairs of brothers — Avi and Aaron Shaked, and Ron and Shay Ben-Yitzhak — founded a company called Virtual Holdings Limited. Its first product wasn't poker at all; it was an online casino called Casino-on-Net.
Poker came in 2002 with the launch of Pacific Poker, which grew quickly by cross-promoting with the company's existing casino traffic. In 2006, after listing on the London Stock Exchange as 888 Holdings, the company unified all of its brands under the 888 name — Pacific Poker became 888poker, the name it still carries today.
Unlike most of the networks on this page, 888 has always run on its own proprietary software rather than sharing a platform with other skins — which is exactly why there's only one room to talk about here.