Been playing cards online from Aus for a fair while now, mostly live tables these days, and I reckon a lot of newer players get distracted by the wrong stuff. Fancy lobby, big bonus banner, all that... means bugger all if the tables are slow, the limits are weird, or you're stuck on a 6:5 game hiding in the corner.
For me the main things are pretty simple: proper 3:2 payouts, decent table traffic without the dealer ripping through hands like they're late for smoko, and a site that doesn't muck around when you want to cash out. If I'm on a live table, camera quality and layout matter heaps too. Sounds minor until you're trying to work out if the dealer stands on soft 17 or whether surrender is even available. Some sites make you dig around for the actual rules and it does my head in.
One thing that matters more for Aussie players is the banking side not turning into a full saga. Easy deposit is whatever, every site manages that. I care more about whether the withdrawal gets approved without three extra rounds of docs and support sending copy-paste replies. If I'm playing in the arvo or late at night, I want chat support that can actually sort things, not just tell me to wait.
I still lean live dealer over RNG most of the time, just feels closer to the real thing and you can settle into a table if the pace is right. RNG is fine when I just want quick hands and no banter. Side bets... nah, usually leave them alone unless I'm happy to have a bit of a punt. Keen to hear what everyone else looks for first these days. Rules? Payout speed? Good dealers? Any sites you've stuck with because they just get it right without some bloody catch?