1. Best Real Money Poker Sites For Us Players
2. Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa
3. Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa
4. Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa

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When online poker first boomed in the early 2000s, it was big. Games were soft, tournaments were massive, and cash games were always full. While Black Friday put the brakes on that boom, the industry is poised to boom again. As states in the US and the federal government continue to overturn anti-poker legislations, the way is paved for online poker action as we’ve never seen before.

The best news is that the early stages of the boom are already here, and you can play online poker for real money right now! Included in this guide, you’ll find the best online poker sites for every need, breakdowns of the strategies needed to win, and full explanations of everything else you need to know. The time is now to get the cards in the air, and you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your chair.

1. The online poker sites our list provides you includes the very best promotions that will boost your bankroll and give you with the opportunity to play poker online for real of play money. From high paying tournaments to a fantastic social vibe, the best online poker sites bring you that extra something to make it worth your while to sign up.
2. Factors To Consider when playing online poker for real money. The site’s reputation is a key factor when trusting your money to them. Plus, since a site would need a couple of years to gain proper.

Best Online Poker Sites for US Players

The overall quality of your online poker experience is heavily driven by the poker site you choose to play at. The best online poker sites for US players offer fast payouts, extensive gaming action, great bonuses, and a trustworthy experience. While options are somewhat limited compared with the rest of the world, there are still high-quality poker rooms offering action.

Below you’ll find an up-to-date (and regularly updated) list of the top poker sites in the United States. All of these sites are regularly vetted by our team of experts and compared against other industry options. If you’re looking for the top online poker rooms in the states, these are your industry leaders.

• Bovada Poker
• BetOnline Poker
• SB Poker

Best Online Poker Sites for Non-US Players

Black Friday may not have shut down poker sites for the rest of the world, but it did cut out a large percentage of the player pool. As legislation changes and some players move to new parts of the world, the poker economy in places like Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, and South Africa continue to recover and get better. The best poker sites for Non-US players are safe, secure, payout fast, and have extensive action on real money poker.

• Betway
• Guts
• 888poker

Play Texas Hold’em Online for Real Money

Undoubtedly the hottest poker variation in existence is Texas Hold’em. The game is action-packed and gives players the opportunity to win (or lose) big on every single hand. Invented in the early 1900s in Texas (of course), the game has exploded in popularity over the last century.
Because of the many nuances and skillsets needed to be a winning Texas Hold’em player, it’s no surprise that the World Championship of Poker is decided by playing Texas Hold’em.

Best Texas Holdem Poker Sites

The best Texas Hold’em poker sites deliver massive tournaments, full cash game tables, great bonuses, and plenty of fish for you sharks to chomp on. As the United States moves toward full-on regulation of the game, the action and site options continue to grow. The best way to ensure the most success and the biggest pots is by sticking to the top-rated online Texas Hold’em poker sites.

Other Popular Online Poker Variations

Texas Hold’em may be the granddaddy of them all, but it’s not the only poker variation available. Many different versions of poker exist, and each of them offers unique opportunities to win and make money.

Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

If playing a game with two cards is fun, playing a game with four cards must be twice as fun, right? Well, if you ask the players who love PLO this question, you’ll get a resounding yes. PLO has been around for years, but over the last decade has exploded in popularity, mainly due to the excitement and heightened action the poker variation brings to the table.

Stud Poker

Hands down the most classic form of poker is a tie between Stud Poker and Draw Poker. While many seasoned players love the game, Stud Poker is not just for older folks. The younger generation is finding the value and excitement that can come from this heavily analytical form of poker.

Draw Poker

Prior to Texas Hold’em coming onto the scene, the poker variation you probably played growing up was a form of Draw Poker. The several different variations of draw poker allow players to dump hands and cards that aren’t profitable for the chance at picking up a winner.

Best Real Money Poker Sites for Beginners

Many of you reading this guide may be new to the game of poker. Maybe you’re new to the game altogether? Maybe you’ve played before but never online? Maybe you’ve played for fun but never for real money? Whatever the case, you’re in the right spot.

When you’re first starting out playing poker online, you don’t want to be overwhelmed or swallowed up by sharks. The best US real money poker sites for beginners are user-friendly, offer low stakes, provide play money tables, and are not infested with good players.

Safest Poker Sites Anywhere Online

You won’t find us recommending any online poker rooms that are not the safest and most protected experiences. That being said, there are some options that go above and beyond when it comes to safety, security, and user protections. If this is of the utmost importance to you, we’ve included a thorough and regularly updated list of the safest online poker sites below.

The Legality of Online Poker Sites for Real Money

Over the years, real money online poker has had some major ups and some major downs. As governments around the world jockey to figure out how to deal with online poker, the climate continues to change rapidly. If you’re worried about the legality of online poker, we’ve pulled in some experts to help break down the current situation for you.

Laws and regulations will depend heavily on where you live. Additionally, things change rapidly, so it’s always important to stay up to speed. Our experts will look at the legality of online poker in all major jurisdictions. Be sure to keep an eye on our news section to stay as up to date as possible when things change.

Playing Online Poker Tournaments for Money

Real Money poker tournaments are heavily responsible for the industry boom over the past two decades. There is just something exciting about knowing you can turn a smaller buy-in into a massive win just by beating out some competition. Online poker tournaments come in all shapes and sizes.

You can play tournaments for buy-ins as little as a penny or as much as $100,000. Prize pools at top poker sites have been known to be millions and millions of dollars.

In the guide linked below, we break down every detail you need to know about online poker tournaments where you can win real money. We’ll discuss the types of tournaments available, live vs. online, how to get started, and where to find the best action.

Sit and Go Poker Online

If you’re looking for a little real money poker tournament action, but you want it on demand, you’re looking for sit and gos (SNGs). These smaller entrant pool tournaments don’t have scheduled start times like multi-table online poker tournaments. Instead, you sit, and when all the seats are filled, you go. But don’t let the simplicity fool you into thinking there isn’t a ton of money to be made in SNGs.

Whether you want to play heads-up SNGs, single-table SNGs, multi-table SNGs, satellite SNGs, or shootout SNGs, we’ve got you covered. Our dedicated guide covers everything you need to know about these tournaments, including where the best action is, the strategies needed to win, and how you can get started right now.

Playing Real Money Cash Games Online

Online poker tournaments are great, but you’re required to sit until the tournament is over. Cash games, on the other hand, give you the flexibility to come and go as you please. If you want to play just a couple of hands, great. If you want to play for 20 hours straight, you’re nuts, but go for it! Some of the most profitable poker players in the world make their living from playing cash games.

If you’re ready to get started with online poker cash games or you want to take your game up a notch, stay tuned. Our dedicated cash game poker guides get into how and where to find the best action, the strategies needed to crush all stakes, and resources that can help you to grow as a player.

Online Poker Bonuses

Did someone say free? We did! The best poker sites for money know that, to stay relevant, they need to incentivize new players and reward loyal customers. The way the companies do this is through poker bonuses. Some of the most popular poker bonus types include:

• Deposit bonuses
• Welcome bonuses
• Freerolls
• Tournament tickets
• VIP rewards
• Frequent player points (FPPs)
• Added casino or sports betting bonuses

If you love the words “free” and “bonus,” be sure to check out the poker sites listed at the top of this page. They all have a long standing history of taking care of their customers with generous real money online poker bonuses.

Answering Questions About Online Poker

• Online poker is legal in most parts of the world! The exact answer to your question will depend on where you live, and the current rules and regulations put out by your government. Our online poker legality page breaks all of this down by location with updates when anything changes.
• Yes! If you choose to play poker online at reputable online poker rooms and do your part, your experience will be completely safe. What is your part? This includes things like using strong passwords, never playing poker when you're intoxicated or emotional, and never logging into your account from a public device.
• Yes! There are plenty of top online poker sites offering action to players located in the US. You won't have access to all of the options available to the rest of the world, but there are certainly some high-quality options with big games and huge prize pools.

• Is Texas Holdem the Only Type of Poker I Can Play Online?

  Nope. You can play all variations of real money poker online like PLO, Draw Poker, and Stud. Additionally, some online poker websites offer the ability to play wilder games like Crazy Pineapple and Chinese Poker. Texas Holdem is the most popular game with the most action, but you can find games across the board for whatever variation you are looking for.

At the moment, four states have regulated and legalized online poker on their territories: Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. We’re making small steps towards progress, but we’re getting somewhere. The good news is that if you’re located in any of these states, you can access legal online poker rooms and enjoy time playing against other gamblers. Do you want to learn more about legal poker in the United States? We’ll talk about the legislation, the websites that are currently available, your ability to play via mobile, and the variety of games you can access.

What Are the Top Recommended Poker Sites in the US?

Currently, there are a few legalized sites that enable playing online poker for real money in the US. Not all of them are available in the four states that legalized online poker. Feel free to read our detailed reviews on each site. They will make it easier for you to make a choice. Three of these sites are the major players:

• PartyPoker – The service is available only in New Jersey. It gives a $25 no-deposit bonus, which is a nice opportunity to test the site’s features and improve your poker skills. This used to be the preferred site for NJ players during the early years of online poker. Lately, the company has shifted its focus on sports betting and other casino games, which it provides on an international level.
• WSOP – This is the World Series of Poker-branded online poker site. It’s available for gamblers from New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. New players get $10 as a free no-deposit bonus. This is the biggest brand in online poker. You get to enter real tournaments. The winner of the yearly Main Event wins a massive prize, which depends on the state of the prize pool.
• PokerStars – PokerStars is another mega-popular website. It’s available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It doesn’t have a no-deposit bonus, but its deposit matches are great. The advantage of this site is its huge selection of poker games and tournaments.

In addition to these websites, New Jersey has three other legalized websites: BetMGM Poker, Borgata Poker, and 888 Poker. In Pennsylvania, PokerStars is the only website that currently operates. But there are six other options expected to launch soon: WSOP, Party Poker, Hollywood Casino, BetMGM Poker, Parx Casino, and Rivers Philadelphia.

What States Have Legal US Online Poker Sites?

We already listed the four states that allow playing online card games for real money. Let’s talk about their legislation.

• Delaware

Delaware was the first state to legalize online gambling back in 2012. It may be a small market, but it’s a leader in the gambling industry. It took nearly a year for licensed websites to start offering their gambling services. The Delaware Lottery is the institution that regulates the industry and ensures the credibility of the games.

• Nevada

Nevada also passed an online gambling bill in 2013. Operator licenses are granted by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Ultimate Poker was the first site to show up in April 2013, but it’s no longer active. The current laws permit poker as the only form of online gambling for real money.

• New Jersey

2013 was a great year for U.S. gamblers. New Jersey also passed legislation for online poker in the same year. It has the greatest number of available websites. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is the regulating authority. NJ is the most liberal state regarding online gambling. All casino games are allowed, and the industry has generated over one billion dollars since it was legalized. That’s hundreds of millions in taxes for the state.

• Pennsylvania

Currently, Pennsylvania gamblers can access a single website: PokerStars. New options are expected to launch soon. Why haven’t we seen other websites so far? The state imposed a $10 million license fee for entering operators, in addition to the 16% tax on earnings. Here’s something interesting: Michigan also legalized poker. In December 2019, the state introduced the Lawful Internet Gambling Act. However, it will be a while before we see any legit websites offering online gambling. It’s a process, and we have to be patient about it. West Virginia gamblers are in a similar situation. Online gambling was also legalized in December 2019, but the process of legalizing websites and offering online poker rooms for the players is taking longer than expected.

US Online Poker Overview: What’s the Deal with Poker in Other States?

Why isn’t gambling with real cash allowed across the USA? Are there any federal regulations limiting our opportunities to play online?

• The Wire Act

The state of online gambling was regulated for a long time by this federal act from 1961. It forbade any bets or wagers through a wire communication facility. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an opinion that this act was only relevant to sports betting. That’s when the states started introducing legislation to liberalize online poker and other forms of gambling. However, in January 2019, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a different opinion: The Wire Act applied not only to sports betting, but to all forms of gambling as well. This is just an opinion. It’s not the law. However, it blocked the liberalization of online gambling in other states, and it makes the future of poker sites uncertain.

• The UIGEA

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was specifically meant to ban the entire online gambling industry. Online gambling is defined as accepting money for online games. If this federal law forbids it, then how can online gambling be legal in individual states? The legal system in the USA is complex. Although this is the presiding act, the states also have the right to make laws on their own territory. A few states already started making those steps forward.

Why Play Poker Online on Legal Sites?

The federal ban on online gambling is aimed at the services that accept money for games of luck. The gamblers, on the other hand, are not sanctioned for engaging in such activities. Offshore sites are also allowed to offer their services to U.S. players. That’s why so many gamblers turn to these websites with foreign licenses.

They fit in the grey area. But if you live in a state where you have the option to play on legit real money poker websites, we recommend you to stick to them. They are regulated by an authority of the State, so you get guarantees for secure and fair play. If online gambling is not allowed in your state, you have another legal option: sweepstakes websites. You won’t play with real money; you’ll purchase coins and you still have a chance to win.

What Poker Variations Can You Play Online?

• Texas Hold’em

You’ll find this version of the game in all online poker rooms. The dealer deals five cards face-up across the table, and two cards face-down for each player. Your goal is to make a winning five-card hand out of the two cards that you hold and the five open cards.

• Pot-Limit Omaha

The dealer deals five open cards, similarly to the Texas Hold’em version. However, each players gets four instead of two hands. They must use two of their own cards to make the winning combination of five, including cards from the open selection. In the pot-limit version of the game, the maximum bet to the amount that’s in the pot is limited.

• Seven-Card Stud

As the name reveals, it’s a game of seven cards. Each player gets one card face-up and two cards face-down. After the first round of betting, the players continue getting cards (seven in total). The point is to get the winning five-card combo.

• Razz

It’s a strange game: you’re supposed to end up with the lowest hand of five cards.

• Omaha Hi-Lo

Omaha Hi-Lo awards both the highest and the lowest hands by halves of the pot.

• 2-7 Triple Draw

This is a game of limit poker, featuring a small and a big bet. Each player gets five cards. They can exchange any of those cards during the draw rounds. The goal is to get the lowest hand and win the pot.

• Five-Card Draw

This is the most basic poker game. Each player gets five cards face-down. Throughout the hands, they can change any cards they want. The goal is to make the strongest hand.

Best Real Money Poker Sites For Us Players

• Chinese Poker

Each player gets 13 cards, and they should divide them into a setting of three poker cards (one containing three and two containing five cards). Then, the players announce if they will play the hands.

• HORSE

HORSE is a combination of different poker games throughout the rounds: Hold’em Limit, Omaha Limit, Razz Limit, Seven-Card Stud limit, and Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better Limit.

Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa

• Badugi

Each player gets four cards and a chance to exchange three of them with new ones during the hand. The goal is to make the best low hand. Some websites include video poker games, but that’s not a card game. It’s a video slot based on poker rules.

Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa

How to Play on Mobile Poker Apps

Applications are brilliant for those who want to play card games at any time. If you live in a state where online poker is legal, you’ll see that all sites offer downloadable apps for iOS and Android.

Best Real Money Poker Sites In Usa

As an example, WSOP offers an app for both platforms. It uses geo-location software, so you can only access the tables if you’re located in a state where the service is legal. To play through a mobile app, you should download it according to the website’s instructions. Apple’s App Store allows applications of this type, but Google’s Play Store doesn’t. You can still download it if you allow third-party software on your device and install the application directly from the website. Then, all you’ll need to do is create a real profile and make your deposit. These games are perfectly tailored to suit the mobile screen.

Are There Any Online Poker Bonuses and Rewards?

Yes! The best poker sites offer a no-deposit bonus, too. It means that you’re getting free cash just for signing up. When you do make a deposit, the platform will usually match it by a bonus. You can use these rewards as real money, for placing bets and winning games. However, keep in mind that there are tied to playthrough requirements. Unlike online casinos, poker websites don’t impose demanding playthrough requirements. They have a different policy: they slowly release the bonus amount into your account, as you keep playing and earning player points. For example, WSOP will release $5 of your first-deposit bonus for each 50 Action Player Points you earn.

What Are the Banking Methods for Playing Poker Online?

When you play on legal sites, you gain a serious advantage: you can use the online poker PayPal payment method. PayPal is restrictive to online transactions. It allows them only if you’re engaging in legal activities. That’s why it’s not available on off-shore sites. In addition to PayPal, online poker websites offer other payment methods, too: ACH e-check, credit/debit card, PayNearMe, and cash at casino cage. Since the sites are usually associated to land casinos, you can make your deposit at the cage and withdraw your money there.

Sweepstakes Internet Poker: Is It Legal?

Yes; sweepstakes poker is legal. Technically, you’ll not playing with and for real money. You’re playing for another type of reward: coins. With this model, you can still win cash prizes. Global Poker is one of the best online gambling sites that follow the sweepstakes model. If real-money online poker is not allowed in your state but you really want to play, check it out!

Summing Up the History of Online Poker in the U.S.

Let’s go through the most important points in history, which led to the current legal online poker status if in the USA:

• The first online casinos started appearing in 1994. They worked on an international level, and they all accepted gamblers from the United States.
• Planet Poker, a Canadian site that was launched in 1998, was the first online poker website.
• In 1999, the U.S. Senate tried to block all online gambling activities through the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. It didn’t pass the procedure, so U.S. gamblers kept using foreign websites.
• In 2002, the Court of Appeals decided that online gambling was not prohibited under the Federal Wire Act of 1961, since it was specific to sports betting. However, the Department of Justice issued an opinion that claimed online gambling was illegal under that act.
• In 2003, Chris Moneymaker, a U.S. poker player, won the Main Event of the World Series of Poker through an online satellite. That was a defining moment in history: everyone understood how big and important this industry was. Suddenly, online poker was in all the news.
• In April 2011, the three major poker sites (Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars) were accused of illegal activities and violations of the UIGEA. They were blocked for access from the USA.
• In 2011, the DOJ finally released another legal opinion: the Federal Wire Act did not apply to online casino games. From that moment on, the states started making their own legislation to legalize online poker. Delaware was the first state to allow online poker in 2012.

We are still writing history. Legislators across the USA are finally realizing that this is a productive industry that the states can benefit from. If they don’t regulate it and collect the taxes, gamblers turn to offshore sites.